Hunter's Safety Class Registration Begins

Thursday, February 03, 2011

The Mesquite Recreation & Parks Department is sponsoring a Hunter’s Safety class held by the NDOW (Nevada Division of Wildlife) to take place on Saturday, February 26, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Suite # 9 at the Deuce. The class teaches individuals the fundamentals of hunting and how to avoid a hunting accident.

Hunter Safety education is a mandatory program for those individual that are interested in hunting that requires a license or draw tag, said Nicholas Montoya, Recreation & Parks Supervisor. The program is designed to introduce students to several life-long skills that are important to the many different types of outdoor recreational opportunities. The course teaches students basic survival and first aid skills, wildlife identification, the basics of wildlife management, hunting laws, and firearm/archery safety. Hunter education also stresses the importance of individual responsibility and outdoor ethics. (Montoya added) The deadline to register with the Mesquite Recreation Center and online with NDOW is Sunday, February 20, 2011.

Hunter Safety Instructor Derek Hughes said, “Hunting can bring you a lifetime of enjoyment if you are safe and responsible.” Mike Wilson will also be instructing the class. The Today’s Hunters Workbook must be fully completed and brought back to class on Saturday, February 26, 2011. You must pre-register with the NDOW, the City of Mesquite Recreation Center and pick up all class room materials at the Mesquite Recreation Center. The workbook must be 100% complete prior to attending class.

For more information on this and other programs please contact the Mesquite Recreation & Parks Department at 346-8732. To register for all youth and adult programs online go to: www.mesquitenv.gov and at the Mesquite Recreation & Parks Department Administrative Office, 100 W. Old Mill Road.

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.