Senate Bill 187 - which passed out of a Senate committee on a 3-2 vote with Democrats against it - faces strong opposition from parks officials, area leaders and environmental groups who want to preserve the area for observing wildlife.
"This proposal would cater to the special interests at the expense of the public," said Spence Kinard, president of Friends of Antelope Island.
The State Parks Board has objected to more hunting on the island. Currently there is a limited, four-hour hunt for bison once a year.
SB187 would take away authority from the Parks Board to control hunting on the island and grant it to the state Wildlife Board, which already indicated in a previous vote that it would allow deer hunting on the island. The bill would allow the Wildlife Board to grant two permits each for deer and bighorn sheep hunts every year.
Sen. Bill Hickman, a St. George Republican who is sponsoring SB187, says the hunts are needed to reduce overpopulation of deer and sheep on the island, and to raise money for the state.
"Simply what we are proposing here in this bill is hunting for a very short period of time this year," Hickman said.
Don Peay, founder of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, argued that the island should be opened up for hunting and noted that the state would reap thousands of dollars from hunters paying for a chance to shoot a deer or bighorn sheep.
"Antelope Island is thriving," Peay said. "This is a good opportunity to raise some substantial money for state parks and restoration of mule deer throughout the park."
Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, wouldn't allow the park's biologist, Steve Bates, to speak at the hearing when State Parks Acting Director Mary Tullius asked Bates to testify.
"I'm running this meeting," Waddoups said.
Bates said after the meeting that there is no overpopulation, and that surplus deer and bighorn sheep are moved off the island to be hunted.
Tullius called the vote on the bill "unfortunate." She added: "We'll follow it and see what we can do."
