Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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Attempting to understand how our Nevada Wildlife Commission is actually managing wildlife is an exercise in futility, as demonstrated during its recent meeting.
Despite opposition by the non-hunting public, who choose to shoot animals with a camera instead of a weapon, wildlife commissioners (appointed by the governor’s office) once again gave the green light to a bear hunt.
In 2023, the indiscriminate killing of two mother bears raised public ire, especially when it was revealed that one mother was still nursing her young. These bears left behind orphaned cubs who cannot survive on their own. Were those hunters so thirsty for blood that they couldn’t take the time to discern their targets, or did they just not care?
Additionally, hunters who lack necessary skills or ethical standards have pursued mountain lions with tracking dogs or the use of traps that cause egregious suffering. Often, an animal will chew off a foot in order to escape the archaic contraption.
Now, the commission has decided to add moose to the list of animals offered for recreational killing.
Wildlife is part of the public trust belonging to every single Nevadan, not just a chosen few who prefer to kill these animals. And we cannot, in good faith, refer to every hunt as “wildlife management” — not if those commissioners take their duties seriously.
Nevadans can voice their thoughts about the commission to the governor’s office by calling 702-486-2500 locally, or 775-684-5670.
