Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Fishing group to hold banquet

Paula DelGiudice

Friday, March 3, 2000 | 10:59 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears weekly. Reach her at PDelGiudice@compuserve.com.

Southern Nevada Trout Unlimited has announced plans to hold its annual banquet on Saturday, March 11, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Gold Coast hotel-casino.

The organization is working with the Nevada Division of Wildlife to restore native cutthroat trout to their range in Nevada. All of the money raised during the event will stay with the chapter to use for Nevada projects. The organization is working on projects in Great Basin National Park near Ely and in Carpenter Canyon in the Spring Mountain Range.

In addition to the banquet, SNTU is selling tickets for a habitat partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for the 3-C Ranch in White Pine County. The tickets sell for $5 each and only 700 will be available.

For more information, contact Jennifer Coons at 564-7136.

* 3C RANCH: With the Nevada Division of Wildlife's recent acquisition of the 3-C Ranch near Ely, planning efforts have gotten under way that will eventually lead to the property being operated as the state's newest wildlife management area.

Laura Richards, NDOW habitat staff biologist, said work is being done on an interim management plan for the 6,440- acre ranch. The plan, which will guide operations of the property for one year, should be completed by April. It will be followed by a long-term plan that will direct operations for 10 years and will be in place by the spring of next year.

Richards anticipates that the name of the ranch will be changed to reflect its new role as a state wildlife management area. Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area has been proposed as the new name for the area, located in Steptoe Valley, south of Ely.

The Nevada Division of State Lands took title of the property for NDOW on Nov. 5, 1999. The purchase price was $4 million, most of which came from Question 5 bond money that was approved by Nevada voters in 1991 to enhance parks and wildlife resources in the state.

Richards also said that the purchase could not have been accomplished without the efforts of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Numerous other conservation organizations as well as federal, state and local agencies provided assistance with the acquisition.

* POSTER CONTEST: The Nevada Wildlife Federation has announced its elementary and middle school poster contest for students in grades 1-8. The poster contest is held annually to celebrate National Wildlife Week. Participation is encouraged throughout the state.

Educator kits that are a companion for the poster contest are available online at www.nwf.org. Additional information about Wildlife Week is also available at the above website. To view the work of former state winners, check out the Nevada Wildlife Federation's website at www.nvwf.org. To receive information about the contest in Southern Nevada, send e-mail to aedwag@gbis.com.

* HUNTER ED KUDOS: Three Las Vegas hunter education instructors were recognized recently by the International Hunter Education Association for designing and producing training guns used in Nevada's hunter education classes, according to the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Dr. David Knotts, executive vice president of IHEA, recognized Lee Avant, Stewart Avant and Gary Baldis for their developing and constructing 200 non-firing guns. The model guns have working pump, bolt and semi-automatic actions.

Some of the bolt-action rifles have been fitted with laser beams that light when the trigger is pulled. The laser guns are used in helping students to recognize when it is safe and unsafe to shoot at game.

The Daisey Air Rifle company was so impressed with the laser design that it has decided to manufacture several hundred guns for educational purposes that will be fitted with lasers. The first three laser guns to be produced by Daisey will be given to the Nevada instructors in recognition of their design efforts.

* FISH NOW FOR BULLHEADS: Parents who want to give their children the opportunity to catch fish should try their luck on the bullhead catfish in two Lincoln County reservoirs, according to NDOW.

The fishing for bullheads has been good at Nesbitt Lake on Key Pittman Wildlife Management Area and on Upper Pahranagat Lake at Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge.

Live worms on four- to six-pound line with a sliding sinker, swivel and size 12 or 14 hook are your best bets for catching the fish. The limits are 10 bullheads per day with 10 in possession.

Licenses are required for anglers 12 and older.