“In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen […] in reality, the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. President
A hunter in the brush draws a bow. Deep in the Wasatch Mountains, about as far from a road as he can be, an archer seeks his quarry. Male deer, known as buck, are elusive and take to remote elevations when hunting season commences. It is a mission of patience. Deer are smart and can smell people from 2000 feet away in the right wind. The meat this provides his family trumps the quality of anything available in stores. Hunting is a privilege we can still enjoy today because of regulation. While many of us could use far less paperwork in our lives, buying a big-game hunting license and entering our names to be drawn for a specific hunt is one we gladly sign up for. Behind the process lies a balance of harvest and conservation.
Conservation is Born of Hunting
Hunting today is a far cry from hunting 100 years ago. Deer, elk, and moose, among other animals, roamed the mountains and hills in numbers that we can no longer imagine. During that time, a little-known hunter, naturalist, and conservationist, a man well ahead of the curve, George Bird Grinnell, witnessed buffalo slaughtered – by the millions — he saw bird and other animal populations being decimated. Grinnell felt a great urgency to do something. He knew if things did not change, the damage could no longer be undone.
In a two-part series written for The Bugle, Nate Schweber documents much of Grinnell’s story [Schweber, Nate. (2020, July/August). Conservation’s Original Influencer: George Bird Grinnell, Part I. Bugle, 35-43.] If you have never read the articles, I suggest doing so after you finish this one. Schweber summarized Grinnell’s objective for activism: “He reminded his readers that hunters should always hold themselves to the highest standards; that they be sportsmen, not slaughterers.” Grinnell set in motion initiatives that would enshrine wildlife in ethics and law to ensure their survival.
While we have been told that the National Parks system was solely created by Theodore Roosevelt to protect beautiful places, that isn’t the whole story. Grinnell, whose namesake adorns Glacier National Park’s topographical maps, is chiefly behind creating ecological protections, leading Roosevelt to act as he did. He knew wildlife needed a safe place completely off-limits to hunting, where they could breed, grow, roam, and disperse to other regions. Otherwise, over-hunting would altogether end hunting – the tragedy silencing the wild world he knew in his day [Schweber, Nate. (2020, September/October). Conservation’s Original Influencer: George Bird Grinnell, Part II. Bugle, 35-44.]
Hunting Promotes Conservation Funding & Efforts
Awkwardly inverse to popular perception, today’s entire hunting system is dedicated to conservation, both open space and animals. Heber Valley’s beautiful surroundings, in nearly every direction, are open spaces. Wasatch Mountain State Park and Wasatch and Uinta Mountain ranges are all habitats for big game, game birds, and fish. Access to the Middle Provo River, below Jordanelle Reservoir and upstream from Deer Creek Reservoir, is so perfect that an angler can head out on a lunch break. Whether they catch dinner is another thing, but the fish are there.
The sale of hunting licenses and specific hunting permits, fishing licenses, and even gear contribute to habitat preservation and restoration. The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act passed legislation in 1937 and “took an existing excise tax on firearms and reallocated the proceeds to a grant fund for state wildlife agencies.” This does not apply to gear like trail shoes, backpacks, or non-hunting-specific equipment. Despite that funding, sometimes habitat projects require a larger budget, and Heber Valley has benefited from that additional support.
Middle Provo River
The Provo River Restoration Project exemplifies more expensive efforts. In a summary about the restoration project compiled by John A. Rice, the Middle Provo River used to offer “outstanding fish and wildlife habitat.” Between “agricultural, municipal, industrial, and other” water demands, the 1940s and 1950s left the river, now located between Jordanelle Dam and Deer Creek Reservoir, in a less-than-ideal condition as a habitat for wildlife and fish.
The Provo River Restoration Project was conducted between 1999-2008 on the middle reach of the river; however, the initial planning for the project required years of study and time and began in 1992. In 2008, engineers, hydrologists, biologists, and other specialists executed the reconstruction of riparian and “natural hydrological conditions.” And within three years of completion, wildlife began to ‘move in,’ finding cover and food readily in the restored environment. Today, the fish population in the Middle Provo is self-sustaining. And on any given day of the year, you will spot an angler successfully working the current.
Continual Progress
Without habitat, once flourishing fish and wildlife populations begin to decline, and quality degrades. But, with healthy habitats, almost like a muscle memory, wildlife returns. To maintain the wildlife in Heber Valley, Utah’s Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has a list of former, projected, and ongoing improvements. In an email exchange with Faith Jolley of the DWR, she painted a clearer picture of what that looks like. “In 2019, we mowed 228 acres of thick, overgrown sagebrush on Wolf Creek to improve big game forage and enhance meadow habitat. In November 2020, we reseeded the area of the 442-acre Big Hollow Fire to provide beneficial plants for wildlife in the area.”
