OUTDOOR BRIEFS

SEASONS OPENING

Waterfowl hunters need reservations

Hunters planning to bag ducks or geese at the Key Pittman and Overton Wildlife Management Areas on opening day will need to make reservations.

At Key Pittman, reservations are needed only on opening day of the duck and goose seasons, but at Overton, reservations are required for the entirety of the waterfowl season.

Duck season opens Saturday at Key Pittman, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife will begin taking reservations at 8 a.m. Monday at its Las Vegas and Henderson offices and at Key Pittman in Hiko. After opening day, hunters must obtain reservation cards at the Frenchy Lake or Nesbitt check stations prior to hunting. This card must be completed and returned to the check station after hunters are done.

The maximum capacity on a season opener at Key Pittman is 55 hunters at any time. Hunters must check in and out at the main entrance and park only in designated areas.

Opening day of the duck season at the Overton WMA is Nov. 1. NDOW will begin taking reservations at 8 a.m. Oct. 27 in the Las Vegas and Henderson offices and at the Overton WMA. A hunter may reserve one assigned hunt location for himself and three other individuals, and that reservation must be used before reserving another day. Hunters with reservations must check in no later than 90 minutes before legal shooting time.

Opening day of the goose hunt in Lincoln and Clark counties is Oct. 25. Hunters can begin making reservations for opening day at Key Pittman and Overton at 8 a.m. Oct. 20. Reservations will be taken at the NDOW Las Vegas and Henderson offices and at the appropriate management area. All reservations must be made in person throughout the season.

The Overton WMA will be open for Canada and white-fronted geese on Oct. 25, closed Oct. 26-31, and reopen for geese on the Nov. 1 duck opener. The management area will be open for both geese and ducks on alternate days thereafter.

CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE

NDOW to collect samples for testing

Although Chronic Wasting Disease hasn't been found closer than Utah, hunters still are urged to not shoot, handle or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick.

Anyone who does harvest or see such an animal is urged to call NDOW. Hunters should wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing deer or elk. It also is recommended that hunters bone out the meat and avoid sawing through bone or cutting through the brain or spinal cord. Thoroughly washing hands and knives after field dressing is highly recommended.

NDOW hopes to collect at least 250 samples in the Las Vegas area to check for the disease and is seeking help from volunteers. Sampling will take place at Mull's Meat's, and volunteer sampling efforts are being organized at the NDOW offices in Reno, Elko, Ely, Panaca and Winnemucca.

Anyone interested in helping should call 486-5127.