Columnist Barb Henderson: Hunters can join fight against hunger

Barb Henderson

Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 | 9:16 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.

Thanksgiving. A special time of year to give thanks, an opportunity to gather with family and friends and a time for sharing with individuals who perhaps are less fortunate.

Hunters once again are making a difference across North America by participating in the Safari Club International's Sportsmen Against Hunger Week.

By sharing nature's bounty, hunters have an opportunity to share a part of their harvest from the hunting season to the hungry in their communities.

Thanks to these caring sportsmen and sportswomen nearly 230 million meals are served annually through this successful SCI humanitarian service program, a program that began back in 1989.

The Safari Club International Foundation program is active in all 50 states, parts of Canada and in several other countries around the world by providing meals for the needy from SCI members who represent 150 chapters.

SCIF is a charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services, an arm of the SCI -- a leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide.

There are three SCI Chapters in Nevada: Desert, Silver State and Northern.

Here in our neck of the woods, the local Salvation Army has benefited from this program by hunters sharing nature's bounty to those in need within our community.

" The Salvation Army truly looks forward to the annual donation of Salmon and Venison from the great people of 'Sportsman Against Hunger.' Their contribution of these food products made a wonderful difference in diet and nutrition of the people served by The Salvation Army of Clark County," said Charles Desiderio director of development and marketing for the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army of Clark County feeds more than 1,000 people every day. For more information, call the local Salvation Army office at 870-4430 ext. 23.

SCIF have several other humanitarian programs such as:

To acquire a copy of the Share Nature's Bounty donation brochure or to learn more on the Safari Club International Foundation Humanitarian Services call; (520) 620 -1220.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is reminding big game hunters to complete and return their hunt questionnaire cards no later than 15 days after they have completed their hunt, regardless of their success or even if they did not go hunting.

The information received from the cards will provide valuable data to biologists in assessing the current years big game harvest and in setting quotas for next years hunts.

Hunters who do not return their cards by the deadline will not be allowed to obtain tags next year. They can regain their hunt privileges by paying a $50 administrative fee for each questionnaire that they failed to return.

The questionnaires, which hunters received with their hunting tags, should be completed and returned to Wildlife Administrative Services, P.O. Box 1345, Fallon, Nev. 89407. They also can be completed online at www.huntnevada.com