Off Highway Vehicle Week promotes Education

In a continued effort to promote safe and responsible off-highway vehicle (OHV) use, Off-Highway Vehicle Safety Week continues through May 15. Eric Stucki, OHV education specialist with Utah State Parks and Recreation, commented, "OHV riding is a great sport for the whole family and a good way to see Utah's outdoors. The purpose of OHV Safety Week is to remind riders to be properly trained, prepared and educated and to ride responsibly and enjoy safe riding. Riders also need to remember to ride responsibly and protect our fragile environment." Stucki offers the following guide to riding responsibly and trail etiquette:

- Motorized users must yield to non-motorized users.

- Ride only on designated roads and trails or other areas marked open for use. Respect closed areas and private property. Don't cut switchbacks or take shortcuts. Remember, areas signed as wilderness are closed to all motorized vehicles.

- Try to stay in the middle of the trail to avoid widening it. Trail widening is ugly and expensive to repair.

- Leave gates as you found them, open or closed, unless posted otherwise.
- Be courteous when passing hikers and other vehicles.
- Avoid muddy trails, save them for future trips when they are dry.

Utah law requires all OHV riders, from age eight until a Utah driver license is received, to complete the Know Before You Go! training course in order to operate an OHV on public land. Children under age eight may not operate an OHV on public lands.

Stucki noted, "The safety of children riding ATVs is absolutely a priority in Utah. We strongly encourage parents to select a properly-sized vehicle for their child. In class, students must be able to comfortably reach their brakes and foot pegs, or they are not allowed to continue
the course." Stucki added that Utah law requires a parent to attend the OHV education class with their child and that parent/child learning doesn't end in class.

To register for Know Before You Go! classes or for information on OHV laws and riding areas, contact the OHV Information Center at (801) 538-7433 from within Salt Lake City, or 1-800-OHV-RIDE (648-7433) from outside the area. Trail maps are also available at the Department of Natural Resources Bookstore at 1594 West North Temple in Salt Lake City.

Fly Fishing Clinics for Women

Women will have an opportunity to learn fly fishing tactics at several clinics offered in Midway between May and June, as part of the Division of Wildlife Resources' Becoming an Outdoors Woman program. During this course, fly fishing basics, including knot-tying, fly selection, casting, equipment, river dynamics and proper landing of fish, will be taught.

The clinics, conducted in partnership with Four Seasons Flyfishers are scheduled for May 15, June 12 and June 27. Each clinic runs from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast in Midway (100 Johnson Mill Road).

Nancy Hoff, BOW coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, reported, "Spots are filling fast, and women who want to participate are encouraged to register as soon as possible."
The cost for each clinic, including tax, is $132.81. Participants must also purchase a 2004 Utah fishing license and bring the license with them to the clinic.

To register, send checks for $132.81, payable to "Four Seasons Flyfishers" to: Four Seasons Flyfishers, Attn: BOW clinic, 44 W. 100 S., Heber City, Utah, 84032. For credit card payments, participants may call 1-800-498-5440. Hoff suggested, "Be sure and specify which day you are registering for."

Hoff added, "Class size is limited to only 10 participants per clinic, so each participant will receive a lot of individual attention and plenty of hands-on learning. Women will learn how to fish and will then have a chance to try out their new skills on the Provo River."

In addition to eight hours of instruction, each clinic includes a catered lunch, beverages, waders, boots, fly rod, reel and fly-line (or bring your own equipment), flies, tackle and everything else an angler needs to fish the Provo River. Four Seasons Fly-Shop in Heber will provide instructors and guides. After each clinic, Four Seasons will also offer full-day guide service discounts to each participant. For more information, call Hoff at (801) 560-9605.
Low Water Leads to Fish Kill at Calder Reservoir

The sixth year of drought in northeastern Utah has claimed another victim, Calder Reservoir on Diamond Mountain, where it appears almost all of the reservoir's fish have died.

Biologists from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources believe the winterkill must have happened within a few weeks after ice-off, as anglers were still catching fish into early February. Nets, set in Calder in early April, determined the fish kill was nearly total. Only one live fish was caught in the nets while thousands could be seen washed up on the banks.

Crouse Reservoir, located just below Calder Reservoir, winterkilled in 2002. Biologists are concerned that Matt Warner Reservoir, located a few miles upstream, will be the third lake on Diamond Mountain to fall victim to the drought. Diamond Mountain has a small watershed area and the slow snowmelt on the mountain mostly soaked into the soil. For more information, call the DWR's Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-WILD (9453).

Nine Deer Poached in Southeastern Utah

A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for killing nine deer in the Dolores Triangle area, west of the Colorado border near Glade Park in southeastern Utah. The deer were poached between Feb. 25 and March 3.

