Outdoor notes

DEER VALLEY TO OPEN

With natural snow already on Deer Valley's peaks, temperatures dropping and plenty of snowmaking going on, Deer Valley Resort's 2008-09 winter season will commence Saturday.

The resort will also host a two-day Celebrity Ski Race on Saturday and Sunday. The event will attract several TV and movie personalities, as well as several former Olympians.

The resort will kick off the season by celebrating the life of its founder, Edgar B. Stern Jr., who passed away in October at the age of 86. The ceremony, "A Celebration of the Life of Edgar Stern," is open to the public and will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on the Snow Park Lodge Plaza. Dixieland jazz will be performed by the Park City High School Jazz Allstars from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the Snow Park Plaza.

Thirty percent of ticket sales from the resort's opening day will be donated to chosen charities.

TURKEY HUNT

The Division of Wildlife Services is reminding hunters to apply for their turkey hunting permits.

On Tuesday, hunters could begin applying for a limited number of turkey hunting permits for a sport that officials say is gaining popularity.

"It's a popular recreation," said Dave Olsen, upland game coordinator for DWR. "It has a real cult following."

Olsen said the DWR is trying to make permits more readily available through over-the-counter purchase instead of using a draw.

More permits will also be available this year. Nearly 8,000 permits were available in 2008, more than double what was allowed in 2007. For 2009, the state will be making 13,900 permits available to hunters.

Turkey hunting takes place in the spring, with three seasons between April 11 and May 31. Applications for a permit will be accepted until Dec. 30, but landowner applications are already being accepted. Hunters will know by Jan. 29 if they drew a permit.

2 UTAHNS HONORED

Two Utahns — Ann Evans and Don Peay — made Outdoor Life magazine's annual "Outdoor Life 25," a list of the 25 most influential people in hunting and fishing, in its December/January 2009 issue.

Evans is one of the first female park rangers in Utah and is honored for her work as an aquatic education coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, where she taught fishing basics, as well her work as the off-highway safety instructor for the Division of Parks and Recreation.