Nevada's 2008 big game tag draw will officially get under way when the online application process fires up March 24.

With the applications due no later than 5 p.m., April 21, this is traditionally a very busy time for folks at the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

This is especially true for those whose job it is to answer questions posed by hunters who are looking to maximize their odds at drawing one of the state's coveted big game tags.

One of the more common questions asked by hunters is "Where should I go hunting this year?"

While this question seems fairly straight forward, a closer look will reveal that it is not really a simple question at all. In fact, it is a question whose answer is obtained only through first asking and then finding the answers to other related questions. Many of those answers can be found on the Internet at www.ndow.org.

"When hunters are trying to decide where to apply for big game tag, the first question they should ask is "What kind of hunting experience do I want?"

Ultimately this is a personal decision that cannot not be made by someone else," said Doug Nielsen, a public information officer for NDOW. "They need to know whether they want to hunt in an area where they can use their vehicles or in a backcountry setting where the hunting has to be done on foot or on horseback. The answer to that question should be a big factor in their selection of hunt area choices."

In the past hunters could get a good idea of the physical demands a particular hunt unit might impose by talking to someone who has been there before, but with the creation of many new wilderness areas that is no longer the case.

Areas where vehicle access was previously allowed may now fall within wilderness boundaries where motorized travel is restricted,

Nielsen said. Hunters should contact the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service for detailed maps of the appropriate wilderness area boundaries, but they can also find some information in the maps section of the NDOW website.