Utah’s elk herds will get some much-needed help in 2009.

On Dec. 4, the Utah Wildlife Board approved spike elk hunting changes for next season. The changes should open room in the herds for more cow elk. The calves these cows will produce are vital to the future of Utah’s elk herds.The board also lengthened the general rifle buck deer hunt in southern Utah, approved a major change to Utah’s statewide archery buck deer hunt and started a management buck deer hunt on Utah’s two best deer hunting units.

In the 2009 Utah Big Game Guidebook, you can see all of the changes the board approved. The guidebook should be available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks during the week of Dec. 15.