OUTDOOR BRIEFS

GIFT IDEAS

Get stocking stuffers for the sportsman

Those who are struggling to find gifts for the sportsman or woman in their life may want to consider the Nevada Wildlife Record Book and its companion field guide or the Nevada Water Development Atlas. Each of these publications is available at Nevada Department of Wildlife offices in Las Vegas, Henderson, Elko and Reno.

"The discerning sportsman will quickly recognize the contribution these publications can make in the pre-hunt planning process," said hunter education coordinator Martin Olson. "By studying the record book, a hunter can discover trends for the species they want to hunt. They can identify those areas where larger class animals are harvested on a regular basis or even find sleeper areas."

The Nevada Wildlife Record Book was first published in 1985 and is updated every five years. Through the years, it has grown from 250 to more than 400 pages and includes photographs and stories of big game hunts that culminate in the harvesting of a record book animal. Readers also will find copies of official Boone & Crockett scoring sheets for top animals and a list of book entries per species. The current edition includes details on top entries for the years 2000 through 2004.

Also available is the Wildlife Record Book Field Guide. This spiral-bound publication is an abbreviated version of the record book and includes articles on field judging Nevada's various big game species. The record book and the field guide are available in a set for $85 or separately for $55 and $30 respectively. They are compiled and published by the Nevada Wildlife Record Book Committee.

The Water Development Atlas is a spiral bound book of guzzler maps based on 1:100,000 quadrangle maps. This $40 publication shows the location of both big game and small game water developments (guzzlers) throughout the Silver State. The maps are divided into three sections that mirror the NDOW administrative regions.

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Clark County pupils gear up to raise trout

Some local fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students will soon be learning about the life cycle of rainbow trout and will be doing so right in their classrooms. This opportunity is made available through the Nevada Department of Wildlife and its "Trout in the Classroom" program, now eight years old.

Teachers who provide the Trout in the Classroom experience must first receive training and equipment from NDOW. This training is scheduled for Jan. 10. Teachers both public and private will have the opportunity to learn about the teaching benefits of hatching and rearing trout as well as the equipment needed to do so.

Since the program's inception, NDOW has furnished the training, the curriculum, and the equipment necessary for teachers to provide this unique opportunity for children to observe the life cycle of trout. Once the fry -- juvenile trout -- are old enough, participating students release their fish into a local pond where trout are stocked by NDOW.

Approximately 50 Clark County schools are participating in this program. Some schools have only a single classroom involved, while others involve the entire grade level. At McWilliams Elementary School, teacher Cathleen Mullen invites the entire school to follow along with her tank's progress and join her class on release day.

Participating schools will receive their trout eggs in February with releases scheduled to take place during late March and early April. Space in the January training session is limited. Teachers who are interested in this program should register on the NDOW "Trout in the Classroom" Web site (www.ndow.org/learn.tic). For more information contact Ivy Santee at (702) 486-5127, Ext. 3503, or isantee@ndow.org.

ANNUAL TRADITION

Counting birds offers chance to get outdoors

Wildlife enthusiasts can put some outdoors in their holiday season by participating in the Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count, which begins on today and will run through Jan. 5. This event also is an opportunity to begin a new holiday tradition by getting the entire family outside to see some of nature's winter decorations.

In Southern Nevada, the Red Rock Audubon Society is sponsoring three bird count outings:

• Corn Creek, Saturday from 7 a.m. to dusk.

• Ash Meadows, Dec. 21, from 7 a.m. to dusk.

• Henderson, Dec. 27, from 6:30 a.m. to dusk.

Reservations are required. More information is available online at www.redrockaudubon.org.