A sandhill crane hunt in Uintah County in 2002, 2003 and 2004 was approved by the Utah Wildlife Board at a June 11 meeting in Vernal. A total of 22 permits will be offered for this fall's hunt. Sandhill crane hunts will also be held this fall in Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties in northern Utah. A total of 46 permits will be offered for Cache County, 17 for Rich County and 25 for Box Elder County. The hunts in Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties will run September 7 - 15. The hunt in Uintah County will run September 28 - October 6.

The total number of permits offered is 110, which is about the same number that have been offered in Utah each year since 1999. "With the 60 percent success rate hunters have had the past two seasons, offering 110 permits should result in about 66 cranes being taken in Utah this fall," said Tom Aldrich, waterfowl coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Applications for sandhill crane hunting permits will be available by July 2 from hunting and fishing license agents statewide and Division of Wildlife Resources offices. Hunters with an American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa credit card can also apply at the Division's Internet Web site (www.wildlife.utah.gov) beginning July 2. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on July 15 to be included in the draw. Draw results will be posted by August 7.

"The largest sandhill crane populations in Utah are found in Uintah County during the fall migration, but this will be the first sandhill crane hunt ever held there," Aldrich said.

A request to hold a sandhill crane hunt in Uintah County was brought to the Utah Wildlife Board by the public Northeastern Regional Advisory Council in 1999. After receiving the RAC's request, the Utah Wildlife Board directed the Division of Wildlife Resources to conduct fall sandhill crane population surveys to learn more about populations in the county. Conducted during the falls of 1999, 2000 and 2001, the surveys found an average of almost 2,000 cranes in Uintah County during the migration. By comparison, fall staging surveys during September found an average of 450 cranes in Box Elder County, 700 in Cache County and 400 in Rich County.

For more information, call the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office, or the Division's Salt Lake City office at (801) 538-4700.