NDOW presents the Nevada Wild Podcast

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with the 2024 Wayne E. Kirch Nevada Wildlife Conservation Award Winners Ken and Jill Wilkinson. The conversation covers how Ken and Jill initially met working at NDOW, the various volunteer projects the Wilkinsons have focused on recently, and we dive into Ken’s extensive conservation-centric career. Make sure to listen to this week's episode to hear what these very deserving award winners have to say about conservation in Nevada.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down to talk with NDOW Public Information Officer Ashley Zeme. She tells the guys what a typical day for her looks likes and shares how even after eight years how she still gets nervous right before she hits send on emails going out to hundreds of thousands of people. Ashley is the primary driver behind growing NDOW social media channels, communicating information through email campaigns, overseeing NDOW’s website and acting as the point person for most of the Department’s media requests. Listen to this week’s episode to learn all about Ashley!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with Nevada Department of Wildlife Veterinarian Nate LaHue to talk about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a transmissible neurological disease that is always fatal to animals in the deer family. Currently, CWD is found in 34 states and 4 Canadian provinces, but not in Nevada. Nate explains the recent positive samples just over Nevada's western border in California, NDOW's efforts to prevent the disease from entering Nevada and what it means for Nevada's deer, elk, and even moose, if the disease enters the state. He also explains the new transport restriction zone and the different ways hunters can help, including the program that allows hunters to sample their own harvests. Find more information about CWD and prevention efforts in Nevada here: www.ndow.org/blog/chronic-wasting-disease/ or here: www.cwd-info.org

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is excited to announce the debut of Nevada Wild, a brand-new television series coming to Animal Planet on Tuesday, November 4. Produced by Engel Entertainment, the creators of Lone Star Law and North Woods Law, the show highlights the incredible work of NDOW staff across the state. In this week’s Nevada Wild podcast, NDOW’s Bobby Jones and Aaron Keller sit down with Engel Entertainment Executive Producer Ben Shanks for an in-depth conversation about what went into bringing the series to life.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with NDOW's Migratory Game Bird Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme to talk about the great conditions waterfowl hunters can expect this season. Russell shares some important information about waterfowl hunting for each Nevada hunt zone! The crew talks about bag limit changes, habitat conditions, discusses water levels at our Wildlife Management Areas and why they’re so excited to go waterfowl hunting this fall. Find updates for WMA's here: www.ndow.org/discover-your-public-land/

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with NDOW’s Upland Game Staff Specialist Justin Small for a detailed conversation about the 2025 chukar hunting forecast. Justin talks about all the work that goes into the forecast from "boots on the ground" brood surveys to the chick production in Nevada counties. Listen to this week’s podcast to find out why this years’ forecast calls for another good year of chukar hunting in Nevada!

After 30 years of dedicated service, Conservation Education Division Administrator Chris Vasey is retiring from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. A native Nevadan, avid sportsman, and passionate outdoorsman, Chris brought his love for the wild to every aspect of his work. For the past 10 years, he has led NDOW’s education and outreach division, helping it grow into a nationally recognized, award-winning program admired by other states. Under his leadership, NDOW’s education, outreach, and social media efforts have flourished. His enthusiasm for the job was infectious, and his laughter was a familiar and welcome sound in the halls. Thank you, Chris, for everything you’ve done. You will be deeply missed.

In this week's Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by the Southern Region Hunter Education and Shooting Sports Coordinator Martin Olson to have a conversation about muzzleloader hunting in Nevada. Martin talks about NDOW’s free muzzleloader introduction classes and why he thinks shooting a muzzleloader is so fun. The guys also talk about how choosing to apply for muzzleloader tags can help both kids and adults go big game hunting more often in the Silver State. Thank you for supporting Nevada's wildlife!

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is a proud member of BearWise®, a program of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. Black bears have been in Nevada long before we lived here, but by the early 1900s they had been extirpated from the state. Conservation efforts and habitat regeneration allowed black bears to begin coming back into Nevada and reinhabit their old stomping grounds. Since the 1980s we have watched Nevada’s bear population in the western part of the state increase dramatically. It is now up to Nevada’s residents and visitors to live and recreate responsibly in bear country! In this episode of Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Game Biologist and Bear Expert Becca Carniello. Becca explains her unique position in the Department, and they discuss solutions to human-caused problems for bears in Nevada and how we can all live with wildlife and what it means to be BearWise. Find more resources on living with bears and other wildlife here: https://www.ndow.org/learn-discover/wildlife-discovery/living-with-wildlife/

In this week's Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Statewide Boating Education Coordinator Aaron Meier to talk about Operation Dry Water and boating safety. Aaron explains that Operation Dry Water is a national campaign designed to combat boating under the influence (BUI) through increased boat patrols over the three-day weekend. The guys talk about how much fun boating in Nevada can be and outline a few simple steps you can take to stay safe on the water.

