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Public hunters complain of unequal access at Deseret CWMU; advisory committee declines punitive action
Summary
Members of the CWU Advisory Committee heard public accusations that Deseret Land & Livestock favored paid hunters over the public on its roughly quarter‑million‑acre ranch, but the committee stopped short of punitive action and instead asked Deseret to return next year with a report on maps, access and corrective steps.
Members of the CWU (Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit) Advisory Committee heard extended public testimony Feb. 24 about Deseret Land & Livestock’s management of the Deseret CWMU, including allegations that private hunters and paid clients received preferential treatment through gate access, vehicle rules and incomplete maps.
Two public hunters — Matt Lillywhite and Alex Silva — told the committee they were denied equal access during the most recent deer season, describing locked perimeter gates, guides and other private users driving inside the unit while some public hunters were routed to distant access points. Lillywhite said he and a companion were driven across the ranch during a guided visit and later saw private hunters “bouncing down the road” while public hunters arrived considerably later. Alex Silva said maps provided at orientation omitted a parcel (the Toon property) that he understood to be part of the CWMU and that his party was restricted from…
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