Good news for hunters: the waterfowl hunt is looking very promising this year thanks to the snow and rain that fell earlier this year. According to DWR bird coordinator Blair Stringham, dry conditions in 2016 provided little food for birds to eat. “Utah had a hard time holding birds last year,” says Stringham. “Birds arrived, didn’t find much to eat and moved on.” This year, however, will be very different as most of the state’s waterfowl management areas and federal bird refuges have had water on them all year, producing plenty of pondweed and plants for the birds to eat. “Abundant food should keep birds here longer,” concludes Stringham, “and result in better hunting.” Utah’s waterfowl hunt in the northern duck hunting zone opens on October 7th and the southern duck hunting zone opens on October 14th. For a guidebook and information on waterfowl hunting, visit
www.wildlife.utah.gov
.
