SPORTSMAN’S QUEST: Conventions and banquets keep conversation going

As the outdoor convention and banquet season comes to an end it’s a good time to evaluate their benefit to the conservation of wildlife and those who enjoy the outdoor pursuits.

I’ve attended many of these events with my good friend and colleague Chris Klineburger who reflects on the value these groups offer and why we appreciate their efforts.

Chris has been instrumental in founding and supporting many of these organizations over the past decades and continues to be a wildlife conservation champion. We share this passion and invite you to share the fun, excitement and companionship these organizations offer while doing “the good work.”

WILDLIFE &HABITAT IMPROVEMENT IN NEVADA

By Chris Klineburger

People traveling through Nevada see mostly wide-open spaces, sage covered plains, yuccas and Joshua trees, and parched Rocky Mountains.

That’s where the main highways are. Life seems sparse: livestock appears sporadically and little wildlife is seen. But did you know that Nevada has more wild sheep than any other state in the south 48? Did you know the state abounds with mule deer, elk, antelope and black bear, besides several species of small game, including birds? It is true, but it hasn’t always been that way.

Wildlife is on the increase in our state and here are the reasons. To begin with, we are blessed with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, our game department. They regulate the game well, despite obstacles from the feds, (think Bureau of Land Management owns 80 percent of state land which is sage grouse, turtles and wild horse habitat).

But paramount reasons for the increase are the hunters, who give back more than they take. In my last column “Nevada is the Model for Wildlife Conservation,” I dwelled on a number of conservation groups that are made up largely of hunters and fishermen.

On March 14, Dan Simmons and I, along with our ladies, enjoyed a wonderful fundraising banquet at the Gold Coast Resort in Las Vegas for the Wildlife &Habitat Improvement of Nevada, or WHIN.

The name of this group speaks for itself. There are a number of other sportsmen conservation groups in Nevada and around the United States that have specific goals. However, WHIN has broad ideas of helping support all the groups in their conservation efforts, besides their own projects.

WHIN was established in 1992 by a group of sportsmen in Las Vegas, focusing on how to utilize the vast habitat in Nevada that has not been well used by wildlife. It is a Nevada organization and retains 100 percent of the money it raises for projects and activities within the state. Its officers and workers are all volunteers and are not paid for their service or for work done on projects. Funds are raised through membership fees, donations and by auctions and raffles, mainly at the fundraiser in mid-March.

WHIN’s focus is mainly on water sources for all wildlife. Our arid state has sufficient feed for the game, but has lacked year-round water sources in much of the habitat. That was well known fact by NDOW, but their function was to regulate the wildlife as it was. But when hunters and fishermen in Nevada recognized the water problems, they banded together to form conservation groups, taking on the challenge with the same characteristic and perseverance of the hunt.

Already the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn club had formed and was establishing water sources around the state, especially in the arid south, the habitat of the desert bighorn sheep. Being a never-ending effort and the need for constant maintenance of the systems, WHIN stepped in and partnered with the Fraternity and assisted with much of the maintenance, as well as contributing for new projects. Habitat improvement of making water available year-round, normally in dry areas, spreads the wildlife out and helped to prevent migrations during dry seasons to lower areas where civilization has taken over.

Other water projects include cleaning up natural year-round springs and maintain pipelines that carry water distances from the springs.

They have done much work and donated funds to Nevada Wetlands Restoration projects. These included the Pahranagat lakes, McFarland Spring Renovation, Overton Wildlife Management Area, Lake Mojave and the Ruby Lake Wildlife Refuge. Their efforts include restoration of wetlands to create open areas and more productive duck nesting and feeding areas as well as placing fish habitat structures. They have been involved in many seeding operations and planting of brush and trees, as well as removing noxious growth — all “habitat improvements.”

Aside from working with the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn, WHIN continually partners with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service, Nevada Wildlife Disaster Fund, Red Rock Audubon Society, BLM, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International and many more.

Although their habitat improvement efforts are statewide, they have concentrated mainly in Clark, Nye and Lincoln counties. In addition, they have donated tens of thousands of dollars through the years for habitat improvements carried out by others, besides supplying much of the labor (which I remind you again, is all voluntary).

The fundraiser this year took in nearly $30,000. All the auction and raffle items were donated by caring individuals and companies. However, two auction items were donated by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. One was a mule deer tag that was bid up to $105,000. It is a special permit that can be used anywhere in the state during hunting season. The other was for tags for two wild turkeys that went for $1,600. All the funds will go into on-the-ground projects to propagate the wildlife in the state for everyone to enjoy. Anyone interested in donating or joining WHIN, go to www.WHINLV.org.

Upcoming events

The Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn will be having their annual banquet at the South Point Hotel and Casino on May 16. This is one of our premier local organizations which focus on “Putting sheep on the mountain.”

This hands-on group has constructed dozens of water projects (guzzlers) on Southern Nevada’s Mountain ranges. Chris and I will be there and hope to see you there too.

For more information go to: www.desertbighorn.com or call Jackie at 702-733-7827.