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As number of injured wildlife increases in Utah, here’s how many return to the wild

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As number of injured wildlife increases in Utah, here’s how many return to the wild


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SUNDANCE, Utah County — Tracy Christensen looked at the juvenile red-tailed hawk in his arms as a volunteer slowly removed the blinder covering the young bird’s eyes.

The creature, only a few months old, quickly glanced over to a crowd formed around it at the top of Sundance Mountain Resort Saturday and then up at Christensen, as it surveyed its surroundings.

Moments later, the few dozen spectators gathered on the mountain erupted into cheers as the bird jolted out of Christensen’s outstretched arms, flapped its wings and veered left toward Mount Timpanogos, mirroring a path its sibling had just taken a few minutes earlier.

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Christensen, a ski patroller and summer mountain safety manager at Sundance Mountain Resort, has had many outdoor experiences at the resort, but none in the past three decades were quite like this.

“That was very special. I’ve never experienced that before,” he said, peering out toward the bird’s new home. “The power and the feeling of this wild creature, and just knowing that I was getting to set it free — to where it belongs in the mountains and these beautiful peaks up here.”

The bird he released was one of two red-tailed hawks brought to the Great Basin Wildlife Rescue in Spanish Fork after they had fallen out of a nest earlier this year, according to Gavin Skousen, a volunteer with the nonprofit organization. He explained that volunteers helped rehabilitate the birds the past three months, giving them “minimal” human contact so they could learn how to survive in the wild on their own.

A juvenile red-tailed hawk flies over Sundance Resort after being released Saturday afternoon. The hawk was treated at Great Basin Wildlife Rescue its egg was discovered on the ground earlier this year.
A juvenile red-tailed hawk flies over Sundance Resort after being released Saturday afternoon. The hawk was treated at Great Basin Wildlife Rescue its egg was discovered on the ground earlier this year. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)

The organization picked the top of Sundance as Saturday’s release site because it offers each hawk a good aerial view of Provo Canyon, as well as the Utah and Heber valleys, providing them plenty of space to decide where to settle down. It coordinates its releases with resort officials.

“It gives the birds sort of an optimal place to launch from,” Skousen says. “It gives them a good opportunity to choose whether they want to be in a more forested area, an open plain, higher up in the mountains — there’s just a lot of areas where they can go.”

A growing number of wildlife rehabilitation cases

Saturday marked yet another successful release for the organization, which much like similar wildlife rescue centers across the Wasatch Front, is receiving more and more wild creatures every year.

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As the region’s population grows, there are more people living in and around historic wildlife habitats. There are also more people recreating in wildlife areas; each of these results in more building or vehicle collisions. The center also receives cases where an animal is struggling with a disease or has been illegally shot.

The center helps rehabilitate and release about 100 to 300 birds of prey every year, on top of other types of wildlife, including mammals. Skousen explains that the numbers fluctuate from year-to-year based on different trends. For example, there are more nestlings brought in during wildfire-heavy years because their parents abandon the area.

July also can be busy for centers along the Wasatch Front. Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah officials posted on social media last week that there’s usually an uptick in cases tied to animals abandoning their offspring because they become disoriented by fireworks. They may end up fleeing into roadways or flying into windows.

The Ogden-based rehabilitation center received more than 3,500 animal patients in 2021, alone, largely because of the same trends reported in Utah County.

Once at a center, animals are given treatment to help them recover and possibly return to the wild. But not every case has the same happy ending as the one that ended Saturday.

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While about 80% or more of the birds the Great Basin Wildlife Rescue receives do make it back into the wild, most of the rest are in such bad shape that they either die or have to be euthanized because their quality of life would be poor even in a controlled setting, Skousen says.

Great Basin Wildlife Rescue volunteers talk about wildlife during a wildlife release event at the top of Sundance Resort Saturday afternoon.
Great Basin Wildlife Rescue volunteers talk about wildlife during a wildlife release event at the top of Sundance Resort Saturday afternoon. (Photo: Carter Williams, KSL.com)

The remaining animals end up at zoos, aviaries or stay at the rescue center as permanent residents, because they can survive — just not in the wild, with their injuries. These animals often are used to help educate people about various species, their habitats and how they ended up in their situation. It’s not the ideal ending for every new case, but it’s a more desired outcome than the worst-case scenario.

That’s why Skousen enjoys events where animals are able to return home. He and others watched in awe as the pair of rehabilitated hawks flew away, into the wild.

“Letting people get up close and personal with wildlife that they’d normally never get to see is really rewarding,” he said.

How to deal with a potentially wounded animal

Wildlife rehabilitation cases will likely continue to rise with the region’s growth showing no signs of stopping anytime in the next few decades.

Skousen urges residents who come across an animal potentially in need to, first, give it time to make sure it actually is wounded or abandoned before reporting it to the nearest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office or an accredited local wildlife rescue center. People should not approach the animal themselves, as a safety precaution.

