SALT LAKE CITY -- Warm, dry winters are bad for Utah water reserves, but they've been helping the deer population, which is why Utah wildlife managers expect a strong deer hunt.
Utah's annual rifle deer hunt begins Saturday, October 17, and continues through the following Sunday, October 25.
"We've had really mild winters over the last four years or so, and then we've had rainfall and that's really helped deer," said Justin Shannon, Big Game Coordinator at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The conditions Shannon is looking for include healthy deer and a good ratio of bucks to does. Warm winters have allowed the deer to survive year to year, and rainy summers have provided the forage they need.
Hunters packed into the East Canyon Resort Campground in the days leading up to the hunt, lucky to have tags from the state. Those tags are sold out for this year.
