Some information on selected 2006 Nevada bird hunting seasons

OK gang, tomorrow is Sept. 1 and it is also that time of the year that if you own or can borrow a shotgun, it is getting to be bird hunting time.

So, here is some selected bird hunting information for you:

Blue/Ruffed Grouse:

The 2006 Nevada Blue Grouse and Ruffed Grouse hunting season will open on Sept. 2 in all counties except Churchill, Clark, Mineral, Pershing and Storey

There is a daily limit of 2 and a possession limit of 4.

This season closes on Nov. 30.

Hours are sunrise to sunset.

Open to Non-Residents.

Special Note No. 1: The head or one fully feathered wing must be attached to all blue and ruffed grouse until the carcass reaches the possessor's residence or a commercial facility for its preservation.

Special Note No. 2: Persons harvesting ruffed grouse in Humboldt County are requested to report the harvest to the Department of Wildlife's Winnemucca sub-office at 815 East Fourth St., in Winnemucca.

For information, call the Nevada Department of Wildlife in Winnemucca at (775) 623-6565.

American Crow:

The 2006 Nevada American Crow fall hunting season will open, statewide, on Sept. 1 with a daily bag limit of 10.

This season closes on Nov. 17.

The spring season will run March 1 to Apr. 15, 2007.

Open to Non-Residents.

Hours are sunrise to sunset.

Shotguns only.

All crows must be retrieved and removed from the field.

Season is closed on Ravens.

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

Mourning AND White Wing Dove:

The 2006 Nevada mourning and white-wing dove hunting season will open, statewide, on Sept. 1 with a limit of 10 daily and 20 in possession.

This season closes on Sept. 30.

Open to Non-Residents.

Shooting hours are one half hour before sunrise to sunset daily.

White-wing dove season is closed in all counties except Clark and Nye Counties.

Hunters are reminded that because the dove is a migratory bird and comes under federal regulations, shotguns must be plugged to limit their overall shotgun capacity to three shells.

Any person 12 years or older who hunts dove will need to obtain a Harvest Information Program validation number to be able to hunt migratory bird species.

They can do so by calling (866) 703-4605 or by going to the Internet at www.ndowlicensing.com.

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

Snowcock (Himalayan Snow partridge):

The 2006 Nevada Snowcock (Himalayan Snow partridge) hunting season opens on Sept. 2.

That season closes on Nov. 30.

It is open only in Elko County in Management Units 101, 102, and 103, and that portion of White Pine County in Unit 103

There is a daily and season limit of two birds.

Hours are sunrise to sunset.

Open to Non-Residents.

Persons planning to hunt are requested to obtain a Snowcock hunting free-use permit, located in PDF format or from the Department of Wildlife Eastern Region Office, at 60 Youth Center Road, Elko, 89801. Permits can also be E-mailed to the hunter from the Elko office.

For information, call the Nevada Department of Wildlife in Elko at (775) 777-2300.

SPECIAL NOTES:

1. Any person 12 years or older who plans to hunt any kind of migratory game bird, including ducks, geese, swans, rails, coot, doves, snipe, or gallinules in Nevada this year, is required annually to obtain a Harvest Information Program (HIP) validation number and write it on their hunting license before entering the field.

2. If you hunt Hungarian and chukar partridge, quail, pheasant, snowcock and sage, blue and ruffed grouse, you will need the Upland Game Stamp.

THERE YOU HAVE IT:

Some selected bird hunting information. Be sure to pick up a copy of the 2006 seasons and regulations and carry them with you in the field or go to the NDOW Internet website (www.ndow.org) to check on them.

Don't mess up, 'cuz if you do and you get caught by the "Friendly Old Game Warden," shame on you. I tried to help you.

• Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you where Nevada's snowcocks originally came from.

If he grins and says, "They were introduced many years ago, from the Himalayan Mountains of Asia," he wins this bet.

• Don Quilici is the Outdoors editor for the Nevada Appeal.