Wildlife commission meeting in Hawthorne this weekend

The Nevada State Board of Wildlife Commissioners will meet on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 6-7, at the El Captain Hotel/Casino in Hawthorne.

The two-day meeting kicks off on Friday, Aug. 6, at 9:30 a.m. with election of commission officers. Also on the agenda are a workshop and action on a proposal to allow nonresident hunters to obtain tags to hunt bobcats under the stipulation that they be accompanied by a master guide.

Commissioners will discuss a proposal to change the opening date of this year's quail season in Clark, Lincoln and portions of Nye counties from the second Saturday in October to the first Saturday.

Other agenda items include a request to approve expenditures for upland game bird stamp funds and a proposed change to commission regulations that would allow military personnel to hunt big game in a subsequent year if they are unable to use their tags due to military assignments outside the state.

A report will be given and action will be taken on a state predator management plan, and there will be a report on the Nevada Department of Wildlife's (NDOW) fiscal year budgets for 2006 and 2007.

Reports will be given on the status of Walker Lake, the elk sub-plans for Lincoln and White Pine counties, the governor's sage grouse team, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the status of the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act. There will also be a report from NDOW Director, Terry Crawforth.

Saturday's session begins at 8 a.m. and will include a presentation on a recently completed mule deer bulletin and development of a species policy plan for the state's mule deer.

Commissioners will hear a report from Nevada's deputy attorney general about a recent complaint that has been filed that seeks to overturn Commission Policy 20 as discriminatory, thereby eliminating quotas for nonresident big game tags in Nevada. Further, the complaint seeks damages for lost income and business opportunities by the plaintiffs.

The Saturday agenda also includes status reports on antelope, bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goat, upland game, waterfowl and furbearers.

For information, call the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 688-1500 during regular hours.