Senator Ann O'Connell at the request of HUNTER'S ALERT introduced a bill to put into Nevada Revised Statutes a law requiring the Division of Wildlife to contract out for the big game tag drawings. The 1991 legislature enacted Senate Bill 506 which was co-sponsored by HUNTER'S ALERT and Nevada Hunters Association. This bill was for the development of a computer program for the issuance of big game tags. However, this did not exclude NDOW from involvement in the big game tag draw. It was for this reason that Senate Bill 211 was introduced by Senator O'Connell in the 1999 legislature.

The bill states in part: The Division shall contract with a private entity to conduct a drawing and to award and issue the tags for a special season. The drawing must be conducted using a computer program that awards tags based on a random order of selection. The contract must provide for the acquisition by the Division of the ownership of the computer program at the end of the term of the contract. The Division shall solicit bids for the contract pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 333 of NRS. This bill makes it a state law that a private entity must do all tag drawing in a fair manner.

It is interesting to note that the only organizations who signed in to testify against Senate Bill 211 at the first hearing were Nevada Bighorns Unlimited-Reno, Nevada Wildlife Federation and Terry Crawforth of Nevada Division of Wildlife. Once again, HUNTER'S ALERT has shown that when it comes to legislative matters it is the most productive organization in the state.

by Gerald Lent, President Nevada Hunters Association
Gerald Lent can be reached at Nevada Hunters Association, PO Box 50757, Reno, Nevada 89513