With daytime temperatures topping the century mark, thoughts of the fall hunting season may seem a bit premature.

If they double-check their hunting calendar, Nevada's hunters will see the traditional opening day of the fall hunting season is just two weeks away.

It all begins -- unofficially -- with the dove hunt, which opens Sept.1 statewide.

"Opening day of the dove hunt has long marked the traditional beginning of the fall hunting seasons. We have had archery hunts for big game underway since early August, but there is something special about the dove hunt that long ago established it as 'the' opening event each fall," said Martin Olson, Southern Region hunter education coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

As hunters prepare for the upcoming dove hunt, Olson said they should be mindful of the significant changes that have come to the Las Vegas Valley.

As the population has grown, traditional dove hunting hot spots have been surrounded by housing and other urban development. Regulatory changes have also had a limiting effect on hunting opportunities close to town.

"Hunters need to take time during the next two weeks to scout possible hunting locations well outside of the Las Vegas Valley, and well outside of Pahrump for that matter. They need to make sure the place they want to hunt is not only a legal area for the discharge of firearms, but also a safe place to hunt," said Olson.

While safe and legal shooting areas are one concern, travel closures are another.

The Bureau of Land Management has begun to enforce strict travel restrictions on all BLM lands surrounding the Las Vegas Valley. A map of that closure can be picked up at their office on Torrey Pines just north of Rancho Drive.

"Agricultural areas in rural Nevada are generally productive places to hunt doves, but hunters should always ask permission before entering someone else's property. I don't recommend waiting until the predawn hours of opening morning to ask permission. This should be done as far in advance as possible. In the best case scenario, that should already be done," Olson said.

Upland game regulation brochures are currently available online and at department offices statewide. They can also be found at most license vendors.