Archives: SFW News
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife Issues Open Letter to Utah Sportsmen
(April 10, 2012 Salt Lake City) – Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife was founded nearly 20 years ago during a time of great challenge to hunting in the state of Utah. Since that time, thousands of unpaid volunteers of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife have repeatedly risen to address challenges to wildlife in Utah and across the Western United States. As a result, the ability to enjoy and pursue many species of wildlife in Utah has grown. Not only has a tremendous amount been accomplished through these collective efforts, but pragmatic solutions are also being implemented to address new challenges to wildlife, hunting and our outdoor heritage.
Throughout its history, a central goal has driven the efforts of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife: To secure and enhance abundant wildlife populations not only across Utah and the West, but also to ensure a continued legacy of hunting in America. These efforts have been backed by generous donations both large and small from passionate sportsmen from Utah and across the country. Tens of thousands of service hours and millions of dollars have been invested by volunteers and donors of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife to ensure that wild places and wild things will exist now and for future generations.
Given Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife’s dedicated efforts to tackle some of the most difficult challenges to our right to hunt and fish, it is no surprise that opposition to our efforts have arisen. Recently, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, and its founder Don Peay, have come under some criticism. Many of these critics, rather than offering solutions for wildlife, have instead attempted to misconstrue and distort the record of Mr. Peay and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife. We would caution well-meaning sportsmen from buying into hearsay, out-of-context communications or other attacks that appear intended to mislead and cloud the actual issues at hand. We apologize to the extent that a mis-quote or misstatement may have contributed to any confusion. We encourage sportsmen to consider our 20-year record of fighting for abundant wildlife as a true measure of our commitment to wildlife and hunting.
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife remains committed to implementing long-term solutions for the challenges faced by both hunters as well as wildlife. While opinions over preferred policy alternatives may differ, the record of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife in advocating habitat restoration, responsible predator management and protection of wildlife populations is public and plain. From the beginning, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife has been unwavering in its commitment to the proven effectiveness of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and will continue to do so despite what critics may infer to the contrary. We welcome open discourse and would invite all concerned sportsmen to not only join us in conversation, but to bring a pair of gloves and possibly a shovel to work together with us for the common good of wildlife and the legacy of sportsmen in Utah and across the West. We continue to encourage all sportsmen to join us and the passionate volunteers of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife who are dedicated to providing real and proven solutions for wildlife.
# # #
UPDATE: How SFW is helping fix Utah’s Mule Deer
Big Dollars for Predator Control in Utah
There has been a tremendous amount of interest in two bills from Utah’s legislature aimed at using sportsmen and public/private partnerships aimed to increase mule deer fawn survival. Theses two forward thinking bills, S.B. 87 and S.B. 245 provide more than $1 Million new dollars for funding predator control in the state of Utah. Last month, both bills were signed by Governor Gary Herbert in a historic ceremony at Hoyt archery’s worldwide headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.
S.B. 87 entitled, “Predator Control Funding,” and sponsored by Senator Hinkins places a $5 dollar surcharge on big game tags to raise money for coyote removal by trappers and hunters. It is estimated that this S.B. 87 surcharge will raise an additional $500,000-600,000 for predator control. The other bill, S.B. 245, entitled “Mule Deer Protection Act” and sponsored by Senator Okerlund provides a $750,000 state general fund match to the sportsmens’ dollars provided by S.B. 87.
$500,000 of the S.B. 245 dollars will go to Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and $250,000 will go to Wildlife Services to help fund a new helicopter for predator control work aimed at fixing Utah’s Mule Deer herds. Collectively, these two bills provide approximately $1 million dollars of ongoing funding to fix mule deer populations in Utah. Some of this funding will also be directed to USDA Wildlife Services to augment existing removal efforts on mule deer fawning grounds.
Bounties in Utah
Currently 12 of 29 Utah counties provide bounties to private individuals for coyote removal. These bounties are typically $20 or $25 dollars per coyote and are administered in various ways in the different counties. Our suggestion to Utah DWR was that coyote bounties be increased to $50 dollars and be implemented statewide in a consistent fashion to incentivize greater efforts by hunters and trappers to take more coyotes, particularly in areas where predator control can increase fawn survival and otherwise lead to mule deer population rebounds. Remember, these bills are directed at recovering Utah’s mule deer.
A quick reminder of an obvious, but important, aspect of this program: for this effort to be effective, these dollars must be spent on Utah coyotes. If you harvest a coyote in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Wyoming or elsewhere, do not bring it to Utah for incentive dollars. Not only is this unethical and probably illegal, it will undermine the goal of increasing fawn survival in Utah. This type of behavior could even put future funding for this effort at risk by over reporting coyote harvest while doing nothing to increase fawn survival in Utah. Payment for out-of-state coyotes would also deplete money for much needed increases in harvest of Utah coyotes. It will be the responsibility of concerned sportsmen in Utah to not only make sure these dollars are utilized, but to ensure that these dollars are used to fix Utah’s mule deer problem.
