In The Outdoors

As Hyrum slid behind the wheel of the 21-foot, custom-painted Skeeter bass boat, I was more than a little nervous. Knowing a 225-horsepower outboard was on the back didn’t help. Though he is 12, Hyrum already has a well-earned reputation as The Wildman, mostly because he knows no fear. He’ll try just about anything at least once, especially if it involves speed or heights.

Luke turned and asked me to keep an eye on the drift boat while he and Brett Prettyman, outdoor editor at the Salt Lake Tribune, shuttled the pickup and boat trailer to our intended take out at a place called Dearborn several miles downriver. Brett and I were fishing partners for the day, and Luke, a tall drink of water from Virginia, was our guide.

Have you ever looked forward to an event that could be significant and life altering, but when the dust cleared, you questioned whether it was worth all the fuss?

It still was dark when the obnoxious alarm on my cell phone went off. I hate the alarm tone, but I don’t change it because it does the job. I found the snooze button and for several minutes lay under the warm covers and listened for the wind, all the time hoping I wouldn’t hear it.

Throughout most of Nevada, Saturday is opening day of the chukar partridge, quail and duck seasons. The one exception is in the Overton Wildlife Management Area, where duck season won’t open until Nov. 1.

There was a time when the great thing about living in Southern Nevada was its wide-open spaces, most of it on public land. One could travel in just about any direction and find someplace new and interesting to visit or someplace new and inviting to hunt.

With the sun at his back, Las Vegan Paul Harris hunkered down and began his final stalk on the large Alaskan black bear that stood feeding in one of “Bear Valley’s” open meadows. Harris’ only chance for concealment was a single large rock between him and the bear, but it would have to do. Keeping the rock between him and the animal, Harris made his way across the meadow.

For the past two decades, participation in hunting has steadily declined. For most of us, this is no secret. The subject has been discussed in a variety of outdoor publications, and I have touched upon it in a past column or two. The question is: Why are we losing hunters?

As you read this, the second week of the dove season is about half over. Let’s hope the last couple of days have been far more productive for hunters than the previous week. Opening day was a mixed bag, with some hunters bagging limits and others firing nary a shot.

During September and October, one of rural Nevada’s busiest roads is the Harrison Pass Road in Elko County. This relatively short road links Ruby Valley on the east side of the Ruby Mountains with Huntington Valley on the west, and during the fall months it is a major thoroughfare for hunters seeking to fill their big-game tags in Area 10.