Columnist Paula Del Giudice: New wildlife office benefits boaters

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998 | 10:14 a.m.

PAULA DEL GIUDICE has been an outdoors freelance writer, author and photographer for 13 years. Her column appears Wednesdays.

TODAY MARKS the opening of a new Nevada Division of Wildlife office located at 744 S. Racetrack Road in Henderson. The new office is opening to provide more convenient customer service to the boat owners who reside in the southern Las Vegas Valley.

"If you draw a line between Nellis Air Force Base in North Las Vegas and McCarran International Airport, more than half the boat owners in the valley live on the eastern side of that line," said Mike Wickersham, NDOW regional manager.

Prior to the opening of the Henderson office, those needing to title or to register their boats in person had to make the trek to NDOW's office on W. Vegas Drive.

With more than 31,000 registered boats in Clark County, the potential for long waits in long lines is great.

"We're hopeful that our customers can be treated to faster service from two locations in opposite ends of the Las Vegas Valley," Wickersham said.

Those living in the southern end of the Valley who need boat registration information are urged to call the new office at 486-6742.

The office, with hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, also will sell hunting and fishing licenses and stamps, and well as provide hunting and fishing regulations.

Some functions and activities will continue to be handled exclusively through the Vegas Drive office.

Those interested in making reservations for hunting on wildlife management areas, registering for hunter safety courses or fishing instruction courses should continue to call 486-5127.

Elk call

The Las Vegas Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will hold its 1998 banquet Sept. 12 from 5-11 p.m. at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino.

Sportsmen and women who participated in RMEF's 1997 banquet succeeded in raising $40,000 for wildlife. So far, RMEF banquets in Nevada have raised $745,583, while the national organization has spent $2.8 mil. in the state to benefit elk and other wildlife.

Tickets for the banquet, which includes meal and cocktails, are $35 per person. To reserve a spot, send reservations (include your name, address and phone number) to: RMEF Banquet, 6644 Light Breeze Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89108, or call 655-4801.

Fish stockings

The Nevada Division of Wildlife recently stocked 8,200 rainbow trout in Lake Mohave immediately below Hoover Dam.

The first plant of half the fish took place last Wednesday. The second plant was Monday.

NDOW originally intended to stock the fish in Kingston Canyon in Lander County and some streams in Nye County. Due to high water levels in those areas and warm water conditions, those plants could not take place.

High tech hunting

Wasted hours spent searching for hunting websites on the Internet will be a thing of the past, thanks to the Hunter's Website Directory. As one of the top hunting websites today, Hunting Net has launched the first hunting website directory, due in the mail in time for the beginning of the upcoming hunting seasons.

Subscribers to the directory will find a full listing of the entire top hunting product and gear sites, in addition to a full listing of all state departments and natural resources website addresses.

Those interested in receiving a free copy of the first issue can contact Hunting Net at (800) 366-5056. Or you can sign up on the web for your free copy at www.huntingnet.com.