Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Wildlife group to hold banquet

Paula DelGiudice

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 | 10:38 a.m.

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

The annual fund-raising banquet for Wildlife and Habitat Improvement of Nevada (WHIN) is scheduled Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Gold Coast hotel-casino.

Wayne Bliss, WHIN president, said funds from the banquet and auction will "support our efforts in providing on-the-ground habitat improvement projects in Nevada." In its 10-year history, WHIN has contributed significantly to the conservation of Nevada's wildlife resources through its assistance in habitat projects.

A $10,000 donation to wetland vegetation management at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Elko County created open areas and more productive duck nesting and feeding areas. The organization has raised money to build fencing at Pahranagat Lake NWF to restrict cattle grazing, and at McFarland and Mack's Canyon Springs to protect cattle from wild horse damage. WHIN has protected water rights for wildlife by filing for the water rights on Pine Springs.

The organization has helped fund the efforts of wildlife managers by funding projects and purchasing equipment. It has cleaned up, picked up, chained, planted, trapped and transplanted. It has constructed, constricted, and assisted.

The only way an organization like this can function, however, is by raising money to help with these projects. The money comes from sportsmen and women who pitch in their own dollars to make a difference for wildlife and wild places.

This year a pair of hunting tags will be auctioned during the banquet with proceeds going to the Nevada Wildlife Heritage Fund. The tags will be for a buck pronghorn antelope and a buck mule deer. Many additional prizes can be obtained either in the auction or the raffle.

Tickets for the event are $50 per person and $80 for couples. The price includes a membership in WHIN. Ticket information is available by calling Bliss at 736-4182.

Prominent is the addition of 1,553 buck deer tags for the state's general rifle hunt that hikes the allocation to 14,881 tags. Doe deer tags for rifle hunters were increased by 886 to 3,526 while junior hunters had their allocation increased by 714 either-sex deer tags to 4,798.

Also approved by commissioners were 1,237 buck antelope rifle tags, 388 bull elk rifle tags, 114 desert bighorn sheep tags, four Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tags, 37 California bighorn sheep tags and 17 Rocky Mountain goat tags.

The results of the main drawing will be announced by June 9.

A fly-tying working will be held on Thursday, June 22 at the NDOW office at 4747 W. Vegas Drive. A fly-fishing clinic is set for June 24 at Floyd Lamb State Park. An "Angler Education Clinic" is also scheduled to be held at Floyd Lamb on the same day.

For more information or to register for the class, call Ivy Baker at 486-5127 ext. 3863.

GreatLodge is designed as a wide-ranging community portal that allows sportsmen and women to do everything from booking African safaris to getting alerts on the caddis fly hatch on the Madison River to finding the best bone-fishing guide in the Florida Keys. Dan Cook IV, CEO of GreatLodge, says there is a huge demand for an all-inclusive Internet site for hunters and anglers.

"This is a very organized group of sports people who spend a lot of money and travel great distances to participate in their favorite sport," Cook said. "We offer literary-quality content from leading outdoor writers and we are committed to providing information services and products to speed sportsmen on their way to the fields and rivers of the world."

You can learn about the vegetation of the area this Saturday during a short "Desert Plants Walk." On Sunday, those age 12 and above will spend the day on a strenuous hike from the summit to the hidden pool behind Bridge Mountain. This hike requires a high clearance vehicle.

Children will appreciate the session on Saturday, June 10 when they can learn about the frogs and toads that make their home at Red Rock. This requires a short hike, but is designed with the younger children in mind.

All hikes and programs at Red Rock require advance registration. Call 363-1922 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for more information or to make reservations.