Ndow Presents The Nevada Wild Podcast

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with outgoing fisheries biologist extraordinaire Kim Tisdale to reflect on her 31-year career with NDOW. Kim shares the different roles she’s held over the years, highlights some of her favorite projects, and gives us a peek behind the curtain at the exciting changes coming to the Nevada Native Fish Slam Program. Kim is revered at NDOW not only as an exceptional biologist, but also as a friend and a mentor to many, and she will be sincerely missed. Be sure to give this week’s podcast a listen, and check out the link to the video below to learn more about Kim Tisdale and her incredible career. Kim talks about the different jobs she’s had here, highlights some of her favorite projects, and gives us a peek behind the curtain at the exciting changes coming to the Nevada Native Fish Slam Program. Kim is revered here at the Department as a biologist, a friend, and a mentor to many, she will be sincerely missed. Make sure to give this week’s podcas

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down to talk with NDOW’s Publication Coordinator Jamie Roice-Gomes. She tells us about the work that went into combining NDOW’s two big game publications into one convenient publication. She also shares her personal story of how she always wanted to go hunting but never had the opportunity, until she took matters into her own hands this past year. Listen to this weeks’ episode to learn about the new publication and a story about how it’s never too late to try something new!

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Bobby Jones is joined by NDOW outdoor education experts Julie Gabrielson and Nicole St. John to talk about why you don’t want to miss the 2026 Elko Sportsman’s Expo! The expo is free to attend and takes place from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. today, February 27 and tomorrow, February 28 at the Elko Conference Center. This is a can't-miss, family-friendly event with lots of activities for kids. New to the expo this year we have several first-time vendors, we’re bringing in a local falconer and his Harris Hawk “Leonidas” and we will have a big, Nevada bull moose European mount on display! Checkout the podcast and the flyers linked below for more information about this year’s expo! 2026 Elko Sportsman's Expo Flyer: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/26-Poster-Elko-Sportsmans-Expo-11x14-1.png Meet "Leonidas" at the Expo: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Artemis-and-Leo-Social-media.png

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with NDOW’s Game Division Administrator Shawn Espinosa to talk about chukar hunting and the story of how chukar first came to Nevada in the early 1930’s. Shawn shares his thoughts on how the 2025-2026 chukar hunting season has played out, gives his tips for anyone planning to head out before the end of the season, which is this coming Sunday, February 1, and dives into the history of the Nevada exotic game bird program. If you’re interested in chukar or chukar hunting at all give this week’s episode a listen.

The Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE) is back for the 15th year! 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 24 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. This FREE event is designed to excite and inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts with 43 hands-on stations offering a variety of activities. In this week’s Nevada Wild, NDOW’s Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Youth Education Coordinator Ryan Brock to talk about all the activities to expect at this year's YWCE, fill us in on the what's new this year, and how much the event has grown. Special guest Eva Briant, YWCE volunteer and Wild Sheep Foundation's Archery Club Member, joins us to tell us about her favorite YWCE stations, fond memories and her love for archery. More details on YWCE: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/What-We-Do/Youth-Education/YWCE To volunteer at the YWCE, contact Ryan Brock at: rbrock@wildsheepfoundation.o

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 “Bear Wise”. Find more resources on living with bears and other wildlife here: https://www.ndow.org/learn-discov

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!