http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

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The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced a “statewide emergency closure” of shed hunting, prohibiting the public from searching for antlers and horns that wildlife have shed in late winter and early spring. The prohibition extends through the end of April. Concern exists for wildlife populations, especially deer, because mule deer fawn survival rates were affected by extreme cold and increased snowpack in the mountains. Adult deer may be similarly distressed. Deer populations fell from about 384,000 in 2015 to 305,700 in 2020 largely due to drought in 2018 and since 2020. The aim of the emergency closure is to reduce interactions between humans and deer to reduce stress on the deer. Other people who are out enjoying nature are also urged to be cautious of deer and avoid disturbing them. KSL.com (Salt Lake City, Utah), Feb 8, 2023