See Bald Eagles
February is Bald Eagle Month in Utah
February is the best time of the year to see one of the country’s most iconic birds.
Bald eagles fly to Utah in the winter to find food and escape colder conditions farther north. By the time February arrives, hundreds of eagles are in the state.
You can see the eagles, and learn more about them, during Bald Eagle Month.
Matt Bartley, special events coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the agency has expanded its former Bald Eagle Day to include several Saturdays of viewing.
“Holding viewing events at different times, in different parts of the state, will give folks across Utah the best chance to see the greatest number of eagles,” Bartley says.
In the past, the DWR held the event on a single Saturday in February.
“On the day we held the event,” he says, “some of the sites had good numbers of eagles while other sites had fewer birds. In some cases, eagles hadn’t arrived at the sites in good numbers yet. In other cases, they’d already come and gone. Holding the event on different Saturdays should increase the chance you see eagles on the day you attend.”
Seeing the eagles is free. You can see eagles during the following days and times:
Feb. 3
Southwestern Utah
Rush Lake Ranch, 9600 North on the Minersville highway (SR-130). The ranch is about 12 miles north of Cedar City.
Viewing on Feb. 3 takes place from 8 a.m. to noon.
Feb. 10
Northern Utah
Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area (Compton’s Knoll), located about 10 miles northwest of Corinne
Viewing on Feb. 10 takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To reach the Salt Creek WMA, exit Interstate 15 at Exit 365, and travel west on state Route 83 through Corinne. Stay on SR-83 until you get to 6800 West (Iowa String). Turn right on 6800 West, and travel north to 6800 North. Once you reach 6800 North, the WMA’s Compton’s Knoll Watchable Wildlife site will be on your left side.
Wasatch Audubon and the DWR are co-sponsoring the event at Salt Creek.
Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, located on the west side of Farmington at 1325 W. Glovers Lane (925 South)
Viewing on Feb. 10 takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The DWR and the Wild About Birds Nature Center in Layton are co-sponsoring the Farmington Bay event.
Central Utah
Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery, located east of Nephi
Viewing on Feb. 10 takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free tours of the Fountain Green State Fish Hatchery will also be offered.
If you’re coming from the north, you can reach the hatchery by taking Interstate 15 and exiting the freeway at the second Nephi exit (Exit 225). After exiting the freeway, turn east on state Route 132 and travel about 10 miles. About one mile before the city of Fountain Green, a Bald Eagle Day sign will point you to an access road that leads to the hatchery.
Once you reach the hatchery, you’ll receive a driving map of the Sanpete Valley that highlights the best areas in the valley to view eagles. Literature, displays and bathroom facilities will also be available at the hatchery. Spotting scopes will be set-up at a nearby location where eagles often gather in a large tree. The viewing site is about one mile from the hatchery.
Feb. 24
Northeastern Utah
Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, near the refuge headquarters in Randlett at 19001 E. Wildlife Refuge Road
Viewing on Feb. 24 takes place from 8 a.m. to noon.
To reach the site, travel on U.S. 40 about 14 miles west of Vernal, or about 13 miles east of Roosevelt, and turn south on state Route 88. Travel south on SR-88 for 14 miles, and then turn left into the refuge entrance. The refuge headquarters is one mile down the entrance road.
The Ouray National Wildlife Refuge and the DWR are co-sponsoring the event.
Get a close look
Bartley says spotting scopes will be available at each viewing site so you can get a good look at the eagles. “If you have any challenges spotting the eagles,” he says, “our biologists and volunteers will help you find them. We’d also be happy to answer any questions you have.”
You can also pick up a Bald Eagle Month button. Handouts and information about bald eagles, wildlife watching and birding opportunities in Utah will also be available.
The button and information are free.
Items to bring
If you attend Bald Eagle Day, dress in warm clothes and bring waterproof boots. Also, if you want to take photos of the eagles, bring a telephoto lens.
“You need a telephoto lens to get good, close-up shots of the eagles,” Bartley says. “The eagles will be fairly close to the viewing sites, but you still need a telephoto lens to get good photos of them.”
More information
If you have questions about Bald Eagle Month, call Division of Wildlife Resources offices in Ogden, Springville, Vernal or Cedar City.
###
Editor’s note: The following is the DWR’s annual reminder about the chance to apply for a black bear hunting permit. Please note that printed copies of the black bear guidebook will not be available until the end of the application period. But an electronic copy is available right now at www.wildlife.utah.gov/utah-black-bear-guidebook.html !
Apply for a Bear Hunting or Pursuit Permit
Feb. 5 is the first day to apply
Don’t let the cold weather fool you; Utah’s spring black bear hunt will start in about two months.
