URGENT INFO FOR WASATCH FRONT ELK HUNTERS

[alpinebowman]

i know this is not the UTAH section but we need everyone to see this to spread the word so our friends and buddies don't get burned.

I need you guys to get some info out to anyone that may be chasing elk on the Wasatch Front extended. Last fall the division changed the hunt on the portion of the unit south of I-80. Being part of the Wasatch limited entry bull hunt this year you are only allowed to kill a spike or a cow from August 16th - Sept 5th. You can then not hunt elk from Sept 6th - Sept 12th. It then opens up to an any elk unit from Sept 13th - Dec 15th.

This change was unknown to even Ben Lowder and We were all sure it was a typo. He has communicated with a couple division people in the know that verified this change. So again please pass this on, the DWR has placed signs at the trail heads but I am sure not many stop and read them. We truly don't want to see anybody get caught with a great bull only to lose it because of this change.

Be assured UBA is already working to figure out a way to fix this issue and find out how many outside of the division even realized this was changed including the wildlife board and RAC's.
alpinebowman

>>>---shots that are true pass right through--->

 

[ArcherBen55]

URGENT WASATCH FRONT ARCHERY ELK INFO ? UPDATE

Over the past two days, I have been working with the DWR Big Game Coordinator, Justin Shannon, to understand how this change happened without being discussed at the RACs and Wildlife Board. The simple fact is that this change was not presented to the RACs, and was presented to the Wildlife Board simply as a housekeeping item concerning season dates. Justin has told me that this was never meant to be deceptively presented without notice. Rather, it simply got overlooked amidst other controversial proposals. Justin is a very honest person, and as such, I believe him completely.

My biggest concern since learning of this change is a concern of the legal ramifications for the uninformed archery elk hunter who in the past would otherwise be a lawful hunter. Fortunately, Justin has taken action to correct and make right this issue. He contacted me this afternoon to alert me to the fact that the DWR has changed the dates to allow the take of any elk (including branch antlered bulls) on the Wasatch front extended area during both the general season and the extended season. This effectively makes it legal to hunt branch antlered bulls on the Wasatch Front extended area from Aug 16 ? Dec 15 with a general archery elk tag. The signs that were initially placed at trail heads have been taken down, the online 2014 Big Game Field Regulations has been updated, and a correction has been added to 2014 guidebooks webpage.

A big thanks to Justin and the DWR for recognizing the issue and taking action to make right the issue.

 

[ArcherBen55]

The changes can be seen at:

http://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting-in...409-2014-utah-big-game-field-regulations.html

Page 18: There was an error in the dates provided in which a hunter with a general-season archery elk permit may use archery equipment to take a branch-antlered bull on the Wasatch Front extended archery area. Hunters may harvest a branch-antlered bull on the Wasatch Front extended archery area from Aug. 16?Sept. 12, 2014.