In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with NDOW’s Upland Game Staff Specialist Justin Small to take a deep-dive into the 2024 chukar hunting forecast. Long story short, chukar are thriving in Nevada, and it’s going to be great chukar hunting season this year! Tune in to this week’s podcast to find out why this years’ forecast looks so good for chukar hunting in Nevada.
Hunting season is in full swing! Learn more about the awesome hunting opportunities that kickoff on Saturday, September 28, and why this fall is setting up to be one for the record books. In this podcast, Nevada Wild hosts Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with Logan Klonicke, Western Region Hunter Education Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife to talk about National and Nevada Hunting and Fishing Day. Aaron, Bobby, and Logan are all avid hunters and talk about what they hope to experience this fall. They also discuss the upcoming youth hunting opportunities, classes being offered by NDOW, and they share some great stories from the start of their hunting seasons.
In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones continue the conversation about renewable energy in Nevada with NDOW’s Wildlife Diversity Division Administrator Jasmine Kleiber and they are joined by The Nature Conservancy Director of External Affairs for Nevada Jaina Moan. Jasmine and Jaina talk about the current renewable energy landscape, how NDOW collaborates with partners like The Nature Conservancy to help avoid impacts to wildlife and they discuss what the future could hold for the Silver State.
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
Nevada's Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 8. This is the one day of the year you can fish any public water in the state without a fishing license. If you have never been fishing, Free Fishing Day is the day to get out and try it! In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller sits down with NDOW Educators Nicole Hamblin, Jan Nemec and Abbey Czarnecki to talk about all of the fun Free Fishing Day events happening across the state, how you can volunteer, fishing conditions, and how kids 12-17 years old can receive a fishing license from the Nevada Youth License Fund: www.ndow.org/blog/nevada-youth-license-fund/ Find a Free Fishing Day event near you here: www.ndow.org/blog/nevada-free-fishing-day/ Find fishing reports, stocking updates, the FishNV tool, and more resources here: www.ndow.org/get-outside/fishin…your-fishing-trip/
In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with lifelong angler, Mike Day, to hear his captivating story about how a typical day fishing quickly turned into a truly life-threatening situation. Mike’s recounting of that fishing trip is a story you don’t want to miss! Mike helps us underscore the importance of wearing a life jacket and gives us a perfect take-home message to put a bow on this year’s National Safe Boating Week!
In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s new Wildlife Diversity Division Administrator Jasmine Kleiber to talk about renewable energy in Nevada. Jasmine speaks to the current renewable energy landscape, how NDOW works with others to help avoid impacts to wildlife, and talks a bit about what we can expect the future to hold for the Silver State.
Nevada’s big game tag application deadline is almost here! In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW Elk and Moose Staff Specialist Cody McKee to talk about the current status of Elk and Moose in Nevada and the positive hunting outlook for these species in 2024. The application deadline for Nevada big game tags is 11:00 p.m. PST May 8. Apply today at ndowlicensing.com! https://nevada.licensing.app/ Resources mentioned in this podcast: NDOW's Moose Presentation - January 2024 Commission Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5vjP-Qoq-A 2024 Nevada Big Game Quota Recommendations: CR 24-12 https://nvboardofwildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CR-24-11-Black-Bear-Quotas-CR-24-12-Big-Game-Quotas.pdf May 2024 Commission Meeting Information: https://www.ndow.org/events/may-2024-commission-meeting/ NDOW's Top 10 Big Game Hunting Resources: https://www.ndow.org/blog/top-10-big-game-resources/
Nevada's big game tag application period deadline is quickly approaching! In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW Mule Deer and Antelope Staff Specialist Cody Schroeder to talk about the current status of Mule Deer and Antelope in Nevada, how a couple wet winters effect populations and tips to follow when preparing to apply. 2024 Nevada Big Game Quota Recommendations CR 24-12 https://nvboardofwildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CR-24-11-Black-Bear-Quotas-CR-24-12-Big-Game-Quotas.pdf May 2024 Commission Meeting Information https://www.ndow.org/events/may-2024-commission-meeting/ NDOW's Top 10 Big Game Hunting Resources https://www.ndow.org/blog/top-10-big-game-resources/ Apply for big game tags until 11 p.m. May 8 at www.ndowlicensing.com
The Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE) is back! YWCE, the youth portion of the Wild Sheep Foundation's Sheep Show, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on January 20 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. This FREE event is designed to excite and inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts with 40 hands-on stations offering a variety of activities. New this year, the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Statewide Tournament is taking place right next door on Thursday, January 18; another exciting way to get kids excited about the outdoors! In this week’s Nevada Wild, NDOW’s Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Ryan Brock and NDOW Statewide Recreation Shooting Coordinator Adam Kavanagh to talk about all the activities to expect at this year's YWCE and fill us in on the NASP tournament and its growth. Special guest Chase Kincaid, Ryan's former student and YWCE volunteer, joins us for the second half of the show to tell us about his favorite YWCE stations and his love for archery. More details on YWCE: https://www.facebook.com/events/900465997777266/?ref=newsfeed
What’s New in 2024? A Lot! This year, NDOW’s Fisheries Division underwent a thorough review of statewide regulations with the intent of simplifying regulations throughout the State. As a result, numerous changes that were proposed by the Fisheries Division and accepted by the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commission will come into effect on January 1, 2024. In this week’s Nevada Wild, hosts Ashley Zeme and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Sportfish Staff Specialist Kim Tisdale to fill you in on all the changes statewide, why they were made, and how our goal is to make it easier for you to enjoy Nevada’s waters! View the 2024 Nevada Fishing Regulations here: https://www.eregulations.com/nevada/fishing
Calling all procrastinators! Haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet? Don’t worry! We have you covered. In this festive installment of Nevada Wild, hosts Ashley Zeme and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones to help you fill your loved one’s stockings! Just days away from Christmas, they highlight thoughtful and affordable gifts that are perfect for anyone who enjoys spending time in nature, cooking, road tripping through Nevada, and more! They cover gifts ideas that can be enjoyed by anyone in your life!
