Paula Del Giudice: Safari Club meets in Vegas

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

THERE'S A LOT going on in Las Vegas this time of year.

Safari Club International (SCI) will hold its 25th annual convention here Jan. 29-Feb. 1. In coordination with the annual conference (which overlaps with the SHOT Show -- the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show and Conference sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation) the Silver Chapter of SCI will hold a "sensory safari" next Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon at the Sands Expo Center.

More than 150 sight-impaired children from Las Vegas will be attending the "sensory safari" aimed at allowing the sight-impaired to "see" wildlife through their sense of touch.

The safari will be repeated Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, with that session sponsored by the Desert Chapter of SCI. Forty children will be on hand for that event, which will help the museum introduce the Bruno Scherer collection to the public. The collection features a 16- foot full-body mount giraffe.

Reel outfitters

Outdoorsmen will know they have died and gone to heaven, now that there's a full-line Orvis dealer opening. Reel Outfitters, located on the second floor of the Masquerade Village at the Rio Suite Hotel & Casino, will carry more than 50 styles/weights of rods, travel clothing, Battenkill luggage, shotguns and hunting accessories.

The store will feature a gift registry to make shopping for family and friends that much easier. In addition, the store will sell fishing and hunting licenses and can provide referrals for guide services and fishing expeditions around the world.

The store's grand opening is Feb. 7. Those who stop in between then and mid-March will be able to register for an all-expense paid trip for two to Falcon's Ledge in Utah. Winners will be able to dry fly fish for trophy size trout in private, still waters and on little known rivers and streams.

Cyber law

For those interested in watching the Nevada Legislature from the convenience of your office or home, you can browse the legislature's home page at www.leg.state.nv.us. The web site will have the bill draft list online and even the text of the bills, if they have been filed.

Maps will show your assembly or senate district so that you can discern who your legislator is. There will be a bio on each senator or assemblyman and a photo. The site features a list of all the committees and who is on them.

The computer even changes the way citizens can lobby, as it is possible to submit lobbying forms on-line. You can browse lobbying rules, the lobbying NRS, and lobbying guidelines.

You can even contact your legislator by e-mail.

Can you believe it?

For the "Can You Believe It?" section: There is a new organization called the North American Shed Hunters Club. It is going to maintain records of shed antlers. During its membership drive, it promises to give away "fantastic shed antler hunts from Texas to Saskatchewan with top notch outfitters and guides in some of the best trophy hunting areas in Canada and the U.S."

At the bottom of their letterhead, they say "Invest in our Youth -- Take a Kid Shed Hunting."

I'm curious. What does shed hunting teach a kid? It might lead to a walk in some fresh air, but shed hunting can't possibly teach a kid what hunting can.

I can see a lot of potential fraud in this concept. What's to prevent an "outfitter" from combing every winter range for shed antlers and then redistributing them in his or her hunting area? It will be interesting to see where this organization goes.