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“Definitely wait, and watch. A lot of times, especially at this time of year, young birds don’t actually need to be rescued. They are learning to fly and the parents are nearby,” he said. “If a bird is visibly injured or is on the ground for a very long time, the best thing to do is to contact (an expert).”

With the right help, they may have a chance to make it back to the wild again, someday.

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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.

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Utah

What went wrong in Utah HC's loss to Stars?

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What went wrong in Utah HC's loss to Stars?


The Utah Hockey Club’s last two regulation losses have now come at the hands of the Dallas Stars following Monday night’s 3-2 loss at home.

An insufficient effort in the second period was Utah HC’s demise. Outside of that, it was as evenly matched as any game.

“I think that second period’s a learning lesson, honestly,” said Utah center Barrett Hayton. “I thought we did a great job in the first period. We were urgent, we were intense, we were on the ball, playing the right way. You just can’t afford those lapses against good teams, and that’s what our second period was.”

A late push from Utah yielded some close calls, but sports fans know “close” doesn’t cut it.

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How this works

This is a three-part article geared toward three different audiences.

  • First, we’ll have “Utah hockey for dummies” for all you new hockey fans. Welcome, by the way — we’re glad you’ve taken an interest in the greatest sport in the world.
  • Next, we’ll have a section titled “Utah hockey for casual fans,” aimed at those who have a basic understanding of the sport.
  • Finally, we’ll have “Utah hockey for nerds.” That will be for those of you who, like me, think about nothing but hockey all day, every day.

Feedback is welcome, so let me know what you think in the comments of this article or the comments section on “X.”

Utah Hockey for dummies

Hayton seems to have found his scoring touch once again.

Until this week, the 24-year-old who centers Utah’s top line hadn’t scored since Oct. 30. Now, he has a pair of goals in as many games. It’s his second time scoring in bunches this year, as he scored in each of the team’s first three games and again in its fifth game.

He told the media after the game Monday that there’s not much rhyme or reason to his streaks.

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“I think you’ll score and produce when you’re playing well and playing the right way,” he said. “It all comes full circle like that, so I don’t know. It’s just coincidence.”

Regardless of whether the puck goes in the net or not, Hayton has played an immaculate defensive game this year, which has opened his linemates up for offensive success.

Clayton Keller, who plays on Hayton’s left wing, has scored more than a point per game this year. Nick Schmaltz, his other winger, is just below a point per game.

Interesting note: There’s a discrepancy as to how many points Hayton now has in his career. The team is celebrating his goal as his 100th point, but NHL.com says it’s only his 99th, with the same number of games played, goals and assists.

HockeyDB and most of the other sites agree that it’s number 100. I’m not good enough at math to figure out who’s right. Someone add it up and let me know in the comments.

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Utah Hockey for casual fans

Although Utah HC managed just 26 shots Monday, Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith was the story of the game. He plays at the top of his crease, which is especially effective when facing shots from medium and close distances. It earned him the honor of first star of the game.

Time and time again, Utah would create plenty of open space, make a great play and put a solid shot on net, only to have it go straight to the crest of DeSmith’s jersey.

“There weren’t many holes on him,” said Utah center Nick Bjugstad. “There were some good chances on our end, but I still feel like traffic and making it a little harder on him would have been beneficial for us.”

Utah Hockey for nerds

The fatigue of a back-to-back affects teams more than we probably think it does. In this, the second game in as many nights for Utah HC, they got much-needed energy from the third line: Bjugstad, Lawson Crouse and Matias Maccelli.

All night long, that line created chances out of thin air. They seemed to have the chemistry together that earned them all the best or second-best point totals of their careers last year.

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One example came midway through the first period Monday. Bjugstad was streaking down the left wing but was forced to the outside by the Stars’ defender.

Rather than trying to beat him with speed, Bjugstad threw on the brakes and sent a spinning backhand pass straight to the stick of Crouse.

DeSmith matched him with a perfectly positioned save, but the play gave Utah a jolt of energy.

Then on the first shift of the second period, they had a similar high-energy rush. It was not by coincidence that Utah head coach Andre Tourigny selected his highest-paced line to set the tone for the second.

These are the kinds of things that third lines are typically responsible for, in addition to chipping in a goal once every two or three games. They’re really struggling to do that second part, but they showed on Monday that they can do the first thing.

“When you’re not scoring as a line, you try to figure out what to do,” Bjugstad said. “For us, it’s just simplifying.”

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What’s next?

There will be three silent nights for Utah HC — and the rest of the NHL — before getting back into action on Friday as they host the Colorado Avalanche.

It’s the third and final match this season between the two teams. They’re both 1-1-0 against each other so the season series is on the line.

It’s a big game in the sense that both teams are competing for one of the same five playoff spots, so every point matters. It’s a good chance for one team to gain the edge over the other.

Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon is as hot as ever right now, with 16 points in his last seven games. With that in mind, it shouldn’t surprise you that he has a five-point lead in the NHL points race.

