SALT LAKE CITY — To help manage increasing elk herds and distribution across the state, the Division of Wildlife Resources has proposed several changes for the 2016 elk hunts and is seeking the public's feedback.

Utah's elk populations have increased dramatically in Utah since 1970 and the current population is estimated at approximately 81,000 animals, DWR said. Elk populations have increased in many areas of the state due to increases in population objectives set by DWR, difficulties with obtaining harvest on private lands that manage for elk and movements of elk from tribal lands to public lands during winter.

Healthy and productive elk herds require high amounts of quality habitat, but crucial Utah elk habitats are constantly being fragmented or lost due to road construction, OHV use, and energy development, according to DWR.

"We're happy elk are doing well, but we also need some new management tools to help us get the herds back to the objective," DWR big game coordinator Justin Shannon said. "One challenge we have with elk is managing distribution. In many areas in Utah, elk are increasing on private lands and decreasing on public lands. Some of the tools in the plan — including private lands cow elk permits — will help us address these types of issues."

DWR recently proposed a new plan to better manage the elk herds by providing additional hunting opportunities. Here are some of the proposed changes for the 2016 elk hunts:

Holding two elk hunts simultaneously

DWR is recommending a change that has never happened in Utah: allowing limited-entry rifle elk hunters and general spike rifle elk hunters to hunt some of the same units at the same time.

The five units where the overlap would occur are the Box Elder, Grouse Creek unit; Paunsaugunt unit; Plateau, Fish Lake/Thousand Lakes unit; South Slope, Diamond Mountain unit; and the West Desert/Deep Creeks unit.

The proposed dates for the general rifle spike elk hunt and the new limited entry rifle elk hunt are Oct. 8–20. Utah currently holds two limited-entry rifle elk hunts: an early hunt that begins in mid-September and a late hunt that begins in mid-November. The new hunt, which would be held in mid-October, is designed to move some permits out of the early rifle hunt — where demand for permits is highest — and place them in a hunt that might provide better drawing odds, DWR said.

Shannon said it is currently difficult to draw a limited-entry elk hunting permit in Utah due to high demand. During the 2015 elk hunts, around 28,000 hunters applied for the 1,300 limited-entry rifle elk permits. Creating a new, additional hunt would potentially boost the odds of drawing a permit.

"This is a way to potentially offer better odds of drawing a rifle permit without negatively affecting the herds," Shannon said.

Incentivize hunting on private lands

To help create a better distribution of elk on private and public lands, DWR proposed providing incentive programs for landowners to provide more hunting opportunities on private lands. A private-lands-only permit was also proposed to encourage hunters to target cow elk on private lands. DWR also proposed increasing the number of general season cow elk that a hunter can harvest annually, but plan to only allow one of the cow elk permits to be obtained through the public draw system.

Along with the new elk hunt changes, DWR biologists are also recommending two new bighorn sheep hunts. The new hunts would be in the Pilot Mountains in northern Utah and the Avintaquin area of the Wasatch Mountains in northeastern Utah.

People can give feedback about the proposed changes by emailing the Utah Regional Advisory Council member in their area. Find their info here: http://wildlife.utah.gov/rac-members.html

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