Crow hunt, fall turkey hunt approved in Utah

Crow hunt, fall turkey hunt approved in Utah

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SALT LAKE CITY — State officials approved a crow hunt and a fall turkey hunt Thursday night.

The two hunts were proposed by the Division of Wildlife Resources in April. DWR officials said the proposals came as a result of the increasing population of crows and turkeys throughout the state. A Christmas bird-count survey is conducted in Utah every year, and according to the DWR, the number of crows spotted between Logan and Salt Lake City increased from about 400 in 1990 to more than 2,400 in 2011.

Blair Stringham, the DWR migratory game bird coordinator, said in a news release that crows are damaging fruit, corn and grain crops in some parts of Utah. He also said crows raid nests and steal eggs from other birds, as well as carry avian cholera and other diseases that affect birds.

Crow hunting had formerly been illegal in Utah and DWR officials felt the new hunt would help to thin out the migratory crow population during the winter months. The crow hunt will run during the month of September and also from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28.

The Utah Wildlife Board voted on the proposed turkey hunt Thursday night after a public meeting. The proposal passed with a 3-to-2 vote.

The new fall turkey hunt will be an addition to the spring turkey hunt, and hunters would be eligible for both hunts if they obtain permits for both, officials said. The fall hunt will be the first one held in Utah since 1984, according to DWR.

Jason Robinson, the upland game coordinator for the DWR, said in a press release that in some areas of Utah, the turkey population had grown to the point that "the birds are coming into conflict with people." He said the fall hunt would help control the numbers of birds in those areas.

The fall turkey hunt will run from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 in the northern region of Utah and will run Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 in the southern region.

"I hope people felt like their voice was heard," Stringham said. "This was the last of six public meetings we had and I hope people felt like they were able to pass their concerns."

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Faith Heaton Jolley

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