Future big game proclamations to be discussed at meeting

By Sun Advocate

The Southeast Regional Wildlife Advisory Council will meet Oct. 29 to discuss proposals for future big game proclamations.
The council, consisting of representatives from a broad spectrum of special interest groups, will accept recommendations from the Division of Wildlife Resources, sportsmen groups and the general public, concerning future big game management and hunting strategies.
Included among the proposals for 2003 is a recommendation to prohibit shed antler hunting from January 1 until April 30. The DWR has become increasingly concerned about the number of incidents of big game being chased by snowmobiles and ATVs.
In some cases, human activity and harassment has forced big game out of traditional winter ranges onto private land or other areas of inferior quality.
The DWR will also present information about an optional hunting strategy, which splits the state into multiple hunting units rather than five regions.
The advantage is that biologists would be able to more precisely manage smaller geographical areas, thereby shifting hunting pressure from struggling units to those capable of withstanding more pressure.
The meeting will convene at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River. Sportsmen and all interested public are encouraged to attend.