Twelve to 15-year-old hunters must sign up soon to participate in one of five special youth pheasant hunts to be held in Utah this fall.
Young hunters have until Sept. 8 to mail their applications and one-paragraph essays to the Division of Wildlife Resources.
“We’re holding these hunts to increase the interest young people have in upland game hunting and wildlife conservation,” says Dean Mitchell, upland game coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “The hunts are a lot of fun. The kids don’t have to compete with dad or older brother for a pheasant, and those who have participated in the past have really enjoyed it.”
In order to enter, participants must be recent graduates of a hunter education course, as well as submit an application and one paragraph essay on: “I want to continue the Utah upland game hunting tradition because … ” or, “I would like to start my own upland game hunting tradition because …”
Completed applications and essays must be postmarked on or before Sept. 8 to be considered for one of the hunts.
Applications are available on page 23 of the 2003 – 2004 Utah Upland Game Proclamation; at DWR offices and hunter education centers, and on the DWR’s upland game web page at wildlife.utah.gov/uplandgame
The youth hunts will be held Nov. 8 on five state wildlife management areas.
The WMAs will be closed to all other hunters on Nov. 8. The hunts will be held at the Willard Bay WMA south of Willard Bay Reservoir; at the James Walter Fitzgerald WMA, about 6 miles north of Vernon; at the Mallard Springs WMA, about 1� miles southeast of Myton; at the Pahvant WMA, about 5 miles northwest of Fillmore; and at the Huntington WMA, about 2 miles north of Huntington.
Each youth who participates will be allowed to take two pheasants from a number of birds released on the areas before the hunts.
More information about the hunts is available on pages 22 and 23 of the 2003 – 2004 Utah Upland Game Proclamation, or by calling the DWR office at 435-636-0266.
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