UTAH COUNTY, Utah — Two seasons shifted this past weekend in parts of Utah. Snowfall blanketed parts of the state while the general buck deer hunts got underway.
“I know Sunday morning when I was working one of the first contacts I made was somebody that was stuck in the mud,” said Lt. Matt Briggs, a Conservation Officer with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, who mentioned the weather played a factor in how many people came out for the hunt this weekend.
Lt. Briggs and fellow conservation officers focus on compliance checks during this time of year. On Wednesday afternoon, Lt. Briggs checked a handful of permits in the Dairy Fork Wildlife Management Area in Utah County.
“We’re out looking for deer hoping to take a buck home,” said Blake Bowen, who was out hunting with his son Conner. “We’d like to take two but we’d be happy with one, or just a good time out and we’ll eat some treats and go home happy.”
The Bowens were successful in taking one buck on Wednesday.
“Key component of our job is the education part you know contacting hunters and helping them understand the regulations,” said Lt. Briggs. “Most sportsmen are trying to do it right, trying to teach their kids how to do it right, it’s a small group that’s out there that’s trying to cheat and take opportunities away from everybody else.”
Unfortunately, DWR has seen plenty of ‘unlawful taking of wildlife. Since August 1st, DWR has processed reports of 252 fish have been taken, 66 deer and 49 elk. They value the animals taken at $66,670.
“It can be very difficult trying to gather information when all we have is a dead deer or a dead elk on the ground. We rely on the public to also be our eyes and ears,” said Lt. Briggs.
DWR has a number of ways for people to report poaching, including the UTiP hotline.
