Overall, it was a good opening for a Utah deer hunt. The only major obstacle was wet, muddy roads.
Early observations are that the number of hunters will be down slightly, with game officers citing the wet, snowy weather going into the hunt.Overall success is expected to be about average - about one in three hunters will finish the season with a used-up tag.
The hunt will close on Oct. 30.
Rain and snow on Thursday and Friday dampened hunting plans for many hunters, it appears. Activity was slower than usual at checking stations on Saturday and many hunters reported slower hunting pressure in their areas.
Activity picked up sharply on Sunday, but with the exception of only a few areas, many hunters still felt that hunting pressure was down slightly.
Most of the deer checked on both Saturday and Sunday were the smaller yearlings - spikes and two-point bucks. At every checking station, however, there were a few trophy bucks checked. Three of the largest bucks checked over the weekend came from the East Canyon area on opening morning - two large four-point bucks and a five-point.
The major complaint logged on Sunday dealt with travel. Hunters reported that high country roads were slippy and difficult to travel. Many hunters were unable to get back into favorite hunting areas.
The forecast the early part of this week is for warmer temperatures and no moisture.