At the Saturday session beginning at 8:30 a.m., the commissioners will discuss proposed legislation affecting the Nevada Division of Wildlife, including a revised license fee structure for licenses.

The setting of quotas for big game animals and harvest objectives for mountain lions for 2002 will also be set at the meeting. This year commissioners will be looking at the possibility of significantly reducing the number of deer tags that will be issued to Nevada's hunters.

Based on surveys conducted by NDOW biologists, the number of deer in the state has dropped from last year's estimate of 129,000 to a current population of around 108,000 animals. These losses have occurred due to drought, the impacts of extensive fires in the deer's winter range, and a hard winter. Consequently, NDOW biologists are recommending that resident deer tags for the popular 1131 hunt, the any-legal-weapon buck hunt, be reduced from 13,794 tags in 2001 to 10,549 this year.

Populations of antelope, bighorn sheep and mountain goat are similar to last year while the state's elk population is growing. The growth in elk herds can be seen in a recommended hike in tags of 351 last year to 545 this year for the 4151 any-legal-weapon bull hunt. The Nevada Division of Wildlife has reached its objectives as set in the Elk Management Plan and will be relying on hunters as a control.

Wildlife Commission meetings are open to the public. The public is invited to attend and give input. Public input periods are scheduled both days.