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POSTAL CUSTOMER Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 372 Provo, UT ECRWSS
We A r e S a n p e t e . c o m
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 • Vol. 129, No. 49 • Free
Drawing for spring turkey permits begins SALT LAKE CITY — Thanksgiving is a time centered around all things turkey. From cute home decor to deliciously prepared main courses, turkeys are a big focal point of the holiday. If you like the idea of harvesting your own locally sourced turkey, instead of fighting the crowds to buy one at your neighborhood supermarket, you can start planning now for next year’s Thanksgiving feast — apply for an opportunity to hunt turkeys in Utah next spring. The application period for the
spring 2021 limited-entry turkey hunt opens on Dec. 1. To be included in the permit drawing, you must submit your application before 11 p.m. on Dec. 28. You can apply on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website or over the phone by calling the nearest DWR regional office. The results of the drawing will be released no later than Jan. 7, 2021. You’ll be notified by email, but you can also get the drawing results online or by calling 1-800-221-0659.
The limited-entry hunt will be held April 10-29, 2021. The following permits are available for each of the DWR’s five regions: Northern: 400 Central: 250 Northeastern: 249 Southeastern: 305 Southern: 1,550 If you don’t draw one of the limited-entry permits, however, you can still hunt turkeys in the spring. After the limited-entry hunt is over, the general statewide turkey hunt hap-
pens in May. Permits for the general-season hunt are not limited, so you’ll have no problem getting one. Permits for Utah’s general statewide turkey hunt go on sale at 8 a.m. on Feb. 25, 2021. The general turkey season will be held from May 3-31, and the youth turkey hunt will run from April 30 to May 2. More information about Utah’s upcoming spring turkey hunting season is available in the 2020-21 Utah Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook. The free guidebook is
Road’s avalanche season to start
GLORIA ALBRECHT PHOTOS
Know the terrain and conditions likely to trigger an avalanche and practice using a beacon for snow safety on Skyline Drive.
Snowpack light so far on Skyline Drive In Sanpete County the snowpack on Skyline Drive is off to a slow start this season. Warm temperatures have punctuated the season’s first few snow events in Sanpete County, and as a result the snowpack is not very impressive. But make no mistake — the snow will come, and with it avalanche danger, which peaks in January and February in Utah. When a big snowstorm dumps lots of snow on top of conditions such as those that exist now on Skyline Drive the perfect set up for avalanches may exist. “Wind is the most common cause of avalanches since wind can deposit snow 10 times faster than snow falling from storms… If
the weight of new snow is added faster than the buried weak layer can adjust to its load, then it fractures and forms an avalanche. But wind, snow or rapid warming do not always produce avalanches. It depends on the condition of the preexisting snow and the conditions during the storm. With very stable preexisting snow, even heavy, new snow with wind can bond well and be perfectly safe in the right conditions” according to the Utah Avalanche Center. Utah ranks fourth highest of the 50 states for avalanche deaths, with an average of four fatalities annually for the past twenty years. Avalanche victims are backcountry recreationists — snowmobilers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and skiers. Snowmobilers lead the list with twice the number of fatalities as any other snow activity. Fatalities aside, avalanches
available on the DWR website or you can pick up a copy at a DWR office or from hunting and fishing license agents across Utah.
History of turkeys in Utah
There are currently between 25,000-35,000 wild turkeys throughout the state, and they’re doing really well. There are two turkey subspecies that live in Utah: Rio Grande and Merriam’s. Turkeys Please see TURKEY, Page A2
Public can view BLM wild horse operations FILLMORE — On Nov. 29, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fillmore Field Office will begin gather operations on the Confusion Herd Management Area (HMA) in western Utah. The gather is expected to last approximately 14 days. The BLM will gather 500 and permanently remove approximately 480 horses captured from BLM-administered lands using the helicopter drive-trapping method. The appropriate management level for this HMA is 70-115 animals and the current population is approximately 661 horses. Horses removed from the range will be transported to the Axtell Off-Range Contract Wild Horse Facility in Axtell, Utah. The BLM anticipates administering population growth suppression in the spring or summer of 2021 on approximately 17 mares that will be returned to the range. Opportunities are available for the public to observe daily helicopter operations through BLM-escorted tours so long as conditions remain safe for both the horses and participants and ensuring that gather operations are not disrupted. Observers must provide their own transportation, water, and food. No public restrooms will be available. The BLM recommends weather-appropriate footwear and neutral-colored clothing. Binoculars and four-wheel drive or other high-clearance vehicles are also Please see HORSES, Page A2
GUNNISON VALLEY HOSPITAL BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS are also responsible for numerous injuries and significant damage to recreational property like snowmobiles or ski equipment. In the 2019/2020 winter season there were six fatal avalanche occurrences in Utah, five of them
were snowmobilers. Backcountry recreationists can, and should, become more familiar with the snow conditions that create high avalanche Please see SKYLINE, Page A2
Name: Alana Jean Nohea Bailey Name of Parents: Michael and Erin Bailey Town: Richfield DOB: 11-19-2020 Sex: Female Weight: 8 lbs. 0 oz.
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