ake a young person duck hunting
Two youth waterfowl hunts in Utah this month
Hunters 17 years of age and younger will have Utah’s marshes—and the ducks and geese that go with them—all to themselves during two days in September.
A special Youth Waterfowl Hunt will be held in the Northern Zone on Sept. 22. In the Southern Zone, a youth hunt will be held on Sept. 29.
All youth hunters, including those who are 16 and 17 years of age, must be accompanied by someone 21 years of age or older to hunt on the youth days. (Normally, those 16 to 17 years of age can hunt in Utah without adult supervision.)
Blair Stringham, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says one of the goals of the youth hunt is to get young hunters in the marsh with adults who can teach them responsible and ethical hunting. “To accomplish that goal,” he says, “we’ve decided—on Sept. 22 and Sept. 29 only—to require 16 and 17 year olds to have an adult with them.”
Trial Hunting program
If you’ll be 17 years of age or younger on July 31, 2018—but you haven’t completed a Hunter Education course—you can still participate in the youth hunt through the state’s Trial Hunting program. The program allows someone 21 years of age or older to take someone 12 years of age or older hunting, even if the person they’re taking hasn’t completed Hunter Education.
More information about the Trial Hunting program is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/trial.
Take a kid hunting
Stringham says taking young hunters into the marsh on Sept. 22 or Sept. 29 is the perfect way to get them interested in duck and goose hunting. He says the number of ducks in Utah peaks in mid-September.
“It’s the perfect time to be in the marsh,” he says. “The kids you take will see plenty of ducks. And they should get plenty of shots.” And the young hunters should also get your undivided attention. “Adults can’t hunt during the youth hunt,” he says, “so the kids you take will get all of your attention.”
Stringham says a youth day might be the best day you spend in the marsh all season. “Youth day is the perfect way to pass the tradition of waterfowl hunting on to the next generation,” he says. “The experiences the kids have that day are something they’ll never forget.”
Shooting on Sept. 22 starts at 6:47 a.m. On Sept. 29, shooting starts at 6:55 a.m. Except for part of the Harold Crane Waterfowl Management Area, all of the state and federal refuges in Utah will be open to youth hunters those days.
“A project to improve the water flow at Harold Crane is underway,” Stringham says, “and most of the WMA will be closed during the youth hunt. The East Pond will be open to hunting, though.”
To help you find a good spot to hunt, visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/waterfowl-opener-conditions.html. Marsh conditions—at the state’s waterfowl management areas—will be posted there soon.
Requirements
To participate in the hunt:
· If you’ve completed a Hunter Education course, you must be 17 years of age or younger on July 31, 2018. You must also have a current hunting license and Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, and be accompanied by an adult.
Also, if you’re 16 or 17 years old, you must have a federal duck stamp.
· If you haven’t completed a Hunter Education course, you must be between 12 and 17 years of age on July 31, 2018. You also must have a current hunting license and Harvest Information Program (HIP) number, a federal duck stamp (if you’re 16 or 17 years old) and be accompanied by someone 21 years of age or older. In addition, before you hunt, you must complete a brief online Trial Hunting Program Orientation course. The orientation course is among the items available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/trial.
Learn more
More information about the Youth Waterfowl Hunt, including the number of ducks and geese kids can take, is available on page 32 of the 2018 – 2019 Utah Waterfowl Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.
###Take a young person chukar or gray partridge hunting
Youth partridge hunt happens Sept. 22 - 24
Three days of upland game hunting fun starts Sept. 22. That’s the first day of Utah’s three-day youth chukar and gray partridge hunt.
Those who were 17 years of age or younger on July 31, 2018 can participate in the hunt. If you qualify, but you haven’t completed the state’s Hunter Education course, you can still participate through Utah’s Trial Hunting program.
(The Trial Hunting program allows someone 21 years of age or older to take a person 12 to 17 years old hunting, even if the 12- to 17-year-old hasn’t completed a Hunter Education course. More information about the program is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/trial.)
To increase the chance young hunters take a chukar, biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources will release chukars in selected areas before the youth hunt. Starting Sept. 11, you can see which areas will receive birds online at https://bit.ly/2PFWUzx .
Take a kid hunting
Jason Robinson, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the Sept. 22 – 24 youth chukar and gray partridge hunt is a great way to introduce young people to upland game hunting. “The hunt will be the first time the birds have been hunted this fall,” he says, “so they won’t be quite as wary as they’ll be later in the season. Also, the birds tend to stay closer together and rely more on water in early fall. Finding a good water source can get you into plenty of birds.”
A big plus for the young hunter is a chance to get complete attention from an older hunter. “Unless you’re younger than 18,” he says, “you can’t hunt during the youth hunt. That allows you to give your undivided attention to the youth hunter you take.”
Robinson encourages you to take a kid hunting Sept. 22, 23 or 24. "The hunt provides a great way to pass the tradition of upland game hunting on to the next generation,” he says.
Shooting on Sept. 22 starts at 6:15 a.m. To participate in the hunt:
- If you’ve completed a Hunter Education course, you had to be 17 years of age or younger on July 31, 2018. You must also have a current hunting license. If you’re under the age of 16, you must be accompanied by an adult. If you’re 16 or 17 years old, you can hunt without adult supervision.
