It's time for big game hunters to begin day dreaming/planning

It's Mid-March and in addition to the usual March Madness in the NCAA college basketball world, it's also time for Nevada big game hunters to begin some day dreaming and/or planning.

Yep, it's Mid-March, which means its also that time of the year to begin making your plans for the many different, up-coming, Nevada big game hunts.

Nevada law requires a computerized drawing process for the issuance of hunting tags for its big game species.

Those species include: pronghorn antelope, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, California bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat.

So, if you are an archer, black powder shooter or rifle hunter, with dreams of drawing one of those hard-to-get, big game hunting tags, be sure to draw a big red circle around the date of Apr. 21.

In fact, mark several big red circles around that important date.

Apr. 21 at 5 p.m. is the absolute deadline for RECEIVING applications for the up-coming big game hunts in the State of Nevada. Don't forget: Apr. 21 at 5 p.m.

And, note the key word "receiving."

Your applications must be sent through an authorized postal service such as the U.S. Mail, UPS or FedEx, and they must be received by no later than 5 p.m. on Apr. 21.

They need to be mailed to the Wildlife Administrative Office, P.O. Box 1345, Fallon, Nevada 89407-1345.

DO NOT, DO NOT mail your applications to the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW). That is the wrong location.

If you mail them to NDOW, they will be sent back to you.

Worse yet, if you are one of those poor souls who wait until the last possible moment to do something and then send your applications to that wrong location, you could get into deep trouble.

It could be possible that by the time NDOW receives them and mails them back to you, the deadline will have passed and you will be completely out of the computerized drawings.

In case that should happen, don't blame me, I tried to warn you.

If you do mail in your applications, mail them to that Wildlife Administrative Office in Fallon.

So, if you are one of those thousands of people interested in hunting any of those big game species during the upcoming, 2003 Nevada hunting seasons, you should be busy planning to fill out the necessary paperwork.

If you applied last year for any tags, you will be receiving your 2003 application forms through the mail.

If you did not apply last year, you can obtain the necessary forms at any Nevada Division of Wildlife office or at any authorized license agent outlet, found throughout the entire state.

When you have the necessary forms, very carefully fill out all of the requested information. Then, to be doubly sure, have a friend or relative double check to make sure that you did not make any errors in filling out that information.

Once you have carefully completed the forms and have written your check for the proper amount for the various tags and their associated fees, you need to submit them before that very important deadline date.

However, be advised that there is another way to apply for your big game tags that is virtually fool-proof, plus it is quick and easy.

Here is a big tip for all would-be, 2003 Nevada big game hunters:

You can also apply via the Internet.

In fact, in my less-than-humble, personal opinion, applying via the Internet is the only way to go. Don't waste your time by mailing your application.

And, by way of illustration, many other people also believe that is the only way to apply, because nearly 65,000 would-be-hunters applied last year, with even more expected to do so this year.

That's correct: 65,000 hunters (including Don Q) applied for their tags on the Internet, last year.

And here's three important reasons why Don Q thinks that applying via the Internet is the only way to go:

1. The data that you enter is automatically checked as you key it in.

In the event that you enter erroneous data, the computerized system will not accept your application until that error has been corrected.

If the data that you enter is valid, the computer will accept it.

If it is not valid, it will tell you so.

It's that simple.

2. At the time that the computerized system accepts your application information, you must also provide the credit card information for the necessary money amounts.

Once your application information and money amounts have been accepted, you are in the drawing. You are a serious contender for the computerized drawings to be held at a later date.

3. Then, here comes the most important reason why Don Q applies via the Internet and it is a sneaky reason:

After the mail-in deadline of Apr. 21, just start checking the status of your charge card account on a daily basis.

Here's why:

If you have been successful in the computerized drawings, your credit card account will reflect the charge, long before you receive any notification via the U.S. Mail ("Snail Mail").

Heck, last year, I knew for days and days in advance that I had drawn a rifle buck mule deer tag, long before it arrived in the mail.

I did not know what area that I had drawn, but I knew that I received a deer tag by the amount of money charged to my credit card.

And, I also knew by the amount of money that had been charged, that I had not been successful in applying for a California bighorn sheep tag.

Very sneaky, but very legal and very, very informative in the event that there is a charge on your credit card!

If there is no charge on your credit card, you finally receive something in the mail stating that you were unsuccessful in this year's drawings.

So, if you want to apply via the Internet, go to website www.ndow.org.

At that site, you can also access the last three year's big game data and harvest information.

You can review the 2003 hunting areas and unit description information.

Hunter information sheets provide unit information about herd movement, groupings, camping, map resources and access limitations.

Information is also available on the 2003 hunting season dates.

This year, why not be another Don Q and go to www.ndow.org to apply for your 2003 big game hunting tags.

The system is very "User Friendly" and will carefully lead you through the entire application process.

Do it today!

You can't go wrong.

Finally, for information that you might still need, call the Wildlife Administrative Services Office in Fallon at (800) 576-1020 during regular business hours.

-- Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you what your chances are of drawing a Nevada, rifle, buck, mule deer tag.

If he grins and responds, "As a resident, you have about one chance in four. As a non-resident, you have about one chance in 10," he could be a Nevada, rifle, buck, mule deer hunter.