Sleigh rides through the elk herd at Hardware Ranch will be offered this weekend and then will be discontinued for the season.

Every year hundreds of wild elk winter in the meadow at Hardware Ranch, in the mountains southeast of Logan, in northern Utah. Utah wildlife officials feed the elk there to keep them in the mountains away from farmers fields in Cache Valley. Several large bulls have been seen among the herd this season.

Sleighs are used to transport hay out to the elk. The wild animals become accustomed to the sleighs and allow them to approach quite closely. Visitors at the ranch can ride the hay wagons and get close-up views of the elk.

With average temperatures warming and spring just around the corner, snow will be melting and so the sleigh rides will soon stop running. As snow melts the elk will migrate into the surrounding mountains.

Seeing the elk is a great wildlife viewing opportunity. See this news release for details.

(This is a news release provided by Utah's DWR.)

2,100 More Elk

DWR seeks input about deer and elk plans

Plans that determine the total number of deer and elk in Utah are up for revision.

The change Division of Wildlife Resources biologists are recommending to the deer plan would allow them to use the most up-to-date habitat information available to decide whether deer population objectives should be raised, lowered or remain the same.

In the past, the plans for all five regions in Utah were revised once every five years.

Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR, says the DWR’s range trend crew does extensive on-the-ground habitat analysis in one of the five regions every summer.  Then the next summer, they travel to the next region.

“If deer objectives need to change,” Aoude says, “it makes sense to make the changes as soon as possible after receiving the latest habitat information for a region.  Instead of revising all five regions once every five years, we’re recommending that one region be revised each year, using habitat information the range crew gathered the summer before.”

The biggest change biologists are recommending involves Utah’s elk herds.  “We feel the state can handle a few more elk than we’re currently managing for,” Aoude says.

Biologists are recommending that the total number of elk in Utah be allowed to grow from a current objective of 68,825 elk to 70,965 elk.  If approved, the 2,140 additional elk would be scattered across the following units: Chalk Creek, Kamas, Avintaquin, West Desert, Fillmore and Fish Lake.

The only area where the total number of elk would decrease is the Paunsaugunt unit in southern Utah.  Biologists are recommending that the elk herd on the unit be reduced by 35 animals.

You can see all of the biologists’ recommendations on the Web at http://go.usa.gov/V3y.

After you arrive at http://go.usa.gov/V3y, scroll down the page to the ‘May RAC and June Board meetings’ heading to find the recommendations.

Learn more, share your ideas

After you’ve reviewed the ideas at http://go.usa.gov/V3y, you can let your Regional Advisory Council members know your thoughts by attending your upcoming RAC meeting or by sending an email to them.

RAC chairmen will share the input they receive with members of the Utah Wildlife Board.  The board will meet in Salt Lake City on June 6 to approve revisions to the management plans.

Dates, times and locations for the RAC meetings are as follows:     

Southern Region                               Central Region

May 8                                                              May 15

7 p.m.                                                             6:30 p.m.

Richfield High School                                       Springville Public Library Meeting Room

510 W. 100 S.                                                 45 S. Main St.

Richfield                                                         Springville

Southeastern Region                      Northern Region

May 9                                                            May 16

6:30 p.m.                                                       6 p.m.

John Wesley Powell Museum                          Brigham City Community Center

1765 E. Main St.                                            24 N. 300 W.

Green River                                                    Brigham City

Northeastern Region

May 10

6:30 p.m.

Bingham Entrepreneurship and Energy Research Center

320 N. 2000 W.

Vernal

Email

You can also provide your comments to your RAC via email.  Email addresses for your RAC members are available at http://go.usa.gov/IMk.

The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s email address.  You should direct your email to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.