If you’d like to hunt bears during the spring, summer or fall seasons, the time to apply for a permit is almost here. You can apply starting Feb. 5.
One change this year: because the black bear hunting rules were approved a week later this year, a printed copy of the 2018 Utah Black Bear Guidebook won’t be available until the end of the application period.
You can get a copy of the free guidebook right now, though, at www.wildlife.utah.gov/utah-black-bear-guidebook.html.
Apply by Feb. 26
You can apply for a bear hunting or a bear pursuit permit starting Feb. 5 at www.wildlife.utah.gov.
(Pursuit permits allow you to pursue bears with hounds, but you may not take the bears you pursue.)
To be included in the draw for permits, your application must be received through the website no later than 11 p.m. on Feb. 26.
Results of the 2018 Utah black bear draw will be available by March 9.
Apply for a bonus point
If you’re not going to hunt or pursue bears in 2018, you can still apply for a bonus point. Bonus points increase the chance you’ll draw a bear permit in the future.
Applications for bonus points will also be accepted at www.wildlife.utah.gov from Feb. 5 until 11 p.m. on Feb. 26.
More information
If you have questions about applying for a 2018 Utah black bear hunting permit, call the Utah Hunt Application office at 1-800-221-0659 or the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office.
###
Learn How to Ice Fish in Southeastern Utah
DWR to host free ice fishing clinic on Feb. 3
Moab – Would you like to give ice fishing a try, but you’re not sure how to get started? You can learn the basics at a free ice fishing clinic in Moab. If weather and ice conditions permit, the clinic will include a fishing trip to Ken’s Lake where you can give your newly learned skills a try.
The Division of Wildlife Resources is sponsoring the free clinic. It will be held Feb. 3 at the Grand Center, 182 N. 500 W. The clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
After the classroom instruction, if the ice at Ken’s Lake is safe, the DWR will host a fishing trip to the lake. (The ice needs to be at least four inches thick.) Fishing will start at 1 p.m.
Those who attend the event will learn about staying warm and comfortable on the ice, how to be safe on the ice, fishing gear and bait that work best for ice fishing, and how and where to drill a hole. After teaching the basics, clinic instructors will share advanced tips and tricks for some of the best ice fishing destinations in southeastern Utah.
The event is free, but if you want to fish at Ken’s Lake, you must have a current fishing license. You can buy one at a DWR regional office, online at wildlife.utah.gov, or at most sporting goods stores.
If you don’t have your own fishing equipment, no problem—the DWR will loan you the gear you need to fish at Ken’s Lake that day.
Walt Maldonado, regional wildlife recreation specialist for the DWR, says the clinic is for everyone, regardless of age or experience.
"If you’ve never been ice fishing,” Maldonado says, “this clinic will give you the confidence you need to get started with a hobby you’ll look forward to every winter."
If you have questions about the clinic and fishing trip, call the DWR’s Southeastern Region office at 435-613-3700 or Walt Maldonado at 435-820-8147.
Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots
Strawberry Reservoir is a great place to try ice fishing for trout. The reservoir is home to some of the biggest trout in the West.
When the snow flies, many big game animals — including deer and elk — move from higher elevations to lower ones, where it’s easier to find food. Unfortunately, the animals can be much more visible and susceptible to poachers when they’re on these lower-elevation winter ranges. To protect the animals, our conservation officers spend many hours conducting patrols on winter ranges that are vulnerable to poaching. The patrols often start in the early evening and run through the early morning hours. Officers sweep known areas of concern to apprehend and discourage poachers.
When the snow flies, many big game animals — including deer and elk — move from higher elevations to lower ones, where it’s easier to find food. Unfortunately, the animals can be much more visible and susceptible to poachers when they’re on these lower-elevation winter ranges. To protect the animals, our conservation officers spend many hours conducting patrols on winter ranges that are vulnerable to poaching. The patrols often start in the early evening and run through the early morning hours. Officers sweep known areas of concern to apprehend and discourage poachers.
Central Utah
Ice fishing at Strawberry Reservoir (limited opportunity)
If you’ve never been ice fishing before, Strawberry Reservoir is a great place to give it a try. Reporters and photographers are invited to spend a morning with Division personnel fishing through the ice at Strawberry. We’ll bring the gear, the bait, the tent and the heater. All you’ll need — if you want to fish — is a current fishing license. You’ll receive hands-on instruction in the most effective ice-fishing tips and techniques. You’ll learn what gear to bring and what bait to use, and then try to catch fish through the ice
