Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Hunting season is drawing near

Paula DelGiudice

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2001 | 11:36 a.m.

Paula DelGiudice's outdoors notebook appears Wednesday. Reach her at desertdenizens@aol.com.

With a week of extremely hot temperatures in store for Southern Nevada, it's hard to believe that autumn is just around the corner. Hunters know better, however, and are beginning to count the days until the early hunts begin.

A 100-acre fire that scorched the north end of the Overton Wildlife Management Area two weeks ago is not expected to adversely impact dove hunting, according to the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Keith Brose, installation supervisor, said the fire occurred following a controlled burn on the area. After the burn was extinguished, hot embers blew into brush and sparked the wildfire.

Brose said dove hunters should have good success by hunting for the birds in the burn area because they are feeding on the burnt seeds. The area of the burn is between Honeybee Pond and the flood ditch. Rehabilitation is under way on the area that was burned.

The dove season runs Sept. 1-30. For rifle hunters, a range sight-in day has been scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 8 at the Desert Sportsman's Rifle and Pistol Club, 12201 West Charleston Blvd. Hunters will be able to sight-in their rifles for free from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

The event, hosted by the club and the Nevada Division of Wildlife, is free and targets will be provided. The 300-yard range has 20 benches. Each shooter can reserve up to an hour of range time. Space is limited, so shooters should call ahead to make reservations at 486-5127, ext. 3504.

The bass fishing at Kirch has been improving. Anglers are catching bass when fishing an hour or two before sunset.

Officials at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area have their eyes set on the next phase of the project to complete the Lake Mead to Hoover Dam hiking trail through the Eldorado Mountains above the Boulder Basin on Lake Mead.

The next and final phase of the project will be completed sometime in 2002 if all goes as anticipated. "This is a wonderful occasion," said Jim Holland, Lake Mead NRA park planner and driving force behind the project. "We have been working with a number of partners to get this trail completed."

The partners include the Nevada Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City and the Southwest Gas Trail Hikers. A grant of $495,000 from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act will complete the project to Hoover Dam.