The deer carcasses were discovered along the Coates Creek Road, about 5 miles inside the Utah border. All nine deer, consisting of eight does and fawns and one buck, were shot and left to rot. Only the head and antlers of the buck were removed. All of the deer were apparently shot from the road.

"This is the most shocking case of senseless slaughter I've seen," said Vance Mumford, Moab district conservation officer for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Mumford at (435) 820-6015, Sergeant Edward Meyers at (435) 220-0526 or the DWR's Southeastern Region office at (435) 636-0270.

To report any wildlife violation in Utah, call the Help Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-800-662-DEER. Wildlife violations in Colorado can be reported by calling Operation Game Thief at 1-800-332-4155. Information provided is held in strict confidentiality. Callers may remain anonymous, but are encouraged to provide enough detail about incidents to substantiate their claims.
Book Cliffs Poaching Case Yields Big Fines

A lengthy investigation conducted by officers from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Colorado Division of Wildlife during the spring and summer of 2003 culminated in the arrest and recent conviction of four defendants from Grand Junction, Colorado.

Ryan Hernandez, 23, Jarrod Houck, 21, Brison Cole, 22, and Evan Stevens, 23, were collectively charged with 12 counts of Wanton Destruction of Protected Wildlife, Aiding and Assisting in the Wanton Destruction of Protected Wildlife and Attempting to Take Protected Wildlife without a valid permit. The charges are classified as Class A and Class B misdemeanors in Utah.

The defendants pleaded guilty to all the charges and were fined a total of $7,540. Their big game hunting privileges are also in jeopardy of being suspended for several years. The case opened when Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officers received reports from concerned citizens about dead deer in the Book Cliffs area west of Mack, Colorado. Several deer had been found with their heads removed. A major break in the case occurred when Colorado Division of Wildlife officers received a tip from a concerned citizen. That tip led to two suspects and their arrests.

Subsequent interviews and further investigation revealed that four suspects made several trips into Utah during the fall of 2002. They illegally killed and possessed four deer without valid permits. Some of the deer were shot at night with the aid of a spotlight. The rest were shot during the day.

Colorado and Utah wildlife officers wish to extend their sincere appreciation to the citizens who cracked the case by phoning in their tips. Poaching robs everyone of wildlife opportunities, both hunters and non-hunters alike. In Utah, people who observe suspicious activity are urged to call the toll free Help Stop Poaching hotline at 1-800-662-DEER. In Colorado, concerned citizens may call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-332-4155.
Rules Governing Wildlife Documents to be Discussed at Upcoming Public Meetings

The public is invited to discuss wildlife documents at an upcoming Regional Advisory Council Meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on May 25 at Snow College's Noyes Administration Building
in Ephraim.

Rules that guide when and how hunting and fishing licenses, permits and tags may be exchanged, surrendered and reallocated will be among items the public may learn about and comment on at the upcoming meeting.

A Division of Wildlife Resources' rule that provides guidelines for handling errors that result in the rejection, denial or incorrect issuance of these wildlife documents also will be discussed.

Other items of local interest will be discussed with public input sought for those items. RAC citizen representatives will take the public input received to the Utah Wildlife Board when it meets June 10 in Salt Lake City.
Spring Camping Ethics Discussed

As winter snows melt from the lower elevations and wildflowers begin to bloom this spring, unfortunately, many stunning wildlife viewing opportunities will be hindered by images of trash, left behind by careless individuals.

Warmer weather will continue to draw more people outside to enjoy Utah's beauty, but recreationists are being reminded to avoid littering this magnificent landscape. Trash plagues all recreational areas including streams, reservoirs, hiking trails, campgrounds, and vehicle pullout areas.

Bob Walters, Watchable Wildlife Program Coordinator, reports frustration as he viewed trash surrounding magnificent ospreys, he viewed in northern Utah. He reported, "It was disheartening to see this trail of garbage that people had left behind."

The Division of Wildlife Resources encourages all outdoor users to care for the environment and remember that the trash they leave behind is sure to lessen the outdoor experience of others.

The following tips were provided by Walters to improve recreational experiences for everyone:

1) Be responsible for your litter and the litter of those in your group. Bring enough garbage bags to pack out all the trash that will result from your trip.

2) Encourage, through your example, other outdoor users to act in a responsible manner.

3)Bring an extra garbage bag and pack out trash left by others. Leave the area better than you found it.

4)When visiting an area with garbage cans, make sure the container's lid is tightly closed after depositing your trash. Some trash, found in campgrounds and other areas, came from garbage that was properly disposed of, but was later blown out by the wind.

5) Report vandalism to any Division of Wildlife Resources facility to 1-800-662-3337.