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.

Terry Crawforth has been the administrator of NDOW for over a year. During that time, he has refused to admit that we have a predator problem or to implement any type of solution. But during his short tenure, he has spent sportsmen's money going around the country attending meetings. Also, Crawforth will not respond to and ignores sportsmen's groups throughout the state.

This latest pull the wool over your eyes scheme is like so many NDOW has pulled off in the past. It pertains to a memo issued by Administrator Crawforth on September 24, 1999. The memo was regarding management changes in NDOW. Crawforth is restructuring the management in NDOW and the memo claims that this is a six month trial period. Ha, ha. Let's review the contents of this memo. The position directly under Crawforth is the Deputy Administrator. The memo states that this position will be announced soon. Administrator Crawforth stated that he is taking applications for this position. Don't ever believe that anyone other than current Bureau Chief Conservation Education Dave Rice, a hunting partner of Terry Crawforth, will wind up with this position. Hunters all remember Dave Rice very well for doing a speech in which he called trophy hunters "less than desirable red-necked animal killers who hunt for ego gratification". Great choice if you are an anti-hunter!

The next promotion is Richard Heap, a close friend of Crawforth, as Assistant Administrator of Public Affairs. Mr. Heap

at a Washoe county advisory board meeting publicly stated that there would be no predator control if he had anything to say about it. Is this the kind of person that sportsmen need in this position? It is if you don't care about bringing back our deer herds.

The next appointment is Gene Weller as Assistant Administrator of Wildlife Services. For years Mr. Weller has been the Bureau Chief of Fisheries and in his new position he will manage game and habitat. Where did he acquire the knowledge to perform this important task while managing fisheries, a very large task in itself.

Rob Buonamici will now be the Acting Western Regional Manager. Rob Buonamici's qualifications? For years he has been a staff game warden in Reno. Great qualifications for a Western Regional Manager.

By now you must be asking yourself, what the hell is going on in NDOW? Why would the administrator surround himself with people who are not qualified? Why didn't he attempt to get the best people possible for these job classifications? The answer is very simple. The people that Administrator Crawforth saw fit to appoint to these posts are his friends (No outside people allowed no matter what their qualifications are ) Now the coup de grace. His friends are "maxed" out in their current job classifications. By upgrading them to the new positions, it is not only a way to get them more money, but to get them something even more important.

Many of these employees will be retiring in a few years and with a bump up in job classification, their retirement checks will be greater. This whole fiasco is government at its worst. And of course, sportsmen will pay for this abomination.

Now do you see why it is still rotten in NDOW?

By Cecil Fredi
President, HUNTER S ALERT Reprinted from Nov/Dec NEVADA MARKSMAN

Ed Note: This proposal reeked so badly that some NDOW employees went to Terry Crawforth's boss, Pete Morros. The memo was rescinded.