Date: 7/18/08
Contact: Aaron Meier
Phone: (775) 688-1998

UPLAND GAME, FURBEARER AND TURKEY SEASONS SET

The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners set the dates for upland game, furbearer and wild turkey seasons at their June 27-28 meeting.

The upland game season will officially begin with the opening of snowcock, crow, blue and ruffed grouse and dove on September 1. These hunts are all open to non-residents. Sage-grouse is next up with two limited entry hunts on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, with the first hunt held Sept. 20-21, followed by the second hunt on Sept. 27-28. The Sheldon hunts are limited to 75 hunters each and are available by application only. These hunts are also open to non-residents.

Chukar, Hungarian partridge, quail and rabbit seasons all open on Saturday, Oct. 11, followed by the pheasant opener on Nov.1.

One important change adopted by the Commission was the adoption of a short two-day hunt for sage-grouse in Unit 184 of Churchill and Lander Counties Oct. 4-5.

Fall turkey seasons open Oct. 5 through Oct. 25, depending on the area. All turkey hunts require a tag, awarded by random draw. Applications and instructions are available at NDOW offices or on the agency website at www.ndow.org. Hunters have until 5 p.m., Sept. 5 to submit their applications.

Nevada Department of Wildlife game biologist Shawn Espinosa reports that upland game numbers are being compiled for the annual upland game forecast.

"We still don’t know exactly how this year’s production will pan out. We had a particularly dry spring from mid-February through late May and then received some good precipitation over Memorial Day weekend. Normally, this wouldn’t bode well for upland game production, but the late precipitation prompted some good vegetative response, particularly in the higher elevations. Some nesting may have been delayed due to poor vegetative conditions earlier in the spring and there may have been some re-nesting attempts by certain species if nests or broods were lost during the heavy rain experienced in late May. We are receiving reports of chukars with broods ranging in size from 4 to 11 chicks and will be conducting more formal brood surveys in the coming weeks," reports Espinosa. "In addition, we will be conducting aerial chukar density surveys in late August and that should provide a good index of what to expect during the upcoming season."

Detailed information on season dates, bag and possession limits, shooting hours and other hunting regulations can be found at NDOW offices statewide or on the NDOW website at www.ndow.org. Printed regulation brochures will be available in August.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.