Progress on Program Development
Since the signing of these bills, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and Big Game Forever have been working with Utah DWR on the best way to use these dollars to fix Mule Deer. DWR is the statutory designee of finalizing and implementing these programs consistent with the legislative intent of these bills. At this point, we still do not have any finalized proposals by DWR, but a tremendous amount of progress has been made regarding various aspects of these programs. While it appears that some of the likely proposals from DWR may be a bit different from what we originally expected, the conversations with DWR remain focused on improving fawn survival and overall mule deer populations.
Predator Control Coordination
Utah DWR is also exploring the possibility of employing two full-time coyote removal specialists to help administer these programs and dollars for maximum impact for mule deer. These individuals would be tasked with focusing full-time on finding ways to use predator control to increase mule deer fawn survival and overall population growth. Additionally, the specialists would be tasked with helping direct the effort of sportsmen to provide the greatest value to mule deer recovery. These specialists would also work to ensure that trouble areas are being targeted every year and to minimize overlap with the efforts of federal wildlife services. It should be noted that in some instances, collaborative efforts with federal wildlife services may prove to provide the most dramatic increases in fawn survival.
Mission Accomplishment
We strongly feel that the focus should remain on the goal of Mule Deer Recovery by utilizing the new and existing coyote removal dollars to: (1) ensure maximum benefit for Utah’s Mule Deer; and (2) incentivize sportsmen to spend more time removing coyotes in key areas across Utah to fix Utah’s deer herd. After several meetings with the Division of Wildlife Resources, it appears that there are several ways in which this program could be implemented to allow sportsmen to participate in the incentives to remove Utah coyotes. The total incentive program dollars may also be broken down into different categories to provide some flexibility to accomplish the goal of recovering mule deer.
We are open to some of these ideas, such as targeted bounties, but are concerned about other ideas. We should also note that Utah DWR is leaning away from providing a $50 bounty in areas that hold few mule deer, such as, but not limited to, the west desert. There will likely be some costs and overhead to implement these incentive efforts. We feel strongly that it is important that most of the new and existing dollars be utilized for coyote removal by sportsmen and USDA wildlife services, rather than being used for program or other non-incentive costs. To do otherwise would be a departure from the legislative justification for providing these new dollars for coyote removal.
The first of the new coyote control incentive money will be appropriated in July of 2012. The remainder will be available in 2013. Although the money will be appropriated, it is still unclear when coyote removal dollars will be available for sportsmen. As Utah DWR works to develop the recommendations of how this incentive money will be utilized, we ask each of you to watch for developments as they occur over the next few months. We are encouraging significant sportsmen input and involvement before any recommendations are finalized. The good news is that these dollars are available every year so long as no further changes are made by the Utah legislature. We can expect that this program will be modified and refined over time as lessons are learned in order to maximize mule deer population recovery efforts in Utah.
Conclusion
We are not ready to give up on Utah’s mule deer. It is time to once again have over 400,000 mule deer in the state of Utah. Not only is this a sustainable minimum population goal, but 400,000 mule deer will allow for more real hunting opportunity for families and more big bucks, even in general season areas. We owe it to Utah’s mule deer. We owe it to our children, grandchildren and the future of wildlife conservation in Utah.
Watch SFW’s Mule Deer Video
Sign the SFW Mule Deer Petition
Millions to Pour Into Mule Deer Recovery
Salt Lake City, Utah – March 18, 2012 – Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed two pieces of legislation into law that will bring millions to the rescue of struggling mule deer herds in the Beehive state.
Gov. Herbert’s official support means that Utah coyote control funding will increase by $1.25 million a year. $500,000 comes from a $5 license fee increase, and $750,000 comes from general sales tax revenue from the state of Utah. In total, now nearly $2 million annually will be invested to control coyotes and rebuild deer herds. The governor has studied the issues surrounding why Utah’s mule deer herds are struggling at near all-time lows. SFW has worked closely with the governor and wildlife officials to identify the problems and what can be done to ease pressure on deer.
“Data has shown that coyote predation is a major negative contributor to Utah’s deer survival,” according to SFW President Byron Bateman. “Our deer numbers are dwindling despite tens of millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to protect winter habitat, fence highways and improve conditions for Utah’s deer. This is some of the most important legislation related to deer management that Utah has seen in many years. We are very optimistic it will have a positive impact over time for mule deer recovery.”
The event was held at Hoyt Archery and Easton Technical new production facility in Salt Lake City. The world’s leader in Archery equipment is a strong supporter of SFW and mule deer recovery effortd. On hand at the signing event was state Senator Ralph Okerlund, state Senator David Hinkins, and House of Representative Kay McKiff, all leading legislative sponsors. SFW and the governor also thanked Senators Allen Christensen and Margaret Dayton and Representatives Mike Noel as well. Randy and Coni Brooks, major SFW sponsors, and many SFW volunteers and chapter leaders were on hand with several Hoyt employees.
