Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Hunting seasons have good start

Paula DelGiudice

Friday, Sept. 7, 2001 | 9:42 a.m.

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

For the first year in years, rainy weather didn't mar the opening of the hunting seasons in Southern Nevada. Mourning dove, blue grouse and ruffed grouse seasons opened Saturday under blue skies.

Success on doves for the opener was expected to be good. The dove season will close on Sept. 30, while the two grouse hunts conclude on Nov. 30.

The next seasons to open will be the popular quail and chukar hunts. Hunters in Esmeralda, Lincoln and Nye counties will get a one-week head start on hunters in Nevada's other 13 counties when the seasons begin on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Quail and chukar seasons in all Nevada counties ends on January 31.

Hunters heading to the PahrumpValley should note that the hunting time for upland game birds begins there at 8 a.m.

The limits for quail are 10 per day with 20 in possession, except for Elko, Eureka, Lander and White Pine counties, where the limits are five per day with a possession limit of 10. Chukar limits are again six daily with 12 in possession.

The cottontail rabbit season also opens on Oct. 6 in Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln and Nye counties with an Oct. 13 opening in all other counties. Rabbit hunting ends on Feb. 28. Limits are 10 per day and 20 in possession. The sage grouse season is slated for Sat., Oct. 13 through Sun., Oct. 21 in most counties where hunting is permitted. Limits are again two per day and four in possession.

Information about the upland game seasons, including the regulations and information on the counties where hunts are permitted are available on NDOW's web site at www.nevadadivisionofwildlife.org.

Regulations brochures for the hunts are also available at NDOW's offices in Henderson and Las Vegas.

Those born in 1960 or later are required to complete a hunter education course and show their hunter education card when purchasing a Nevada hunting license. Cards issued by Nevada are accepted in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces for purchasing a hunting license. There are nine hunter ed courses in the Las Vegas area in September and another seven in October according to John McKay, NDOW hunter education coordinator.

"Before attending a class, students are required to complete a workbook, which takes some time and effort," McKay said. "So hunters who delay may find that even if there is a class available, there isn't enough time to complete the workbook."

Information about classes may be obtained by calling NDOW's Las Vegas office at 486-5127.

Teri Slatauski, NDOW habitat biologist, said the project is designed to control erosion that has long been a problem along the stream located in the Butler Basin. Slatauski warns that the work will be strenuous and will be conducted at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet in an isolated area that is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles.

Plans call for volunteers and NDOWpersonnel to camp at the work site on Fri., Sept. 14, and the work will be completed the following day.

For information, call NDOW's office at 486-5127, ext. 3504.

"We're seeing an increasing number of boats on the water after dark without displaying navigational lights. This creates a very hazardous condition because other boaters can't see them," said Dave Pfiffner, NDOW supervising game warden.

State and federal laws require boaters to display navigation lights between legal sunset and sunrise when underway or adrift. Navigation lights include a red and green combination light, or lights, toward the bow of the boat and a white light that can be seen 360 degrees at the stern (back) of the boat. A vessel that is at anchor is required to show only a white light that can be seen 360 degrees around the horizon.