August 13, 2003

UT DWR

White-tailed Prairie Dog shooting closure

White-tailed prairie dogs may not be shot on public lands in Utah from April 1 to June 15, 2004. White-tailed prairie dogs are found throughout much of eastern Utah. This closure will protect them when they're raising their young and is in response to a petition filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to place white-tailed prairie dogs on the federal Endangered Species list.

McLaughlin reminds shooters that Coyote Basin southeast of Vernal remains closed to the shooting of prairie dogs year-round. This closure was put in place to protect a reintroduced population of endangered black-footed ferrets that live in the area.