Outdoor notes

SNOWBOARDING FILM DEBUTS

Absinthe Films, one of the world's leaders in snowboard filmmaking, will kick off the 2010 Sphere of Influence North American Tour with the world premiere of the film "Now/Here" at the Egyptian Theater in Park City on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

Doors will open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10, with $2 from every ticket sold donated to Recycle Utah and the Protect Our Winters Foundation. Tickets for the Park City show are available at Milosport locations, Recycle Utah and at the door Friday night, if still available.

Following the Park City show, Absinthe will travel to Salt Lake City to screen the film at the Tower Theatre on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Doors will open at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Salt Lake show are $10 and are available at Blindside Boardshop, Milosport locations and at the door, if still available.

Prizes, free gear and snowboard giveaways will be offered at both events.

Some of the world's best snowboarders will also be on hand to sign autographs, talk about the upcoming season and spend time with the crowd. Nicolas Muller and Utah locals Bjorn Leines and Bode Merrill will be at both shows.

DOVE HUNT TO BEGIN SOON

Dove hunters know how agonizing it can be to watch rain fall in August, because a single storm can move doves out of Utah in a hurry.

But Utah can't start its dove hunt before Sept. 1 due to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which prohibits migratory bird sport hunts from occurring in the United States between March 11 and Aug. 31.

"So we're tied to the Sept. 1 opening date," said Tom Aldrich, migratory game bird coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "But if the weather stays warm and dry, plenty of doves should be in Utah on opening day."

The number of mourning doves that bred in Utah this year was similar to the number of doves that bred in the state last year. In fact, the number of mourning doves in Utah and the six other states that make up the Western Dove Unit hasn't changed much in the past 10 years.

Aldrich says the number of doves that are produced isn't the critical factor in determining how many doves hunters will see each season. "The critical factor is whether the doves that were produced are still here once the season starts," he said.

For those who want to get their children involved in hunting, the dove hunt is a good one to try, Aldrich said.