OWMA Hosts Ducks and Donuts

By VERNON ROBISON

The Progress

At 4 am, it was still just a bit early even for ducks to be up and moving on Saturday morning, Oct. 22 at the Overton Wildlife Management Area (OWMA). Yet, strangely enough, the air was resounding with dozens of duck calls at the OWMA entry.

Young hunters and their parents/mentors from all across southern Nevada, convened at the facility for the 4th annual Ducks and Donuts Youth Waterfowl Hunt. And all of the young people received a free duck call of their own.

More than 58 youth hunters got up early and attended the event. That was a record turnout.
“This year’s event is the biggest ever since we started,” said Doug Nielsen, Education Supervisor at Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). “It is growing in popularity and it is a great way to introduce kids to the Overton Wildlife Management Area and to waterfowl hunting in general.”

The gravel parking lot at the OWMA was nearly full by 4 am. The kids and family members signed in and were provided with donuts, coffee and hot chocolate to get started. Then they all met at the pavilion just outside of the front gate of the area.

Nielson welcomed the crowd there. Then he started into a raffle drawing for a large number of epic prizes. These included all kinds of gear that would help equip young hunters. Prizes included decoys, blind gear, hunt clothing and, of course, shotguns. Two grand prizes included brand new shotguns from Armscor-Rock Island Armory of Pahrump, Nevada.

“Shawn Fairbairn of Armscor has been very generous and supportive,” Nielson said. “He provided the two grand prize shotguns and he also does all the required paperwork for the transfer.”
The grand prize winners were Saige Corry, age 5, and Casen Liethen, age 7.

It was Saige’s third year attending the Youth Hunt event. At last year’s hunt, they were able to bag a goose from the OWMA.
“I want to get another one this year!” Saige said.

There were about a dozen other prizes, each donated by different sponsors.
OWMA Supervisor Benny Vann also welcomed the crowd and told them that he and his staff had been working hard to get the area ready in time for the hunt. The OWMA sustained serious damage in the flooding event that occurred last month.

“It has taken a lot of work to get things cleaned up a little and get access to the hunting blinds,” Vann said. “You will see that things are still a little rough around the edges. But it should be a good day.”

After the early morning gathering, each of the hunting parties received their blind assignments and set out into the OWMA. They spent the early morning hours out in the facility hunting.
By 8:30 am the hunters were returning, many with the successful results of their hunt.

“This time of year it is still a little early for duck hunting down here,” Nielson said. “But it is really about getting the kids in the outdoors and giving them the hunting experience. This is a great opportunity for an adult to introduce a youth to the tradition of hunting and teach them about the important role hunting plays in the conservation movement.”

The event ended with a pancake breakfast that was provided to the hunters starting at 9 am.
Nielson acknowledged the event’s many sponsors including Armscor, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Wildlife and Habitat Improvement of Nevada (WHIN), Las Vegas Woods and Waters Club, BG Duck Calls and Carl’s Donuts.
“We couldn’t do any of this without the support of our sponsors,” Nielson said.