With the general elk hunt on and the general deer hunt starting next weekend, hunting season is here in force, and hundreds of hunters will be traversing trails and driving on mountain roads throughout Tooele County in search of a trophy animal. But too often, that adventure can turn dangerous, according to outdoors experts.

Weather, lack of appropriate gear, and unfamiliarity with the terrain can lead to risky situations in the backcountry.

According to Kathy Jo Pollock, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest spokeswoman, the single biggest problem during the hunt is people getting stuck on muddy roads, which can lead to more serious problems if they are unprepared to spend a night outdoors.

“We have a lot of people getting stuck if there’s a thunderstorm or snow in the higher elevations, and in the process they’re doing damage to roads,” she said, adding hunters may be responsible for damage to resources caused while removing a stuck vehicle.

Drivers who go far off the beaten track need to be prepared to spend several days with their vehicles.

“First, make sure your vehicle is ready to go out and has enough antifreeze,” she said. “I’ve seen some vehicles get stuck until the spring when so much snow has fallen that there’s no way to get a tow truck up there to get them out. It doesn’t happen a lot, but maybe every few years.”

A recurring problem in the Stansbury Mountains, Pollock said, is when people hike in without another person — often just themselves and their dog — take a wrong turn or trail and end up needing help getting out of the mountains.

“If they don’t know the terrain out there, they can get lost,” she said, adding situations like those sometimes require the agency’s help.

Sometimes just talking to a lost hiker or hunter on the cell phone will help them get their bearings, but other times it requires help hiking in.

“We have quite a few people who work for us seasonally who usually can pinpoint right where they are and help them get themselves back on the main trails,” she said.

Last summer there were two incidents in the Stansbury Mountains where people called for help, according to Pollock. Typically, there are a few incidents similar to that each year.

Randy Griffin, one of two BLM rangers responsible for patrolling Tooele, Box Elder, Rich and Utah counties, said hunting hotspots within Tooele County include the Stansburys, Oquirrhs, Cedar Mountains and Deep Creek Mountains. The Deep Creeks are pretty remote, but he said surprisingly a lot of hunters frequent them, both on the Tooele County and Juab County sides.

Griffin said appropriate outerwear, like rain parkas or a poncho, is essential when hunting. He added it’s very important for hunters to regulate their body temperature so they don’t overheat or get too cold.

“You can regulate your body temperature simply by the head gear you’re wearing,” he said. “If you just feel hot, take your hat off. If you feel cold, put a hat on.”

Hunters should take plenty of food and water along with them in the mountains, he said. Even when it’s cold, a person can still become dehydrated, Griffin said. Eating food that will give hunters sufficient calories and energy for activities they’ll be engaging in is also essential.

“If you’re walking up steep hills and mountains, you’ll be burning lots of calories,” he said.

He said problems the BLM experiences during the hunting season include hunters taking four-wheelers in areas they are not supposed to, and not requiring their children to wear helmets when on an off-road vehicle or ATV.

Leaving fires unattended is also an issue. Erin Darboven, public information officer with the West Desert District of the BLM, said hunters should take precaution with fires as vegetation is still very dry and wildfires can still be sparked.

Griffin said large groups of hunters who go into the mountains can have varying success depending on their techniques.

“Too many times I see them running up and down, four-wheeling and wondering where all the animals are,” he said. “But deer are going to get scared away with the vehicle traffic.”

Lynn Taylor, an instructor for Utah Hunter Education courses taught in Grantsville, said being prepared for whatever weather conditions might come sounds commonsense, but is worth reminding people of again.

“Hunters need to let somebody know where they’re going so if they do have trouble somebody knows where to look for them,” said Taylor. “People make that mistake and go out and don’t tell someone, and then they get in trouble.”

In addition, he said people should eliminate the problem of garbage, particularly in the Stansbury Mountains, by packing out what they pack in.

“I can get on top of any hill in the Stansbury Mountains and I can find beer cans, soda cans, garbage. It’s not a lot, but it’s a few here and there.”

He added he thinks leaving garbage has become quite a problem from people going into the mountains to party.

“There’s more pressure on the Tooele canyons, so they’re coming over here to party,” he said, although he doesn’t think most of those partiers are hunters.

Griffin believes there are more inexperienced hunters nowadays than in the past.

“Generations ago, hunting was probably a mainstay family activity and they had somebody experienced to learn from, where now people may take up the sport when they haven’t had someone experienced to teach them the ins and outs,” he said.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com