Special upland game season for Nevada junior hunters

The Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners recently authorized Nevada's first junior upland game hunt, statewide, for the weekend of September 29-30.

The junior season for that weekend is open for chukar, Hungarian partridge, California, Gambel's and scaled quail, and rabbit.

The Commission's focus is on recruiting and retaining youth hunters.

Young hunters may also have a better opportunity to build confidence, as they can take to the field, before the season opens to all hunters and perhaps they will have a greater chance of success.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife ((NDOW) also holds youth waterfowl and mule deer hunts.

This focus on youth may be a factor in keeping declines in the number of young hunters at bay. A recent U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service report states that the number of hunters nationwide has declined 10% from 1996 to last year. In the same period, the number of youth hunting licenses sold in Nevada increased 28%.

For young hunters and their adult mentors who capture the experience of their hunt with a camera, valuable prizes, such as a 12 gauge Berretta semi automatic 3901 shotgun, a 20 gauge youth model Berretta 3901 shotgun, two Garmin Rhino 130 GPS devices, plus many more prizes, will be awarded in the first Youth Upland Hunt Photo Contest.

The contest is sponsored by the Carson Valley Chukar Club, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, the Nevada Chukar Foundation, the Desert Chapter of Safari Club International (SCI) and the Northern Nevada Chapter of SCI.

All photo entries must be received by Oct. 12.

For information and a contest entry form, visit www.ndow.org.

The junior upland game season is open to hunters 15 years of age and younger. Youth must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 18 years old.

An upland game stamp is required for anyone aged 12 or older to hunt upland game birds, except turkey and crow. A junior hunting license is required for those 12-15.