- If you haven’t completed a Hunter Education course, you had to be between 12 and 17 years of age on July 31. You must also have a current hunting license and be accompanied by someone 21 years of age or older. In addition, you must complete a brief online Trial Hunting Program Orientation course before Sept. 22. The orientation course is among the items available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/trial.
Learn more
More information about the youth chukar and gray partridge hunts is available on page 13 of the 2018 – 2019 Utah Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook. The free guidebook is available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.
Kokanee salmon ready to put on a show
Best places to see bright-red salmon this fall
Trees aren’t the only parts of Utah that turn a brilliant shade of red in the fall: so do kokanee salmon.
In September, kokanee—which are a shade of silver most of the year—change to a fluorescent red prior to traveling up rivers and streams to spawn. Their bright-red color makes the salmon easy to spot in the waters where they spawn.
To celebrate the annual spawn, the Division of Wildlife Resources is holding free viewing events at four locations in Utah. If you’d like to see kokanee on your own, two additional sites are great places to visit.
Free viewing events
Sept. 15
North-central Utah
Jordanelle Reservoir
This will be the first year a kokanee salmon viewing event has been held at the Rock Cliff Recreation Area at Jordanelle Reservoir. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you attend, you’ll see bright-red salmon make their way up the Provo River.
The Rock Cliff Recreation Area is on the eastern tip of Jordanelle Reservoir, two miles west of Francis.
Strawberry Reservoir
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) visitor center at Strawberry Reservoir. The visitor center is along U.S. Highway 40, about 20 miles southeast of Heber City.
If you attend the event, you’ll see some salmon in the Strawberry River next to the visitor center. But, if you walk to the fish trap and egg-taking facility behind the visitor center, you’ll see hundreds of the bright-red fish.
DWR biologists will be available at the facility to show you the salmon and talk with you about the peculiar life cycle of the fish.
“Kokanee are easily visible in the river at the visitor center,” says Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. “Once you arrive at the fish trap, you can ask questions about the salmon. If you want, you can even touch one.”
If you can’t attend the Sept. 15 event, Root says salmon should be visible in the Strawberry River, and other tributaries to Strawberry, from now until the first part of October.
For more information about either event, call the DWR’s Central Region office at 801-491-5678.
Northeastern Utah
Sheep Creek
Sheep Creek, a tributary to Flaming Gorge Reservoir, is about six miles south of Manila. Depending on where the salmon are located, the event will be held either at the Scenic Byway turnout where Sheep Creek crosses under state Route 44, or near the campgrounds located along Sheep Creek. “Just watch for signs that we’ll post along SR 44,” says Tonya Kieffer-Selby, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. “You’ll be able to see the signs, no matter which direction on SR 44 you’re traveling.”
Kieffer-Selby says you should be able to see really good numbers of kokanee in their bright-red spawning colors. “Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, wild turkeys, sandhill cranes, red-tailed hawks, song birds, squirrels and a variety of other wildlife have greeted those who have attended the event in the past,” she says. “If you have a pair of binoculars, a camera or a spotting scope, make sure to bring it with you.”
DWR outreach staff and biologists will be at the site between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Display materials will be on hand that will help you see the kokanee and interpret their behavior. The biologists will also have a spotting scope available in case bighorn sheep visit the area, which they usually do during Kokanee Salmon Day.
For more information, call the DWRs Northeastern Region office at 435-781-9453.
Oct. 9
East-central Utah
Electric Lake
Upper Huntington Creek and Boulger Creek are two major tributaries to Electric Lake where kokanee salmon may spawn each year. These creeks are typically shallow, making the bright-red salmon easy to see.
DWR biologists and outreach staff are hosting a viewing event at Electric Lake on Oct. 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. Please meet them at the boat ramp on the north end of the reservoir, where they’ll answer your questions and direct you to the best areas to see the salmon.
“The annual kokanee salmon spawn is a special wildlife viewing opportunity that many residents of east-central Utah aren’t aware of,” says Morgan Jacobsen, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. “We hope wildlife enthusiasts will come enjoy the fall colors at Electric Lake, including the red salmon.”
Electric Lake is 54 miles west of Price and 22 miles east of Fairview, along Highway 264 in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. If you have questions about the event, call the DWR’s Southeastern Region office at 435-613-3707.
See salmon on your own
Two places in northern and southern Utah are great places to see salmon on your own.
Northern Utah
Causey Reservoir
The best place to see kokanee at Causey Reservoir is the Right Hand Fork of the Ogden River. You can paddle to the spot after launching a kayak or canoe on the reservoir, or you can hike to the spot from the Skull Crack trailhead on the south side of the reservoir. After leaving the trailhead, hike about two miles to the viewing site. Be aware that rattlesnake sightings are common along the trail.
“If you paddle to the viewing site,” says DWR Regional Conservation Outreach Manager Phil Douglass, “make sure you wear shoes that you don’t mind getting a little muddy. You’ll have to leave your kayak or canoe, and do a small bit of walking, to reach the site.”
