More animals would be hunted on Antelope Island under a bill approved Tuesday by the Senate.

SB187, sponsored by Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, would allow hunters to bag bighorn sheep and mule deer in addition to bison.

The bill, passed 18-11 after considerable debate, now goes to the House.

Hickman, who has earned the nickname "Wild Bill," said the Great Salt Lake island is "not a sanctuary" and should, like other state parks, be available for multiple uses including hunting.

Currently, the state issues six bison permits for an annual four- hour hunt. Hickman's bill adds six permits a year -- two each for bison, bighorn sheep and mule deer.
The permits are expected to raise as much as $200,000 from big- game hunters. Hickman said the hunt would also serve to harvest what he described as "some of the older, unproductive animals."

But Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, said there is no biological reason for the hunt. "This bill is not about thinning out the herds on Antelope Island. What it's about, pure and simple, is cash," McCoy said.

The state Division of Parks and Division of Wildlife Resources both oppose the bill, as does the Davis County Commission and a number of wildlife groups.

"I think locals should be heard," Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R- Syracuse, said, calling Antelope Island one of the state's top tourist attractions.

He said "safari tours" started this year would be affected by the additional hunting. "There's more than one way to skin a mule deer as far as finances go," Killpack said.

Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch, said hunting is allowed in several other state parks. "I don't know what makes it so special," he said of Antelope Island. Hatch said hunting was not inconsistent with keeping the island wildlife "tame and gentle" to make them more "watchable."

Senate Majority Leader Pete Knudson, R-Brigham City, voted for the bill but raised concerns about creating a game preserve for trophy hunters. "In my heart of hearts," Knudson said of the additional permits, "I think it has some merit."

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