Biologists, operators report mixed progress under new CWMU rule; Chalk Creek and Deseret show major harvest shifts

The advisory committee heard a broad presentation from Utah Division of Wildlife biologists and CWMU operators about cow-elk harvest trends under a new CWMU rule that obligates units to appear when they are over population objective, failing their three-year cow-harvest minimum, harvesting disproportionately more bulls than cows, or achieving harvest rates markedly different from adjacent public lands.

Jayla Walden, district biologist for East Canyon, summarized the rule and the reasons units are before the committee, then walked committee members through multiple drainages and CWMUs the division is tracking. Walden said the rule asks CWMU operators to explain low cow-harvest rates, high bull-to-cow harvest ratios, or unusually high population estimates; she told members several units are "over objective and under their minimum cow harvest."

Biologists and operators described mixed results and several data problems. The Deseret CWMU reported a large jump in cow permits and harvest after the operator increased cow permits; Jayla said Deseret “went from 310 permits up to 425,” producing a substantial increase in cow harvest. Tom Land, who identified himself as a Deseret operator, credited weather for part of last year’s yield and said the operation extended access and guide services to make late-season harvests possible.

Chalk Creek drew sustained discussion. Biologist comments and operator testimony described both management changes and reporting errors. Darren (last name not specified), a division staffer, said the division added new tools and options that led to higher cow harvest in 2024 at some Chalk Creek units, but cautioned the 2024 data are only the first year under new tools. Operator Daniel Richens (Weaver/Florence Creek) told the committee a reporting glitch had initially undercounted cow harvest; he said corrected reporting added roughly "10 to 14" missing cow reports and that logistic constraints—long, steep country, limited roads and the effect of heavy private-season pressure—make cow harvest difficult on some properties. Richens said his operation will reduce the number of hunters on the ground but encourage private hunters to buy a second cow tag so fewer people produce a higher success rate for public hunters.

Committee members and staff focused on three recurring themes: - Public access and communication: the committee repeatedly emphasized that any extension or special hunt dates must be offered to public hunters and clearly published so public applicants know the likely productive windows. Biologists said operators typically communicate directly with public tag holders and post date windows; committee members urged standardizing notice (HuntPlanner was discussed as a tool). - Reporting and data quality: several operators and biologists identified errors in the harvest reporting system (examples included missing second-cow reports), and the division agreed to reconcile those numbers so three-year minimums and success-rate comparisons are accurate. - Unit-specific management tools: staff listed tools they are deploying—adjusting permit splits between public and private bull tags, offering a second cow-permit option for some CWMUs pending board approval, and recommending timing or permit changes tailored to unit terrain and elk movement.

Notable unit-level highlights from the meeting: - Chalk Creek (East Fork, Weaver/Florence Creek, Grass Valley, Ensign Ranches): operators reported mixed success on cows but strong bull harvests; Weaver/Florence Creek operator Daniel Richens said corrected reporting will raise its cow total and that private guiding operations and logistics strongly influence where and when cows are available. Biologists said Ensign Ranches and some private operations had high cow harvest and that permit-split adjustments were proposed to increase public bull tags and overall harvest where needed. - Deseret (Morgan–South Rich): biologists and the operator said a large permit increase and use of second-cow-permit options produced a substantial jump in cow harvest in the most recent year. Jayla and operators described this as a deliberate effort to get the local population back toward objective. - East Canyon / Park City area: biologists told the committee that a large portion of the East Canyon population winters on private, non-huntable lands around Park City; collars placed this winter showed many elk staying in and around Park City until January–February, reducing opportunity to harvest them in the earlier season windows. - Units with reporting or compliance notes: Weaver/Florence Creek and several others had mandatory-reporting or data-capture quirks that the division said it will fix.

What the committee asked staff to do: compile clearer, unit-level summaries that include three-year totals, public vs. private harvest splits, mitigation and depredation permits, and any known reporting issues; provide a short list of recommended permit-split or timing changes for the board to consider where multiple units or public-land constraints make harvest difficult.

Why it matters: the committee said it will use the new rule as a tool to monitor and, where necessary, recommend corrective actions to keep elk populations and hunter opportunity in balance. Several operators and committee members praised cooperative units that increased harvest and cautioned against policies that would push valued operators out of the program.

Provenance: the presentation opened about 00:29:00 in the transcript and the cow-elk harvest discussion continued through the remainder of the meeting; operator testimony from Daniel Richens and Tom Land and biologists Jayla Walden and Darren were cited frequently.