Columnist Paula Del Giudice: Increased hunting quotas proposed

Wednesday, May 6, 1998 | 9:06 a.m.

PAULA DEL GIUDICE has been an outdoors freelance writer, author and photographer for 15 years. Her column appears Wednesdays.

THE NEVADA Board of Wildlife Commissioners will meet Saturday in Las Vegas to establish the quotas for the 1998 big game hunting seasons.

Hunters who have already mailed applications for these tags will be happy to know that the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) is recommending a big increase in the number of tags for the mule deer season.

"Favorable habitat conditions brought about by four consecutive above-average water years and a recent mild winter are the factors being cited by NDOW biologists for the increases proposed to the State Wildlife Commission," NDOW spokesman Chris Healy said.

NDOW is recommending increasing the number of mule deer tags to 4,159, a 21 percent increase over last year. Also, a proposed quota of 5,000 tags has been suggested for the newly instituted youth deer hunt.

"The fawn ratio that we're looking at this spring, an indication of how many young deer survived the winter, is the best we've seen in 20 years," NDOW biologist Mike Hess said. "It's been a long winter with lots of moisture. But from a big game perspective, we couldn't have had a better winter for overall herd survival."

Included in the total proposed increase are 3,050 more rifle buck tags than were available last year. These are the most popular tags with hunters.

In addition to the hefty increase in deer tags, NDOW is recommending an increase of 330 elk tags this year. Antelope populations also have turned the corner and have started to build once more after years of drought and competition for forage. NDOW is suggesting an increase in antelope tags of 170.

Bighorn sheep populations are healthy and NDOW is recommending 156 tags for desert bighorn, Rocky Mountain and California subspecies of sheep, nine more than were allotted last year. Rocky Mountain goat populations have increased enough for NDOW to recommend 11 tags, five more than were available last year.

Special Partnership in Wildlife (PIW) tag quotas are recommended at the same levels as last year, with 25 deer, five antelope, three desert sheep, three elk, one goat and one California bighorn sheep tag. Those who apply for PIW tags risk all of their deer tag refund if unsuccessful in the regular and PIW drawings, and half of their big game tag fee for other species.

NDOW also is recommending a harvest objective of 302 mountain lions statewide during a proposed season that would extend from Sept. 1, 1998 to May 31, 1999. Last year the harvest objective was 292.

For more information about the Commission meeting, contact NDOW at 486-5127.

* CAMP LEE CANYON: Clark County Parks and Recreation is offering a Camp Lee Canyon Open House Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m where participants will tour the camp, meet the staff and find out about Parks and Recreation overnight camps for children and teens. Camps are held in July. Camp Lee Canyon is nestled in beautiful Mt. Charleston, just below the ski resort. Call 455-8239 for details regarding the free tour.

* FRIENDS OF NRA: The Friends of the National Rifle Association will hold their fifth annual Las Vegas banquet at the Gold Coast Hotel May 16, starting with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and are available by calling 647-1359 or 453-8565.

* OUTDOOR CONFERENCE: One of the most significant trends affecting the West is the rapid escalation of outdoor recreation pressures on lands managed by federal, state, tribal and local governments. Often overshadowed by more dramatic and site-specific natural resource controversies involving water projects, timber sales, mining operations, and endangered species disputes, outdoor recreation has quietly emerged as the dominant natural resource industry in many pockets of the West. The topic will be the theme for the 19th annual conference sponsored by the Natural Resources Law Center in Boulder, Colo., June 8-10. For registration information call (303) 492-1272 or send e-mail to NRLC@colorado.edu.