A growing number of crows are flying above the state of Utah, according to the Division of Wildlife Resources' newest survey, bringing the population to an all-time high at more than 2,400 crows statewide.
While Utah stood against crow hunting in the past, hunters will be able to shoot in the fall, according to DWR's spokesman Mark Hadley.
While the dense crow habitation is not a state-wide issue, the birds have hindered farmers in rural areas in addition to homeowners in rural landscapes.
"As the crow population in Utah has grown, we're having more fruit growers contact us, concerned about the damage crows are doing in the fruit orchards," Hadley said.
Although the reason for these growing numbers is still unclear, the influx of crows have been affecting state residents both on the ground and in the air.
"they do raid nests and take the eggs of other birds. Also, crows do carry certain diseases that can have a negative effect on other birds," Hadley said.
The hunting season will be September and December through February. A free PDF manual will be available for download next month. For more information, visitwildlife.utah.gov.