Douglass says the kokanee spawn starts in early September and reaches its peak by the middle of the month. “About 10 days after reaching its peak,” he says, “the spawn ends.”
Causey Reservoir is 11 miles east of Huntsville. For more information, call the DWR’s Northern Region office at 801-476-2740.
South-central Utah
Fish Lake
Twin Creeks is the best tributary at the lake to visit. The stream is located near the Fish Lake Lodge on the lake’s west side. “Good parking is available in a paved parking lot just north of Twin Creeks,” says Phil Tuttle, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. “The best time to see salmon is from about mid-September through October.”
Fish Lake is about 17 miles northeast of Koosharem. For more information, call the DWR’s Southern Region office at 435-865-6100.
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PHOTOS - 31 photos to accompany this story are available at https://udwrnewsphotos.zenfolio.com/p829042644 .
Contact: Mark Hadley, DWR Relations with the Public Specialist, 801-538-4737
Fishing changes proposed for 2019 and 2020
Biologists with the Division of Wildlife Resources are recommending changes that will affect anglers in Utah for the next two years. If the changes are approved, you’d be allowed to use corn as bait at all of Utah’s fishing waters, keep more lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir, enjoy a two-day possession limit statewide, and have a better chance at catching big channel catfish at Cutler Reservoir.
And that’s just the start. The biologists are recommending numerous changes for the 2019 and 2020 fishing seasons. You can see all of their recommendations at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings/rac/2018-09_rac_packet.pdf.
Learn more, share your ideas
After you’ve reviewed the ideas, you can share your thoughts with your Regional Advisory Council members by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an email to them.
RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board when the board meets in Salt Lake City on Sept. 27 to approve rules for Utah’s 2019 and 2020 fishing seasons.
Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:
Southern Region
Sept. 11
7 p.m.
Hurricane Community Center
63 S. 100 W.
Hurricane
Southeastern Region
Sept. 12
6:30 p.m.
John Wesley Powell Museum
1765 E. Main St.
Green River
Northeastern Region
Sept. 13
6:30 p.m.
DWR Northeastern Region Office
318 N. Vernal Ave.
Vernal
You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email. Email addresses for your RAC members are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/rac-members.html.
The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s email address. You should direct your email to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.
Fishing with corn
Over the past two years, anglers have been allowed to use corn on eight lakes and reservoirs in Utah. During that time, DWR conservation officers have kept a close eye on the amount of litter those fishing with corn have left behind. The officers are happy to report that they haven’t seen an impact.
Randy Oplinger, sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR, says anglers who responded to a survey earlier this year had the same observation. “A total of 1,636 of the 4,718 anglers who responded to the survey had fished at one or more of the eight waters in the past two years,” he says. “Only 3% of them had witnessed any kind of negative impact from allowing anglers to use corn as bait.”
If approved by the Utah Wildlife Board, anglers could use corn—at all of Utah’s fishing waters—starting Jan. 1, 2019.
Keep more lake trout at Flaming Gorge
Changes at Flaming Gorge Reservoir would give you more chances to help reduce a growing population of smaller lake trout. Reducing the number of smaller lake trout should help the reservoir return to its ‘glory days’ when it produced some of the largest lake trout in the country in good numbers.
Biologists are recommending that the daily lake trout limit be increased to 12 lake trout, but only one could be over 28 inches long. Currently, anglers are allowed to keep only eight lake trout.
Oplinger says a growing population of smaller lake trout is causing problems for anglers. “The smaller lake trout are competing with kokanee salmon and rainbow trout for food,” he says.
Oplinger says the competition is affecting both the number and size of kokanee and rainbows in the reservoir. “Kokanee and rainbows are the two fish lake trout prey on,” he says. “If we can reduce the number of smaller lake trout, they’ll be more kokanee and rainbows for anglers to catch and for the remaining lake trout to eat.”
Oplinger says Flaming Gorge used to produce good numbers of huge lake trout. “If the increased limit is approved,” he says, “and anglers keep their limits of smaller lake trout, we should see more trophy lake trout caught at the reservoir in the future.”
Two-day possession limit
Some anglers who take the time to travel to Flaming Gorge and Strawberry reservoirs want to spend more than one day fishing before coming home. To give them a chance to keep more fish, DWR biologists are proposing that two-day possession limits be established at both waters. Currently, you may not have more than one daily limit in your possession while fishing at either water.
“With the exception of Flaming Gorge and Strawberry,” Oplinger says, “two-day possession limits are allowed at all of the fishing waters in Utah. We haven’t seen any biological impact on the waters where a two-day possession limit is allowed. We’d like to give anglers who fish Flaming Gorge and Strawberry the same chance those who fish other waters have.”
Bigger catfish
If changes recommended by the biologists are approved, Cutler Reservoir could become ‘the place’ in Utah to catch big channel catfish.
At Cutler and its tributaries, biologists would like to reduce the daily catfish limit to four fish. Reducing the limit from eight fish to four fish would keep more channel cats in the reservoir and allow them to grow to a bigger size.
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Fishing reports - available at http://wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots .
