California's Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) will spend $3.9 million on expanding Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, in Yuba County.

The funds will be used for fee title and conservation easements for three separate ownerships totaling 3,820 acres of land as additions to the DFG's Daugherty Hill Wildlife Area, previously known as Collins Lake Wildlife Area. The acquisitions will provide for the protection of deer winter range, bald eagle winter range, and mountain lion and upland game habitat. In five previous meetings of the WCB between 1989 and 1998, the WCB approved acquiring a total of 2,600 acres to create the existing wildlife area, which is located about 20 miles northeast of Marysville.


Utah — Wildlife Board Supports Buck Deer Hunt

At its August 17 meeting in Salt Lake City, the Utah Wildlife Board endorsed the concept of allowing hunters to take one or two buck deer a year at Antelope Island State Park.

Whether a buck deer hunt is actually held at the park will be decided by the Utah Board of Parks and Recreation at its meeting in November. If the Parks Board approves the hunt, the Wildlife Board would then approve season dates and permit numbers for the hunt.

Max Morgan, Utah Wildlife Board chairman, and Jeff Packer, chairman of the Utah Board of Parks and Recreation, tentatively set September 13 in Price as the date and location for a public meeting involving the two boards. This meeting would allow members of the boards to ask each other questions and discuss issues related to allowing deer hunting at the park.

With the exception of an annual bison hunt, hunting has not been allowed on Antelope Island since the state started acquiring portions of it in the early 1970s. Before the state started acquiring portions of the island, it was private property and buck deer hunting was allowed.

The Wildlife Board voted 4 - 2 in favor of the concept of returning limited buck deer hunting to the island. Board members cited a need to raise funds for wildlife habitat improvement projects at the park as a reason a hunt should be held. Needed funds would be raised by auctioning at least one of two permits off to the highest bidder. Board members also said that a limited buck deer hunt would not conflict with wildlife viewing opportunities at the park. Three of Utah's five citizen Regional Advisory Councils voted against the hunting proposal.


Utah — Swan Hunting Applications

Utah's tundra swan hunters may find it a little harder to draw a permit this year. They'll also have fewer places to hunt.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has put some restrictions on tundra swan hunting in Utah this year. This is being done to try and help less abundant trumpeter swans increase their range into Utah by reducing the incidental take of trumpeters during the swan season.

The Service has closed all areas north of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, and north of Forest Street (the road leading from Brigham City to the refuge) to tundra swan hunting for at least the next three years. The Service also has lowered the number of swan permits Utah may issue. A total of 2,000 permits will be available this season. In the past, 2,750 permits were available.

The Service did add an extra week to the season. Utah's 2000 tundra swan season will run Oct. 7 to Dec. 10. Applications for the 2000 tundra swan hunt will be available, by Aug. 28, from hunting and fishing license agents, Division of Wildlife Resources offices and hunter education centers and the Division's Internet web site (www.nr.state.ut.us/dwr/dwr.htm).

To be entered in the draw for permits, applications must be received through the mail, or an overnight mail service, no later than 5 p.m., Sept. 11. Applications may be mailed to either of the addresses listed on the application.

Tom Aldrich, waterfowl coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, said four of the eight trumpeters taken in Utah the past six seasons have been taken in the area that will be closed. Over the past five seasons, about 25 percent of the 700 to 800 tundra swans taken in Utah each year also have been taken in the closed area. Most of these were taken at the Public Shooting Grounds Waterfowl Management Area.

Aldrich said the Division of Wildlife Resources does not support the tundra swan hunting changes because little evidence exists that trumpeter populations are being negatively impacted by harvest. He also questions whether trumpeters ever migrated through Utah to reach wintering areas in California.

Of the three western states that hold annual tundra swan hunts, Utah is the only state the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placed restrictions on this year.


Arizona —New Wildlife Area

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has purchased two adjacent ranches in Apache County near Green's Peak and created a new wildlife area that has significant wildlife and outdoor recreational values, including four reservoirs.

"These two ranches, which will now be called the White Mountain Grassland Wildlife Area, have immense wildlife and public recreational values. These purchases using Game and Fish Heritage funds create a terrific legacy for present and future generations," said Game and Fish Director, Duane Shroufe.

The two ranches are located four miles west of Springerville and Eagar. The Ocote Ranch, which was bought recently from the Town of Springerville, includes 1,136 acres of deeded land in three parcels and 3,876 acres of leased Arizona State Trust Land, plus significant water rights.

The adjacent Cross L Ranch includes approximately 1,713 acres of deeded land in four parcels, and 4,265 acres of leased Arizona State Land. The Cross L purchase was finalized in 1999. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation played a key role for the department finalizing the Cross L acquisition.


Arizona —2001 Licenses

For those hunters desiring to apply early for the spring 2001 hunts for javelina, turkey, bear and buffalo, computer-generated 2001 hunting licenses are currently available at all Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.

Applicants can also apply for their 2001 license through the application process (see the bottom of the application form). To apply now, applicants need to access the 2001 Spring Regulations on the department's Internet Home Page at www.azgfd.com.

The printed 2001 licenses, along with the printed 2001 Spring Hunting Regulation supplements, will be distributed to license dealers starting Sept. 7.

The spring hunt-permit application deadline is Oct. 17. Those who apply by Oct. 6 will be given an opportunity to correct any mistake on their application that would otherwise result in that application being rejected in the drawing process.


Idaho — Residents Can Get Nonresident Tags

Unsold Idaho nonresident deer and elk tags will be available to residents September 1. The tags will be sold at nonresident prices, $235 for deer and $338.50 for elk, and can be used as a second tag. Fish and Game Commissioner Don Clower said he looks forward to taking a mule deer early in the fall in southern Idaho, then using a nonresident tag to bag a whitetail in the Clearwater Region in the late hunt.

The tags will be available through the Fish and Game telephone contract sales service at 1-800-554-8685. Hunters can also purchase a "temporary" tag at Fish and Game regional offices and some of the 400 vendors in the state.

Fish and Game will select enough vendors to cover all areas of the state. To learn which vendors in any area have the tags, call the regional office or the licenses section at headquarters, 334-3717. By October 1, every vendor should be equipped to sell the tags on their licensing equipment.

Tags will not be available for areas which have a quota that has sold out. This includes the southeast Idaho deer tag and elk B tags in the Lolo and Selway zones and A and B tags in the Middle Fork Zone. As of August 11, there were 6,923 nonresident deer tags available, 826 Panhandle elk tags and 1,331 elk tags which could be designated to other zones.