In this week’s Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Rendle Taylor and Ken Shoemaker, two Director’s from the Silver Arrow Bowmen Archery Club in Reno, Nevada. Rendle and Ken explain their roles on the board, the current goals of the club, NDOW’s recent investments in the archery range, and how you can get involved. They discuss the June 21-22, 2025, Bowhunter Bonanza, how to register, and the ins and outs of a competitive archery shoot.

In this week's Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Fisheries Biologist Heath Korell to talk about one of everyone's favorite Nevada lakes, Cave Lake. Heath gives a great history lesson dating back to the 1930's and details the dam rebuild project that started in 2019. The guys discuss interesting facts about the area including that the state record brown trout was caught at Cave Lake in 1984! They also talk about the Grand Reopening of Cave Lake on Saturday, June 7 with festivities that include a fish planting, float tube seminar, and a ribbon cutting to commemorate the day. Thank you for supporting Nevada's wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Mountain Goat and Bighorn Sheep Staff Specialist Mike Cox. Mike talks about an exciting project to bring more mountain goats to Nevada earlier this year and gives an update on how well they’re doing overall. He also gives the guys an overview of all three subspecies of bighorn sheep found in Nevada and outlines how the Department is working through a tough drought situation down south.   Mike is a wealth of knowledge and is as passionate of a biologist as they come. Make sure to listen to what he has to say on this weeks’ episode.   Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Data and Technology Services Division Administrator Matt Maples. The guys talk about technology and data in the Department, the big game application and draw, bonus points and why they matter, and what makes applying for tags in Nevada unique. They also share some tips and tricks to up your odds of drawing a big game tag this year! Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Game Division Administrator Shawn Espinosa to get an overview of the outlook for the upcoming big game hunting season. Shawn speaks to the uptick in quota recommendations for mule deer, antelope, and elk, and shares a bit about the challenges bighorn sheep are facing in Southern Nevada. If you’re applying for big game hunts in Nevada this year, listen in, you might pick up a hot tip or two in this weeks’ episode! Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Mule Deer and Antelope Staff Specialist Cody Schroeder to get the latest update on Mule Deer and Antelope in Nevada. Cody talks about deploying mule deer collars across the state, mapping migration corridors and gives the guys an update on how our Mule Deer and Antelope populations are doing throughout the state. Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Elk and Moose Staff Specialist Cody McKee to get the latest update on Elk and Moose in Nevada! Cody tells us about the first-ever Moose collaring project in the Ruby Mountains and shares some interesting information he helped uncover about historical accounts of Elk in Nevada. This is an exciting conversation you won’t want to miss. If you want to learn more about Moose in Nevada checkout the "Tracking Moose in Nevada" episode Outdoor Nevada here: https://www.pbs.org/video/tracking-moose-in-nevada-p2p6jz/

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Eastern Nevada Conservation Education Supervisor Julie Gabrielson and Educator Nicole St. John to talk about the long-awaited 10th annual Elko Sportsman’s Expo! The expo is back on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 with two days of outdoor related activities and booths presented by NDOW and the Ruby Mountain Rios Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Julie and Nicole explains what attendees can expect at this FREE event, why it’s the perfect event to experience with your friends and family, and how it's a great way to connect with the Elko community.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW Wildlife Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme to talk about the best internship in the country, the James Lathrop and Wayne Capurro Memorial Internship Program. This program offers young adults who are passionate about pursuing a career in wildlife an exciting summer job working for the Department for up to four consecutive summers. On the job training is provided and work often consists of conducting a variety of wildlife surveys for species like bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and even moose! If you or someone you know is a graduating high school senior or a current undergraduate student passionate about wildlife, please have them listen to this episode for application tips and to learn more about this awesome program! Applications are open and are currently being accepted for several open positions within the program, so take your shot at the internship opportunity of a lifetime and apply today! The application deadline is February 7, 2025 at 5:00PM. For more information about the program and to download this years’ application use this link - https://www.ndow.org/blog/james-lathrop-and-wayne-capurro-memorial-internship/ Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW Wildlife Staff Specialist Pat Kelly to talk about his career at NDOW. Pat shares stories about raising a family at the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area and talks at length about why he’s enjoyed working at NDOW so much over the years. Pat has managed NDOW’s fish hatchery program for the past 14 years and is officially retiring later this month. Tune in this week to learn about NDOW’s fish hatchery program and listen to the guys swap stories about living and working at a fish hatchery. Who knows it just might be the perfect career for you! Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!