Outdoor Brief

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Hunter education needed before dove opener

Nevada's mourning dove hunting season gets under way Sept. 1. Anyone who is 12 or older and hopes to be in the field opening day must first procure a hunting license. According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, any person born after Jan. 1, 1960, must successfully pass a hunter education course before they can purchase a Nevada hunting license.

Official hunter education classes are offered throughout the year. Registration information and a class schedule can be found online at www.ndow.org.

"Anyone who needs a hunter education class should sign up as soon as possible, because classes fill up quickly as the fall hunting seasons get closer," said Martin Olson, hunter education coordinator in the NDOW Southern Region. "A significant benefit of our online registration process is that a client record is automatically created for each registrant. That means they are given a sportsman ID number, which will then allow them to purchase a hunting license online and apply for big game tags after successfully completing the course."

Prospective students are required to complete a workbook before reporting to their scheduled class. "Anyone who shows up with an incomplete workbook will be turned away. Completing that home study component is essential to their success in the class," Olson said. The workbook and its accompanying field guide can be picked up at the NDOW offices in Las Vegas and Henderson.

Those who hunt doves also will need a harvest information program number that is available free at the NDOW website.