In this week’s Nevada Wild, hosts Ashley Zeme (formerly Sanchez) and Aaron Keller sit down with Wildlife Diversity Division Administrator Jen Newmark and Wildlife Staff Specialist Jon Young to talk about the latest Nevada State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The plan represents the most important wildlife and habitats we must protect over the next 10 years, to ensure those species and landscapes are here for future generations. Our guests highlight the new, updated SWAP, the work that went into it, what’s new for this iteration, how it will engage partners and the public, its importance to funding, and more! Learn more and view the SWAP here: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2022-SWAP-Full-Doc-FINAL-print.pdf
This week's Nevada Wild celebrates Bat Week, the annual, international celebration of the role of bats in nature! Hosts Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Wildlife Staff Specialist Jess Brooks, who tells us all about her new role at NDOW in the Wildlife Diversity Division, the division that manages bats! She explains all the projects NDOW Wildlife Diversity Biologists are working on to monitor Nevada’s bat populations, and also shares some interesting bat facts and the important role they play in our ecosystem!
In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Winnemucca Fisheries Biologist Colter Feuerstein. Colter takes a break from his busy field season to tell us about a recent project he worked on to build Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA’s), or artificial beave dams, in Crowley Creek northwest of Winnemucca. As Colter explains, the goal is to restore Lahontan Cutthroat (LCT) habitat to its original state, since the stream supports one of the last endemic LCT populations in the northwest. Colter explains the role of BDA’s in doing this, the collaboration of partners supporting this work, and how this project not only helps LCT but also other wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole!
Fall is a great time to enjoy the Nevada outdoors. Not only is it beautiful, but the season brings a chance for excellent fishing opportunities, whether you are new to fishing or a veteran. In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Angler Educators Jan Nemec, Abbey Czarnecki, and Nicole Hamblin to talk about the fishing conditions across the state, the best waters to go, and the educational classes they offer for anyone interested in fishing and fly fishing. Buy your fishing license at ndowlicensing.com and view fishing reports here: https://www.ndow.org/get-outside/fishing/fishing-stocking-reports/database/
In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller introduce you to two new NDOW employees, Urban Wildlife Biologist Becca Carniello and her bear dog, Badger! Becca tells us about her background, how she ended up working at NDOW and adopting Badger to work on NDOW’s Karelian Bear Dog (KBD) team. She tells us a bit about the KBD program, and also what western Nevadans should be doing to secure their homes to keep Nevada’s bears wild as they build up calories before heading into their dens. Learn more about living in bear country here: https://www.ndow.org/blog/living-with-bears/
This Saturday, September 30, is the youth waterfowl hunt for Nevada's Northwest Zone! Don't forget, the general waterfowl season opens for the Northwest Zone and South Zone (except for Moapa Valley) on October 14 and it's already underway in eastern Nevada! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW's Waterfowl Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme to talk about the great conditions waterfowl hunters can expect this year! Russell shares some important information hunters should be aware of before heading into the field. While our wildlife management areas are open in time for the youth season, some WMA's, like Carson Lake Wildlife Manage Area, have specific vehicle access points due to flooding over the spring and summer. Russell goes over everything you need to know to have a safe and successful season at these locations. See this map of Carson Lake WMA's access points to follow along as Russell explains: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-Carson-Lake-WMA-Access-Map.png Find updates for other WMA's here: https://www.ndow.org/discover-your-public-land/
Upland game hunters have a lot to look forward to! Our annual Chukar Forecast is out, the statewide youth chukar hunt is next Saturday, September 30, and the statewide general chukar season opener is right around the corner on Saturday, October 14. In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW's new Upland Game Staff Specialist Justin Small to prepare upland game hunters for the approaching seasons. Small introduces himself and tells us about his background, breaks down the 2023 Chukar Forecast, and explains the best locations across the state for hopeful hunters. Buy your license at ndowlicensing.com so you can join in on the fun. Make it a combination license so you can do some fall fishing while you're on your hunt! View the 2023-24 Chukar Forecast here: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2023-24-Nevada-Chukar-Forecast.pdf View our Small Game Hunting Regulations and Seasons Book here: https://www.eregulations.com/assets/docs/guides/23NVSG.pdf
There are many unique adventures in Nevada that might require a special license, application or permit. Thankfully Biologist Nick Everett is here at NDOW to help customers through the process! In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Nick to learn more about his important role at NDOW. Nick explains the various special licenses, applications and permits you may not even realize you need, what you need to do to apply for one, and more! Find NDOW’s Special Licenses, Applications and Permits here: https://www.ndow.org/apply-buy/apply-buy-slaps/