The Utah Division of Wildlife will be working with sportsmen and the Department of Agriculture to get the most bang for the buck on this coyote control program. It will be centered around rural, private contractors who will be compensated on performance-based programs, and augmenting the current aerial gunning and local county coyote bounty programs.
Sign SFW’s Mule Deer Petition here
Watch the SFW Mule Deer video here
–END–
6th Annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo Summary
SALT LAKE CITY, February 2012 — The recently completed 6th Annual Western Hunting & Conservation Expo (Hunting Expo) in Salt Lake City was a four-day long wildlife conservation event that brought together more than 30,000 hunting enthusiasts from all parts of North America and other parts of the world.
Hunters and sportsmen from all walks of life joined exhibitors and conservation organizations as they converged on downtown Salt Lake City between February 8th and 12th in what has become the premier hunting exposition in the western United States. One of the main attractions of the Hunting Expo is 200 Limited Entry Premium Utah hunting permits offered to any sportsman for just $5 each in an application drawing. Sportsmen and exhibitors from six continents, 20 different countries, seven Canadian Provinces, several Mexican states and almost every state attended. Over a dozen free seminars were attended by thousands of sportsmen over the four-day event. The seminars were provided by world-renowned hunting experts and allowed average hunters to get face-to-face with and ask questions of pros like Rusty Hall of Trophy Hunter Magazine and Shawn Michaels & Keith Mark of The Outdoor Channel’s MacMillan River Adventures.
The Hunting Expo not only attracted tens of thousands of hunters and several hundred exhibitors and manufacturers, it also welcomed all-star entertainers like Jeff Foxworthy and Country Music’s Craig Morgan and Daniel Lee Martin. Banquets, free seminars, concerts, auctions, ladies only events, autograph signing and other activities meant a constant line-up of exciting events for everyone who attended.
“We could not be more pleased with the progress made in wildlife conservation because of the expo,” said SFW President Byron Bateman. “SFW continues to pledge that fulfillment of our mission is more fully realized because of the success of the Hunting Expo. Utah and other states are seeing improvement in deer, elk, moose and other big game herds as a direct result of this success.”
More than 2,500 youth and children participated in a youth archery training and demonstration event sponsored by SFW and Hoyt Archery. An equal number of youth participated in a similar air rifle shooting event sponsored by the Mule Deer Foundation. Over $3 million was raised in auctions held as part of special banquet and celebration events at the Hunting Expo. Ninety percent of the money raised at auction is dedicated to wildlife conservation and habitat projects run by SFW volunteers working with state fish and game agencies. The Utah Taxidermy Association held its annual taxidermy competition and had over 200 entries – a record for the association.
Jeff Foxworthy summed it up best by commenting, “The coolest thing about this Hunting Expo is that it offers something for everyone, from the super rich and famous to the rest of us rednecks.”
The Hunting Expo is a collaborative event put on annually by Sportsman for Fish & Wildlife and the Mule Deer Foundation in conjunction with support from the State of Utah Travel & Tourism and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The Hunting Expo raises total revenues of approximately $10 – $12 million for wildlife conservation in North America each year. The event generates tens of millions of additional dollars for the exhibitors who sold hunts, fishing trips, hunting and fishing equipment and increased local economic activity. More than 70% of all exhibitors are re-booking booth space for the 2013 Hunting Expo, whic is scheduled to run February 21–24, 2013 again at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
About SFW: Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife has over 15,000 members and has funded several million dollars in projects benefiting elk, mule deer, bighorn, antelope, moose, bison and wild turkey. SFW has been involved in habitat projects involving millions of acres of public lands in Utah, and owns nearly 1,500 acres of critical deer and elk winter range. SFW has been involved in shifting Utah to become the top Western state for producing world-class trophy bull elk and mule deer.
-END-
Hunters Show Support for SFW’s Mule Deer Initiative
Hunters show support Utah Governor Herbert they support SFW's Mule Deer Initiative
Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) held several town hall-style meetings with hunters in many parts of the Beehive State in recent weeks. The purpose was to outline SFW’s Mule Deer Now initiative, a bold new plan to increase Utah’s Mule Deer populations. Roughly 360 SFW members/hunters met with Utah Governor Herbert in Cache Valley and a week earlier more than 400 hunters attended the meeting in Cedar City.
“Mule deer is our number one priority species, and our members are focused keenly on improving both quantity and quality of our deer population,” said SFW President Byron Bateman. “There is a lot of energy among hunters to do something to fix the declining deer herds in Utah, and we need to do it now.”
