Big game tag application materials should be available in the next couple of weeks, but don't wait until your application is in hand before doing your homework. Taking the time to do some simple research now can be a big help to hunters hoping for success in the upcoming big game tag draw. While some hunters may feel like they are in the dark when it comes to deciding where they want to hunt when fall arrives, they may find what they need on the Nevada Department of Wildlife Web site (www.ndow.org).
On the site, hunters can find a variety of information. Hunter information sheets, for example, provide facts about individual hunt units and details about things like elevation, terrain and hunter access. Hunters will also find a list of maps they should carry when hunting in a particular area. These sheets have a section titled "Recommended Hunting Areas" that will give hunters new to the area a place to start.
Other information available on the Web site includes harvest data and draw odds. A hunter wanting to know his odds of drawing a tag in a particular hunt unit can find that out. Those odds may change from year to year depending on the herd status in each area, but there is enough information available to recognize any trends one way or another.
A SURPRISE
Burrowing owl can still be seen in city
When it comes to working with wildlife, the professionals can be surprised from time to time. Such was the case when Nevada Department of Wildlife employees found a burrowing owl in the parking lot where the agency keeps its official vehicles, behind the office at Vegas Drive and Decatur Boulevard.
This discovery caused quite a stir among employees. First, because it is an "evaluation species" for the Clark County Multiple Species Conservation Plan; and second, because it's an affable creature and provided a unique photo opportunity. The burrowing owl is America's only subterranean owl and is a good runner because it has extra long legs. It stands nine to 11 inches high and has a rounded head with large yellow eyes. This particular owl has a stubby tail and its wings appear shortened.
The burrowing owl lives in underground burrows in the desert where it is insulated from extreme temperatures and protected from predators. This ground-nesting owl prefers dry desert scrub areas and open conifer habitats at higher elevations. Often nesting in colonies, it is active year-round in the Mojave and produces its young from March to about July. It can be seen in urban areas, but such sightings are increasingly rare.
The primary predator of this little owl is no pussycat -- it's the badger. The badger has a nasty reputation and is a member of the skunk family. Badgers are known for tenacity, which serves them well when they attempt to pull a meal out of an underground burrow.
Other predators that hunt burrowing owls include hawks, the peregrine falcon and great horned owls.
