At the 2001 NRA (National Rifle Association) Annual meeting, First Vice President Kayne B. Robinson gave a speech which contained the following: "Fish and game agencies should be graded on how friendly they are to hunters and gun owners. Agencies should be graded on the expansion of shooting areas, areas devoid of red tape. They should be judged by restrictions removed, closed roads and bridges opened, costs lowered, and numbers of hunters increased and game available."

Let's grade Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) on Mr. Robinson's comments. # 1: How friendly they are to hunters and gun owners. NDOW set up one of their own employees which cost sportsmen in our state hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, we are still having game wardens coming into camps with their hands on their pistols. That's real friendly! GRADE: FAIL.

#2: Agencies should be graded on "expansion of shooting areas". Clark County has been working on a world class shooting range proposal for the last two years. This range would be comparable to

the Ben Avery Range on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. This range is run by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The original intent was to have NDOW do the same for the Clark County Range. After finding out that NDOW can't manage their own division, they were promptly dismissed from any consideration of running a world class shooting range. GRADE: FAIL.

#3: "They should be judged by restrictions removed." HA! Every legislative session. NDOW wants to impose more rules and more restrictions, not restrictions removed. GRADE: FAIL.

#4: As for closed roads, NDOW has stood by and done nothing while the federal government has closed roads throughout our state. GRADE: FAIL.

#5: Bridges opened. At last, somewhere NDOW has not failed. But why? Because the Department of Transportation is in charge of bridges. GRADE: NOT APPLICABLE.

#6: Costs lowered. If there is any grade lower than failing, this is where NDOW should be graded. Because of years of their mismanagement, they have continually increased fees and invented new ways to fleece sportsmen. GRADE: BELOW FAILING.

#7: Number of hunters increased. Nevada's population has doubled but hunter numbers remain the same. When you haven't got the product, (game) you can't sell it. NDOW is in the business of selling hope. GRADE: ANOTHER FAILURE.

#8: Game available. Nevada has lost our sage hen, the majority of our deer and in some areas, our state animal, the desert bighorn sheep. This alone should explain "game available". GRADE: A DISMAL FAILURE.

This little quiz should tell you that something is drastically wrong with NDOW's direction and some serious changes should be in order.