The game starts at 7:30 p.m. It will be broadcast nationally, meaning it won’t be available on the normal channels. Instead, it’s on ESPN2.

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Utah girls' goalball players win national tournament

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Utah girls' goalball players win national tournament


SALT LAKE CITY — For the second year in a row, the Utah High School Girls’ Goalball team has won the national championship. The competition took place this year at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida. In the final round, the Utah team beat the West Virginia team by 9 to 1.

Utah player Reese Branch was named the tournament’s MVP. Because she was one of the top six girl goalball players, she made it to the All-American Goalball Team, as did her teammate Kelsey Kartchner.

Truly a Utah team

Utah’s girls’ goalball team members come from all over the state. They include Branch from Tremonton, Kartchner from Smithfield, Julie Jenson from Pleasant Grove, and Kalinka Brown from Clearfield.

And while that makes them a great representative of the state, the distance can interfere with their training as a team.

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“We can’t get together like every day, like a lot of high school teams. So we practice usually once a week in Midvale.”

Then, like a lot of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the athletes train on their own, at home.

“It’s a lot of like finding your own time to work out, and then obviously, our amazing coaches help us so much,” Branch said.

The Utah Foundation for the Blind and Visually Impaired manages the team.  Rachel Jepson and Jalayne Engberg coach the team. Jepson is a former Utah goalball player. Engberg is a teacher and mobility instructor in the Alpine School District.

What is goalball?

According to the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, Goalball was a rehabilitation tool that originated after World War II in Germany. It’s played on an indoor court with a ball that has bells in it.

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“There are three people on each side of the court,” Branch told KSL NewsRadio.

“You’re blindfolded, and the goal is to throw the ball into the opposing team’s goal. You block it with your body and then stand up and throw.”

Utah boys’ goalball

The Utah High School Boy’s Team got to the tournament’s quarterfinals before they were eliminated. Their team includes Kelton Health, Greer Merrill, Caleb Rice, and Luke Sorenson. 

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Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.





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Utah loses a top recruit, as a four-star edge rusher flips to the Cougars

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Utah loses a top recruit, as a four-star edge rusher flips to the Cougars


One of the gems of Utah’s incoming recruiting class is now heading south.

Four-star edge rusher Hunter Clegg flipped his commitment from Utah to BYU after returning home from his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission this week.

The American Fork product was a top-three player in the state coming out of high school. He was originally part of the 2023 recruiting class — with highly touted players like four-stars Jackson Bowers and Walker Lyons.

BYU made a strong push to sign Clegg a few years ago. In the summer of 2022, head coach Kalani Sitake hosted Clegg as part of BYU’s most high-profile recruiting weekend of the cycle. BYU had Clegg, Bowers, Lyons and offensive lineman Ethan Thomason on campus at the same time. With the collection of four-stars in Provo, the coaching staff pitched that group as cornerstone pieces of BYU’s early Big 12 era. Sitake had one-on-one meetings with all of them. The weekend included photoshoots in the mountains, a trip to Deer Lake and Top Golf.

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“It definitely felt like this was an important weekend for the program,” Thomason told The Salt Lake Tribune at the time. “They didn’t go over the top to where it is unrealistic. But you could feel it was really important.”

After that weekend, Thomason and Bowers both committed to BYU. But Clegg and Lyons went elsewhere.

Lyons landed at USC — where he played 10 games for Lincoln Riley last season. Utah also heavily recruited Lyons and the program was surprised he did not come to Salt Lake.

Clegg went on a mission, but oscillated between commitments. He originally pledged to go to Stanford, but backed off after a coaching change. He then announced he’d go to Utah.

Now, he has signed with the Cougars.

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Clegg’s addition is important for two reasons. For one, edge rusher is a position of need for the Cougars.

Defensive coordinator Jay Hill has been looking for a pass rusher who can generate sacks. In the last two years, most of BYU’s pass rush has come from the linebacker position with Harrison Taggart and Isaiah Glasker. Getting to the quarterback with a four-man rush is a critical part of Hill’s scheme, he said.

But perhaps more importantly, Clegg flipping from Utah continues a trend of BYU going after in-state recruits already pledged to the Utes.

In the last cycle, Hill put pressure on the state’s No. 3 player, Faletau Satuala, to flip from Salt Lake to Provo. He was able to sign Satuala at the last second.

Part of Hill’s pitch, Satuala and other recruits indicated, was stability. Kyle Whittingham’s potential retirement played a factor, recruits said, with BYU making in-roads with Utah’s recruits.

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“I think [stability] is important,” 2025 recruit Taani Makasini said. Makasini was recruited by both BYU and Utah, but signed with the Cougars in this class.

“I don’t want to go somewhere and the person that recruited me isn’t there anymore. I’m going there to learn from him. I’m not going there to learn from whoever they’re gonna hire next,” Makasini said.



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