Early reports are that there are more deer this year in the mountains around Utah, but not necessarily any more larger deer.
Which simply means the chances of success are better than they've been in the past several years, but chances of tagging a trophy are not as good. Two years ago the average size of bucks harvested increased.
The hunt opens Oct. 21 at first light. About 60,000 deer hunters in hunter-orange coats, hats and vests are expected to hunt.
One indication that hunters expect better success this year rests with the fact that the last of the deer-hunt tags was sold nearly two weeks ago. With some of the past hunts, license sales ran to within a few days of the opening.
Craig McLaughlin, big game coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said that before the latest series of storms, the deer were still scattered, "which means hunters are going to have to get out and look for deer. They could be at almost any elevation."
And, while it rained over most of the state last week, snow levels remained high -- 10,000 feet and above. All of the moisture will, however, allow hunters to move more quietly through the trees.
McLaughlin said that archery and muzzleloader hunters reported seeing more deer, "not so many larger bucks, but mostly yearlings or spikes."
McLaughlin asked that hunters be reminded to obtain written permission from landowners before hunting on private land, to keep their off-highway vehicles on designated roads and trails and to let someone know where they're going and when they plan to return.
Following is a region-by-region report from the DWR:
Northern region
Success should be similar to last year, with the exception of northwestern Box Elder County, where hunting should be better.
Kirt Enright, wildlife biologist, said there has been an increase in deer numbers in that county.
"This is the best year we've had for 20 years," he added. "Last winter's post-hunt deer classification had the best buck-to-doe ratio we've seen since the early 1980s."
He expects hunting to be slightly better this year "with a decent component of 2-, 3- and 4-year-old bucks in the population."
Scott McFarlane, wildlife biologist, said Morgan and South Rich units continue to have some of the best buck-to-doe ratios in the state. Even with a slight decrease in the deer population, because of some winter losses, the buck/doe ratio is about 45 bucks to every 100 does.
The picture isn't as good on the Cache unit. "The Cache deer herd continues to struggle, with a buck-to-doe ratio of about 11 bucks per 100 does," said Darren DeBloois, wildlife biologist.
Central region
Biologists say deer herds are rebounding, and rifle hunters should see more younger bucks.
"The Central region received decent amounts of precipitation this winter and spring," said Scott Root, conservation outreach manager.
"The deer are in very good condition, which can be attributed to the abundant vegetation and water sources available throughout the region."
Surveys this spring showed an excellent number of fawns.
"The region's three-year buck-to-doe ratio is slightly under but is approaching the 15 bucks per 100 does management objective," Root said. "Biologists have seen many younger buck deer this year, which indicates lots of fawns born in 2005 made it through the past winter."
Root said deer will be widely scattered because of the plentiful food sources.
"Look for well-used game trails, and invest time on pre-hunt scouting trips to learn the habits of the deer," suggested Craig Clyde, wildlife biologist. "Higher elevation areas may have significant snow. In this case, hunters should pay attention to the south- and west-facing slopes, where the deer tend to congregate when conditions are snowy."
Root said most hunters concentrate on the Tintic, Deep Creek, Oquirrh and Stansbury mountain ranges, but pockets of deer can be found throughout the western portion of the region.
Hunters in the regions are reminded that:
-- The Vernon limited entry deer unit takes up a good portion of the western part of the region, and general deer hunters need to stay out of these boundaries (a boundary description is available in the 2006 Utah Big Game Proclamation).
-- The eastern portion of Salt Lake County, south of I-80, is not open to rifle deer hunting. It's part of the Wasatch Front Extended Archery Area and is open only to archery deer and archery elk permit holders.
-- Voluntary game check stations will be set up at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon, along I-15 near Santaquin and possibly at other locations. Biologists will check harvested deer for chronic wasting disease at no charge to the hunter.
Northeastern region
Depending on where they hunt, hunters should see more bucks this fall.
"In general, deer herds in the northeastern region wintered well during the mild winter of 2005," said Boyde Blackwell, wildlife manager.
Based on surveys, he estimates about 20 percent of the deer in the region died during the past winter.