Utah hunters and outdoor enthusiasts from across the state gathered in Farmington on Thursday for an unusual appeal hearing regarding the Utah Wildlife Board’s recent decision to impose restrictions on trail cameras.
In a narrow vote on Jan. 4, the board chose to restrict the use of any trail camera used specifically for the pursuit of big game from July 31 to Dec. 31. All other camera uses including recreation, research and the monitoring of depredation animals were still permitted.
The decision came after the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conducted two surveys of 16,000 big game hunters who had pursued animals in Utah. Based on the feedback, the DWR initially proposed a ban strictly on cellular or “transmitting” trail cameras — non-handheld devices that relay images to users in realtime. DWR representatives pitched the suggestion to Utah Regional Advisory Council members across the state who advised the governor-appointed wildlife board of their preferences regarding camera governance. Read the rest of the story on HJnews.com.
This story is made possible thanks to a community reporting partnership between The Herald Journal and Utah Public Radio.
