Columnist Barb Henderson: Lottery for turkey tags just around the corner

Barb Henderson

Friday, Jan. 9, 2004 | 10:01 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

Calling all turkey hunters.

It's time to fill out an application with hopes of drawing a spring wild turkey tag in Nevada.

Applications for the spring turkey hunts are now available at Nevada Department of Wildlife offices, most sporting goods stores and on the Internet by clicking on www.ndow.org. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Feb. 2.

General hunts will be open April 3 through May 2 in Churchill, Eureka and Lyon counties, except Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area and Lahontan State Recreation Area. Because there are no tag limitations in these areas and with a large percentage of the turkeys being on private land, NDOW urges hunters to obtain hunting permission from a landowner before applying for a tag.

How many tags are available?

60 for Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area, Lyon County;

15 for Moapa Valley, Clark County;

15 for Lahontan State Recreation Area, Lyon County;

25 for Hunt Unit 102, Elko County;

15 for Hunt Unit 103, Elko and White Pine counties;

15 for Lincoln County, and

30 for Pershing County.

While hunters practice purrs, clucks and yelp sounds from a variety of turkey calls such as the slate, box or diaphragm and have hopes of drawing a tag, the National Wild Turkey Federation members in Nevada continue to gobble up more success stories.

"NDOW will be partnering with the NWTF to bring 525 wild turkeys into the Silver State during the winter of 2004," said Brett Johnson, NWTF regional director. "This is perhaps the most aggressive wild turkey restoration/ introduction effort in recent history and will involve both the Merriam's and Rio Grande subspecies."

Johnson said the proposed release sites will include Bruneau WMA (both McDonald and Miller Creeks); Lincoln County (Delamar Mountains, Riggs Spring, Water Canyon and Highland Range); East Humboldt Range (Sims and Winchell Ranches); White Pine County (Big Wash, Hidden Canyon Ranch, and Silver Creek); and Lander County (Tomera Ranch/ Battle Mountain).

Projects such as these need money. Johnson said 56 percent of the money raised at banquets go directly into the NWTF Nevada State Super Fund to be used in Nevada, which contributed over $30,000 in bringing 224 Rio Grande turkeys to Nevada in 2003.

The cost to bring 525 birds to Nevada this winter will run approximately $78,000, NWTF national headquarters will make a loan to the Silver State chapters, which will have 2-3 years to repay from banquet revenues.

Besides moving birds, the Nevada State Super Fund has assisted with a trailer for NDOW, JAKES Education boxes, hunter education, Turkey Hunters Care Program, the 4-H Shooting Sports, hunting heritage and habitat enhancement. The "Guzzlers for Gobblers" program in the west and water development projects will continue to be high priority for the NWTF.

Twenty-four percent of the money will go toward National Projects (research, habitat work, etc.) with 4 percent going back to each individual chapter and 1 percent going back to the Nevada State Chapter.

"The NWTF is a support base for NDOW," said Johnson. "Any and all decisions relating to wildlife in Nevada channel through NDOW first. We are here to provide support wherever and whenever possible."

The 2004 NWTF Nevada Chapter banquet dates:

Great Basin Gobblers, Jan. 24 at the Bristlecone Convention Center in Ely. Call 775-289-8124 or 435-693-3182.

Las Vegas Strutters, March 5, at the Fiesta Hotel and Casino in Henderson. Call 871-9015.

Silver Sage Chapter, March 6, at the Red Hawk Country Club in Sparks. Call 775-355-9477.

Humboldt Strutters Chapter, March 20 at the Chimney Rock Golf Course in Wells. Call 775-752-3005.

Ruby Mountain Rio's Chapter, May 15 at the Stockmen's Hotel & Casino. Call 775-738-7049.

For additional information on NWTF in Nevada, call 435-259-9453 or click on the Internet at www.nwtf.org.