Southern RAC scales back Beaver West permit increase after public outcry; votes 10–1 on split allocation

CEDAR CITY, Utah — After lengthy public comment and debate, the Southern Region Advisory Council on April 15 adjusted proposed deer permit allocations for the Beaver hunting unit and approved the larger deer-permit package with specific exceptions.

The council voted 10–1 to split the Beaver unit’s permits between West and East in a measure that will set 350 general-season permits for Beaver West and 1,600 for Beaver East (combined total of 1,950). Council members said the change was intended to be more conservative than the division’s original recommendation for a larger single-side increase and to respond to strong local opposition to the scale of the proposed West-side increase.

Why it matters: Deer permit numbers shape hunter opportunity and influence buck-to-doe ratios that the division uses to meet statewide management objectives. Locals and RAC members warned that a large single-year jump in permits on the West side could overharvest a population that many residents said has not recovered from past declines.

Division presentation and rationale Mike, the division biologist for the Beaver unit, described the data used to set…