Such support and hunter turn out at these meetings sends clear messages to state game and fish managers and elected officials. SFW Founder Don Peay said, “In a small northern Utah town, 400 people came to a public meeting with Utah Governor Gary Herbert. Forty of them came to talk about taxes, energy, education and immigration. But 360 of them were hunters who want to fix our deer herd and keep wolves out of Utah.”
Governor Herbert made it clear that restoring Utah’s mule deer numbers is a big priority for him. Dr. Dwight Israelsen, a passionate mule deer hunter and chair of Utah State’s economics department, also addressed the crowd and Governor Herbert regarding the critical need to fix Utah’s mule deer.
On Governor Herbert’s Facebook page was posted this message about the Mule Deer meeting: “Had a great time last night in Wellsville speaking with an auditorium full of Sportsman about public lands and wildlife management. Thanks to the Cache Republican Party for hosting a great event.”
SFW is holding additional meetings throughout the state in partnership with Big Game Forever, an organization dedicated to preserving ungulate species of North America. SFW’s Mule Deer Now initiative outlines four major objectives for Utah Mule Deer:
- Make Mule Deer recovery in Utah a primary objective.
- Manage Mule Deer to produce and sustain a minimum 400,000 mule deer population statewide.
- Dramatically increase predator control funding and efforts in each county within Utah.
- Set Mule Deer hunting permit numbers annually, and decrease the number of tags when necessary, according to mule deer populations and buck-to-doe ratios within each of Utah’s 30 individual mule deer regions.
Wolves delisted in Western Great Lakes
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that gray wolf populations in the Great Lakes region have recovered and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Salazar said. “Thanks to the work of our scientists, wildlife managers, and our state, tribal, and stakeholder partners, gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region are now fully recovered and healthy.” To read the U.S> Department of the Interior’s official press release click here.
SFW Donates $609,000 to Wildlife
SFW’s Fulfillment Board donates $609K to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources for 65 Wildlife Habitat Improvement Projects completed in fiscal year 2011. These projects consist of habitat enhancement, water projects, highway mortality studies/fencing, mule deer and bison studies. These projects were done throughout all five regions in Utah.
Utah’s Conservation Permits Program Found “Beneficial” by Legislative Auditor General
Conservation Permits and Cooperative Wildlife Management Units – Beneficial
Wolf Introduction Plans for Southern Rockies – Dangerous!
On December 2, 2011 Arizona Fish and Game commission released official documents, which would mandate wolf proliferation across the Southern Rockies and into Texas. The documents have been confirmed by several sources, including a regional director for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service testifying at Friday’s Arizona Fish and Game Commission hearing.
Click here to download the “Executive Summary”.
Despite denials by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding these plans, these plans are moving forward. This official “draft” was released for official comment by members of the wolf recovery team in the last couple of weeks. In the wake of criticism by western states, USFWS’ national director accused states of “mischaracterizing” the Southern Rockies wolf plans. These leaked documents confirm that the criticism of these plans by western states were well founded. It is apparent that USFWS is moving to dramatic increases in wolves across the entire Southern Rockies and into Texas.
These plans are dangerous. These plans do not protect wildlife. These plans do not protect livestock. These plans would violate well-established limitations on federal authority. These plans are based on a dramatic overreaching.
You can help stop these plans from being forced on the good people of the Western United States by visiting www.BigGameForever.org and signing the petition.
Two Iron County Buck Deer Shot And Left To Rot
November 15, 2011 – Iron County
On November 13, 2011 the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources received information regarding a poached mule deer buck through Iron County and Beaver County dispatch.
Officers Josh Carver and Brent Farnsworth responded to the scene, west of the Bald Hills in Iron County, where they located a large antlered buck lying dead. A necropsy was performed on the carcass and it was determined that the animal had been shot several times with a rifle. Further investigation of the area revealed a second, small two-point buck deer, that was also shot and left to waste.
The largest deer was a 27 inch wide, 6X7 buck which scored approximately 203 points.
Witnesses observed a white crew cab truck, possibly an F-250 diesel, fleeing the scene. They also observed two men dragging the deer carcass. One of the suspects was wearing a white sweatshirt and the other was wearing a grey sweatshirt. Three suspects fled in the white truck at approximately 4:30 p.m. on November 13, 2011.
The incident occurred on Black Mountain, west of SR-130. This is west of the Bald Hills in Iron County. Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of this animal, or any other, is encouraged to contact the UTIP Hotline at 800-662-3337. The Utah Division of Wildlife and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife will be offering a reward for information on this case or others. Requests for confidentiality are respected.
Every year Utah Conservation Officers conduct numerous investigations into the illegal killing of wildlife. In 2010, Officers confirmed 902 illegally killed animals valued at over $370,000. This incident, and others like it, represent a loss to the resource and all citizens who value wildlife.
Contact:
Officer Josh Carver
[email protected]
435.691.4167
