Investors rush to shooting club’s rescue

What was once the Desert Lake Shooting Club in Boulder City is about to be saved from extinction and given a new name. In June, Desert Lake members were notified the facility would close by the end of the month. The reason was never given, only a vague allusion to an unsuccessful lease negotiation.

Early in July, I heard a rumor the shooting club was going to reopen. Then, as I rounded a corner at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show a couple of weeks ago, I saw a photo of a shooting complex that resembled the facility only with a different name. Attached to the photo was a sign reading, ''Opening in September.''

I began asking questions.

Steven Baker identified himself as a member of the transition team that's helping real estate investors as they prepare to reopen the shooting club under the moniker of Desert Hills Shooting Club. Baker is a security consultant with WTI Associates, a tenant in one of the buildings on club property.

Baker said Desert Hills management is refurbishing the clubhouse, renovating the shooting ranges and having new equipment installed. New Promatic clay target traps are being installed along the 23-station sporting-clays course, and 20 new golf carts have been purchased to transport shooters between stations.

''The sporting clays section will be pretty much the same setup as before upon opening, but we will be looking at adding some new twists,'' Baker said.

That's a good thing, because I always liked how this particular course was designed to take advantage of the natural lay of the land. It offers enough challenge to keep experienced shooters engaged, but is not so difficult that new shooters might become discouraged. It will be interesting to see those new twists.

Baker also said they are doing a safety review of all shooting venues.

Shooters again will have the convenience of an on-site pro shop, but Baker said plans call for a wider selection of shotguns and other accessories than previously available.

There also will be an independent gunsmith on site as well as Baker's security company, which is using some of the facilities for hosting shooting and concealed weapons courses.

HEAT DOESN'T SLOW STRIPER BITE

After reading my column about the secret cove, reader John Slowiak shared a story of his fishing success. It seems he and a couple of friends set sail during the middle of the day last week and were quite successful.

''We located a striper boil and fished it using topwater lures for about an hour before a speed boat came through. I had 20 consecutive casts with a fish on and in the boat. My partners did about the same,'' Slowiak wrote.

The trio was able to fish another boil, but it lasted only a half hour. That's when they broke out the jigging gear and went to work.

By the time these lucky anglers showed up at the fish cleaning station, they had more than 100 fish to filet.

Some people have another name for Lake Mead. They call it Lake No Fish, but I have long believed that people who really learn to fish Lake Mead rarely go home empty-handed. No, I'm not there yet, but I'm learning. Evidently Mr. Slowiak is, too.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at dougnielsen@att.net.