Final reminder for would-be Nevada big game hunters


This is a final reminder that if you're one of many tens of thousands of big game hunters interested in drawing a 2012 hunting tag for Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer, California Bighorn Sheep, Desert (Nelson) Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Elk and Rocky Mountain Goat in the State of Nevada, be advised that the final deadline for RECEIVING your application(s) is 5 p.m. on Monday, April 16.

The drawing results will be made available to the public by June 11.

If you want to apply, you can do so by one of two different methods:
— An authorized mail service (“Snail Mail”) or

— Via the Internet. 
An authorized mail service: 
If you choose to use an authorized mail service, you must use a service such as the U.S. Mail, UPS or FedEx.
Your application(s) must be mailed to: Wildlife Administration Office, P.O. Box 1345, Fallon Nevada 89407.
They must be RECEIVED by no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, April 16.
Do not send your application(s) to the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). If you do, they will just mail your application(s) back to you.

Before you submit your paperwork, have a relative or close friend double check your application(s) to ensure you did not make any errors, which will cause your application(s) to be rejected.

Once all the information has been verified as being accurate, write a check for the exact amount for all of the various tags and their associated fees.
Then, mail everything to that Fallon address.
You are done and good luck to you in the computerized drawings.
However, you will be in a minority if you do use an authorized mail service. 
Less than five percent of all the applications use that “Snail Mail” method.
Via the Internet: 
You can submit your application(s) via the Internet, and in my opinion and in the opinion of many tens of thousands of other would-be big game hunters, it is the only way to go.

Here's why: 
In 2002, 58.25 percent of the applications were submitted via the Web.

I

n 2003, 72.77 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2004, 80.83 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2005, 84.90 percent of the applications were via the Internet. 
In 2006, 87.36 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2007, 90.02 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2008, 93.49 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2009, 94.65 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2010, 95.46 percent of the applications were via the Internet.
In 2011, 96.74 percent of the applications were via the Internet.

Or if you turn that 2011 percentage around, only 3.26 percent of the total applications were made on paper!
That is phenomenal growth in the use of the Internet for applying for tags since way back in 2002.

In addition:
In 2011, a total of 55,828 would-be hunters submitted a total of 156,658 applications to hunt the various big game species.
Of the 55,828 would-be hunters, 39,587 (70.9 percent) were residents and 16,241 (29.1 percent) were non-residents.

Most interesting:
Last year, 184 would-be hunters applied both on paper and via the internet. They applied via the internet for their own individual tags and also on paper as part of a deer hunting party. This number is slowly decreasing (there were 202 the previous year), as the percentage of web applications increases.

Here’s why people apply via the Internet:
There are three very important reasons for being a part of that huge majority that submit each year via the Internet: 

Reason No.1: 
The data that you enter is automatically checked by the computer system as you key it in.
If you make a mistake, the computerized system will not accept your application until the error has been corrected.
If the data is valid, the computer will instantly accept it. However, be advised that if you enter a wrong number for a hunt area and that number is a valid number, the computer will accept it. So, be careful, be very careful. 


Reason No. 2: 
At the time the computer accepts your application information, you must also provide credit card data for the necessary money amounts. 
Once your application and credit card amounts have been accepted, you are officially in the 2012 computerized drawings. 


Reason No. 3: 
If you are sneaky (but totally legit) and have the ability to do so, when you submit your applications, use a separate credit card for each species that you are applying for.
Then wait about 4-5 weeks after that deadline of Monday, April 16, and begin to daily check the status of your various credit cards.
If you have been successful in the drawings, your credit card account(s) will reflect those charges. And, by knowing which credit card has which charge, you will also know which tag you were successful in drawing for 2012.
That will be long before you receive your tags via the U.S. Mail.

It is sneaky, very legal and very, very informative.
On the other hand, if there are no charges to those credit card accounts, you will also know you were unsuccessful and will finally receive a notice in the U.S. mail that you struck out in this year's drawings. Better luck next year!


To apply via the Internet: 
Go to www.huntnevada.com, and follow the easy-to-follow-instructions.
 For information: 
Call the Wildlife Administration Office in Fallon at (800) 576-1020 during regular business hours.