But not Nevada. We don’t have a predator problem!?

For the last ten years, HUNTER'S ALERT has told NDOW that we have a predator problem. For ten years, NDOW has acted like a deaf mule with blinders. They are stubborn and do not see or hear anything when it comes to predators. Below are excerpts from various publications proving that western states have predator problems but that they are also doing something about them. HUNTER'S ALERT has stated for years that until we get a new administrator who chooses to go in a different direction, nothing is going to change NDOW'S motto of "We don't have a predator problem."

Sportsmen realize that we have too many lions and because of this our deer numbers have remained low for years. So what did NDOW propose for the 1999 seasons? They wanted a whopping increase of 69% (3,780) more does killed. In addition, they requested 22% (70) fewer lion tags to be allotted. Please note, this is not a misprint. The reason for these numbers? Get ready, sit down and hold on to your chair. The reason: In 1992 they overestimated, repeat—overestimated how many deer we have. Let's see, they overestimated one year so seven years later, they increase doe tags by 69%! Would someone with some common sense explain this reasoning process?

July 1, 1998 will mark the first year of my term as wildlife commissioner. This has been an exciting and frustrating year Trying to balance the needs of the commission, department, sportsmen, family and career has been a challenge Hopefully. 1 have not left anyone out and have answered your concerns quickly and honestly I am not even going to try to agree with everyone, but then you probably didn't expect that anyway

The Commission has met nine times in the year, dealing with numerous petitions from sportsmen and the county advisory boards and sportsman's groups. The following are highlighted from memory:

To the editor:

As an avid hunter who rarely draws a deer tag, I feel the need to comment on the article about Willie Molini's retirement. (RJ, 12/18). Over the past years I have watched the Division of Wildlife self-destruct. Nevada was at one time one of the finest mule deer states in the west. This is only a memory now. Willie Molini was wrong when he said most hunters do not blame him for our decline in deer numbers. Every time the subject is brought up among other hunters, they do blame him. He also said other wildlife groups speak highly of him. They are mostly anti-hunting groups who do not contribute funds to the Division or groups Willie Molini has done favors for.

Presented to the Clark County Wildlife Advisory Board, January 7, 1998

Let's look at the Nevada Deer Hunt Plan Task Force. Their purpose is to examine alternate harvest strategies, hoping to facilitate increases in hunter recruitment and opportunity while preserving the quality features of the Nevada deer hunting system. I agree that we need more hunters. That makes us stronger. And obviously, hunters would like more tags available. Let's examine the harvest management issues. The first is Unit Simplification. Does this increase our deer numbers? Absolutely not! The next would be unlimited archery tags. Does this increase our deer number? Again, no! The third is a resident youth hunt which I personally agree with. However, this does not increase the number of people who can hunt deer. The other three issues are anterless hunts, season opening dates and lengths, and a twenty three day plus season option. None of these harvest management issues helps restore Nevada deer herds.

(You could tell by the smell that it wasn't hay!)

No one really praises the Nevada Division of Wildlife other than those people who receive favors from the Division. It is for this reason that NDOW created their own intradepartmental publication called "Wild Side". In the January-February 1998 issue, one of the feature stories was "Administrator to Retire" by Dave Rice. We all know the administrator. Willie Molini, the person responsible for the destruction of our game. Dave Rice is the conservation/education chief. He wrote the following interview asking Administrator Willie Molini the questions. He stated that Willie Molini's answers to the questions were in an unedited form Now really, do you believe that? Willie is his boss. At any rate, HUNTER'S ALERT wants to comment on some of the responses by Administrator Molini

The timing of this announcement enables Governor Miller and Pete Morros to appoint a new administrator before the new governor takes office next January. Let's see, Molini retires in September, the gubernatorial election takes place in November, and the new governor is seated in January. I guess they figured the sportsmen in the state of Nevada aren't smart enough to figure this out. The 3M Destroyers (Miller, Morros. and Molini) were smart enough to realize one thing, that no other governor would put up with Willie Molini's antics. Rest assured. Miller and Morros will appoint a Willie Molini clone to the vacated position.

Deer hunting in Nevada is an immensely popular activity, with, in a normal year, 50,000 - 75,000 people applying for deer tags. Of course, it goes without saying that you need deer, in quantity, to fill even a portion of the demand.

Apparently using the mathematical system invented by Louis Farrakhan(you know, 1 +1 =19, or 400,000 = 200,000), the Nevada Division of Wildlife announced a sharp increase in deer tags this year, an additional 7,000 tags, up 34 percent from last year.