ST. GEORGE — With many seasonal hunts underway, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources recently shared how the public has impacted hunting-related decisions in Southern Utah.
The DWR has a “robust public process,” where proposals for changes, such as the number of hunting permits issued, are posted online with information and videos. People can comment online or attend one of five Regional Advisory Council meetings, also called RAC meetings, held online and in-person multiple times per year, DWR Big Game Program Coordinator Dax Mangus told St. George News.
Feedback is considered by the advisory council, comprised of members representing local governments, sportspeople, wildlife lovers and others.
Once the council votes on their recommendations, they are sent to the Utah Wildlife Board, with members appointed by the governor, which will evaluate the proposals and input, then make a final decision, Mangus said.
The DWR’s goal is to maintain a deer population of approximately 404,000, with a recent estimate of about 335,000 deer in Utah, St. George News reported previously. While last winter’s heavy snowfall negatively impacted Northern Utah’s herds, those in the Southern region benefited from increased moisture and access to forage.
For this reason, the division recommended issuing an additional 3,275 general-season deer permits in Southern Utah — an increase of approximately 28% compared to last year, the article reads. Many other areas throughout the state saw decreases.
Many individuals shared their thoughts at April 18’s Regional Advisory Council in Cedar City. One person said they were “shocked” to see an increase in the number of general season permits.
“We are barely recovering from record drought and now being hit with record snowpack which is going to result in winter-kill and marginal fawn survival,” they wrote. “I understand that southern units don’t see the same impact from this winter, but the unit I hunt is increasing from 825 permits in 2021 to 1,500 permits this year.
“That is absolutely insane to me,” they continued. “This is why the division of wildlife gets pushback on these issues. I understand changes in permit numbers are necessary depending on year to year buck to doe ratio counts, but this is far fetched and I hope it is a mistake or a typo!”
Biologists and hunters experience wildlife on different scales, Mangus said. Biologists consider large data sets, such as population counts over an entire unit. In contrast, a hunter’s perspective is informed by their on-the-ground experience and personal knowledge of an area.
“That’s very real, and their experience is totally valid,” he said.
Mangus said the Southern Regional Advisory Council and the wildlife board listened to public input, lowering the number of permits issued this season. According to a news release issued by the division, Southern Utah saw an increase of 600 permits — up 5% from last year.
“I hear sometimes from folks that are skeptical or maybe disillusioned with the public process, and they feel like, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter if I go to those meetings or not — the decisions are already made. No one’s gonna listen to me,'” he said. “And I would tell folks that’s not true. That’s not been my experience.”
Mangus explaining another example, “It was two, three years ago, there was an individual that felt like our archery season — the general elk archery season should be a bit longer,” he said. “And that individual wrote a proposal and took it around and had some other folks that also supported this idea, and they went to those Regional Advisory Council meetings and … they extended the general-season archery elk hunt by five days.”
Mangus invites the public to stay involved by reading management plans, attending meetings and contacting regional council members, whose emails can often be found online.
Additionally, ideas and opinions that multiple people or groups reiterate could have greater weight than those from a single source, so inviting “like-minded friends” is a good idea.
“I think we really do have a process that wants to listen to folks and is happy and willing to listen to a good idea no matter where it comes from,” he said. “So it’s an uphill battle sometimes, but it’s not impossible. And they do listen.”
Mangus said many hunters are passionate about conserving the animals and that many regulations are self-imposed. One reason is that when fewer permits are issued, there are larger, older animals on the landscape.
“It’s a complex relationship,” he said. “For folks who aren’t really into hunting, sometimes it can be hard to understand. But hunters are super passionate advocates to protect the species that they love to hunt, and they want the resource to be managed sustainably. They want it to be something that they and their children and future generations can continue to enjoy.”
What changes can hunters expect this year?
One of this year’s most significant changes was instituted by the Utah Legislature, which allowed the pursuit hunting and trapping of cougars year-round without a permit. The new law caused an outcry among hunters and conservationists alike, who were concerned that the cats’ numbers would dwindle or that it could cause more human-wildlife conflict, among other reasons.
It’s still too early to know how the state’s mountain lions will be impacted, but thus far, the number of cats killed is on par with last year, DWR Public Information Officer Faith Jolley told St. George News. Biologists expect to have more data available by next spring that the division can use to recommend any updates to regulations if needed.
Other changes include additional regulations limiting the use of hunting technology.
For instance, Mangus said that trail camera use has been restricted on public lands from July 31 to Dec. 31 with some exceptions, in part to maintain the “soul of hunting and not having it become so high-tech that it doesn’t feel like the animals have a reasonable chance to avoid hunters.” Those using cameras that use internal storage and cannot transmit live data can still be used on private land for hunting.
The next opportunity for Southern Utahns to have their voices heard is on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. Individuals can attend virtually or in person at Southern Utah University’s Hunter Conference Center in the Charles R. Hunter room. Topics include elk management, hunting season dates and emerging technologies.
To learn more about Utah’s big game hunts and recent regulation changes, visit the DWR’s website. For more about upland game hunts, click here.
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