Shrub planting and seeding, weed control and water development continues in Wallsburg Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and will benefit big game wintering there. Jolley also wrote, “We are partnering with the U.S. Forest Service on a large-scale habitat improvement project on Strawberry Ridge, south of Heber. This project will use various methods to thin overgrown timber stands on approximately 11,000 acres and promote new aspen growth. This will improve big game summer habitat while lowering the risk of severe wildfire.”
The Hunter
While hunters benefit directly from wildlife habitat restoration and management, they do not have to necessarily volunteer to be part of conservation efforts. However, opportunities exist, namely through the Dedicated Hunter projects. Others can volunteer with the U.S. Forest Service on their many projects. Volunteering can offer a unique perspective on the various conservation impacts on fish and wildlife.
The DWR encourages hunters to spend time in the field and learn about the land and where the animals are. Hunting, harvesting an animal, and fishing in Utah require a license; combination licenses are also available. All information regarding hunting and fishing can be found on the DWR’s website. The landing page has many tools to assist hunters and anglers in planning their outings.
An interactive map, Utah Hunt Planner, shows details of each hunting unit, even linking to other resources like the draw reports and harvest reports. The draw report will help people get a clearer idea of how many hunt permits are selected and issued [DWR Harvest report. Available locally at Sportsman’s Warehouse.] The hunting units are monitored by state biologists who surveil the populations of each game species. When they issue permit numbers, it doesn’t mean a 100% success rate for each hunt. The West unit saw a meager 13% harvest rate in 2023, with hunters spending an average of four days in the field. Articles in hunting magazines abound with stories of eating “tag soup,” meaning they brought home nothing but their permit. However, those stories also tell what hunting is and is not. Hunters gather in groups and family caravans, sharing time outside that some plan
for all year [Del Homme, PJ. (2019, November/December). Poaching Isn’t Conservation. The Bugle, 35-42.]
The Hunter’s Reward
Today’s culture talks about food a lot. Yet, with all the controversy of where it comes from and what is in it, the hunter knows with certainty. He or she, if successful, will fry a fish from the river, lake, or stream. They may fill their freezer with deer meat harvested and processed themselves.
Hunter’s Ethic
Hunters should have an ethos, whether personal or social: honor the permit, honor the animal, and honor your hunt — words from this writer, not representative of the hunting community. PJ Delhomme of The Bugle put it best in his November 2019 article, Poaching Isn’t Conservation: “Making the right choice, whether legal or ethical, will ensure hunting’s future long after we’re gone.”
Imagine being a kid and learning that from your parents. The idea of killing an animal for food is a big responsibility, morally and socially. Part of Grinnell’s mission was to end the senseless slaughter of game animals in the West. In his lifetime, he saw entire populations vanish in New England. Today, poaching wildlife is a criminal offense.
Faith with the DWR stated, “We have also had several cases in [the Heber Valley] area of people killing deer and elk outside the hunting season and also in the wrong hunting units. Our conservation officers have had success using wildlife decoys to catch violators who are looking for easy opportunities to poach animals.” She added, “We heavily rely on tips from the public to pursue wildlife violations.”
Poaching is not hunting. Poaching does not involve the stalk, the conservation, licensing, and education. Unfortunately, the distinction is not always clear to non-hunters. Whether hunting or fishing, the call to action is to play by the rules so that the animals can thrive in the habitat we all pay to support. Healthy populations of fish and game animals rely heavily on harvesting within the permitting and licensing system.
Hunter Safety
Hunter’s safety is paramount. Safety rules and details are so detailed that states require hunters to take various Hunter Safety courses. In Utah, Hunter’s Safety is synonymous with Hunter’s Education. Courses can be found on Utah’s DWR Website. If you are on a rifle hunt, you must wear ‘hunter’s orange.’ More information can be found on page 22 of the DWR’s Big Game Field Regulation Guidebook7.
One of the most important parts of safety is having a keen awareness of your surroundings. It is common for trail users of all types to see each other at trailheads. While hunters have an obviously different objective, we have a responsibility to keep ourselves and others safe. Following common sense when taking an animal may involve waiting for a better shot to prevent an errant bullet or arrow from reaching a trail, or even worse, another trail user. Hunters must be fully aware of their environment and what is going on. It’s often referred to as situational awareness.
How we interact on the trail and how we treat other outdoor enthusiasts will make a huge impact. Our behavior will determine whether or not that impact is negative or positive. We are ambassadors of hunting and conservation. Being kind and courteous, even if met with contempt from a non-hunter, is how we bring awareness to what hunting is about. The harvest is only the harvest; there is so much more: conservation, advocacy, and family. This is where ethics and etiquette meet.
Get started with hunting or fishing
Whether you need Hunter’s Education or details about a new fishing area:
wildlife.utah.gov
Poaching Hotline: 847411 (text)
800-662-3337 (phone)
New this year! All hunters must report their hunting results, whether they were able to harvest an animal or not.
