A GOVERNOR WHO CARES ABOUT SPORTSMEN

On December 20, 1999 Governor Kenny Guinn made his first appointments to the Wildlife Commission. Let's review these appointments and compare them to former governor Bob Miller's appointments. Merv Matorian who was supposed to represent sportsmen was replaced by Brad Quilici. Brad was a member of the Pershing County Advisory Board from 1975 to 1978. Prior to his being appointed to the Wildlife Commission, he served as chairman of the Pershing County Ad...
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Prepared Statement for Wildlife Commission meeting December 18, 1999

My name is Gerry Lent and I represent Nevada Hunters Association, and this is the public comment period. Mr. Chairman and members of the Wildlife Commission. In accordance with the provisions of N.R.S. 241.035 of the Nevada Open Meeting Law, I am requesting that my prepared written remarks be included in the official minutes of this meeting.

NDOW is like a sexually active teenage girl using no protection. She hopes nothing happens and NDOW hopes our deer will return someday without doing anything.

The lead story in this issue says it all. We now have a governor who is concerned

and listens to sportsmen. Former Governor Bob Miller was a disgrace to the sportsmen. He continually protected former NDOW administrator Willie Molini. It was Willie Molini's mismanagement that put our deer herds at an all time low.

Once again, sportsman representative Jelindo Tiberti has shown his ignorance on wildlife issues. In our last newsletter we told you of some of his blunders and screwups. For the sake of not being repetitive ( and it will take up too much space in the newsletter) we are not going to repeat them.

Excerpts reprinted from Washington-Oregon in the Field publication October 1999

Three of Oregon's top-ranking wildlife biologists were suspended (but have kept their jobs) after using insider information to garner better odds toward landing coveted big-game hunting tags in 1998.

December 10, 1999

Gentleman,

I have been hunting Area 10 whenever I can draw a deer tag for over 30 years. Last season 1 hunted 9 days, saw one doe and very few tracks. 1 am also a person who has seen literally hundreds of deer in the same area in years past. What I did see was 15 coyotes, 9 dead ones in the road and 6 live ones. Let's start getting rid of the coyotes so we can have some deer fawns.

Sincerely,

Jim Buckler, Las Vegas

Bighorn sheep clinging to crags in California's Sierra Nevada have become disturbingly rare. Around 1850 there were at least a thousand, says the University of California's John Wehausen, who has studied the Sierra Nevada subspecies for 25 years. "We're down to about a hundred adults," he says. Last April the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assigned the sheep emergency endangered status. Mountain lions—protected by a hunting ban since 1972—have increased and are killing th...
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SANTA FE, N.M. —The state has hired bounty hunters to kill up to 34 mountain lions, largely in southern New Mexico, to protect bighorn sheep.

Bill Dunn, a biologist with the state Game and Fish Department who is a specialist in bighorn sheep, said Monday public hunters haven't killed any lions since hunting season opened in October in three areas where sheep have been hardest hit by lions.

Utah is looking for a few good hunters to help trim the state's thriving cougar population.

Studies by biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources found that deer herds in some areas aren't growing because of intense depredation by the big cats. Utah's cougar population is estimated at 3,000 animals, biologists say, and cutting their numbers might help the deer population.

Officials recently announced that, "Hunters who didn't apply for a 1999-2000 limited entry cougar ...
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Excerpts from October 1999 Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge

Publication

The Hart Mountain 1999 summer pronghorn survey showed the highest rate of fawn survival seen on the Refuge since 1992. Out of an estimated 1497 fawns born on the Refuge, 297 survived through mid-July. This rate of survival is equivalent to 38 fawns per 100 does. Under typical conditions, fawn survival that averages 25-30 per 100 does will maintain the size of the herd....In recent years, fawn survival and recruitment app...
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October 18, 1999 Dear Sirs:

I recently took my second (and probably last; I'm disgusted) elk hunting trip in this state. This year I drew a cow elk tag for area 072, just east of Jarbidge. My husband and I spent one whole week there the first week (Sept. 15) and saw 3 elk--all bulls. We walked our legs off, mostly around the Elk Mt. area!

For years, Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) has implemented procedures that they apparently assumed no one would be smart enough to figure out. Or quite possibly, they just don't care. If you don't like what NDOW is doing, what are you going to do about it? And for years, the answer has been nothing. And for years. they have been right. Sportsmen are now hoping that with a new governor, this is going to change.

TUCSON, Ariz. — State officials expect Arizona's antelope population to benefit from a wildlife juggling act that took pronghorns from one area and sent them packing across the state.

November 9, 1999

I am requesting this Board submit two names for each of the current openings on the Board of Wildlife Commissioners. Before I give you a brief history on these individuals, I would like to give each of you a copy of a newspaper article showing Governor Guinn is in favor of term limits for state boards. This is good news for the sportsman because the sooner we rid the board of Governor Miller's dismal appointments to the Wildlife Commission, the better off sportsmen will be.

December 8, 1999

AGENDA ITEM 3: Legislative Action Committee

It is quite apparent after many years that Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) is not going to do anything about our predator problem. It is also quite apparent that the current Wildlife Commission is not going to do anything about our predator problem. It is also quite apparent that sportsmen are going to have to get involved if they want anything to be accomplished concerning predator control. NDOW doesn't want to do it and the Wild...
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January 26, 2000

AGENDA ITEM #4--Review an allegation against the administrator before a motion is made on this action item, 1 would like to give a brief overview of the current administrator, Terry Crawforth. Terry has been the administrator for a year and a half. Let's review his non-accomplishments during that time.

Clark County desperately needs a shooting range that is open to the public. A workshop is being formed to fill this need. The proposed range will not be a private shooting range which would require a hefty annual membership fee to gain entrance, but will be open to the public for a nominal daily fee. (approximately $3.00 to $5.00)

The range that is being discussed will be comparable to Ben Avery Range in Phoenix, Arizona which is a first class operation. For those of you who haven't had the p...
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