Ndow Presents The Nevada Wild Podcast

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-W

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/

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez sit down with the 2022 Wayne E. Kirch Conservation Award recipient Elena Larsen. Larsen is the Vice President for Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation's (TMPF) Rosewood Nature Study Area and has made great strides in restoring the area to a functioning wetland. TMPF Executive Director Heidi Anderson also joins us to explain why she nominated Larsen for this prestigious award. The two explain the importance and status of this project, how crucial Americorps were to the effort, how to get involved and more! If you are interested in joining TMPF as an Americorps member, click here: https://www.tmparksfoundation.org/employment-opportunities?fbclid=IwAR0C0exSbWZEwiXpKAivpDbQj_0Kl9fvypQFhHWkvMOfJ8Y4OryDCEGCfF0 Know someone or an organization who has demonstrated significant results towards conservation, management, or enhancement of wildlife in 2023? Find out how to nominate them for the Kirch Award here: https://www.ndow.org/news/wayne-e-kirch-nevada-wildl

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller 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 provinces but not in Nevada. Nate explains the state'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 different ways hunters can help, including a new 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/

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is challenging you to spend 17 minutes outside every day! 17 minutes outside, is the new 10,000 steps! We know that a little bit of time outside, even 17 minutes, goes a long way to benefiting your personal health!    In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones who explains why 17 is the number we chose, what spending 17 minutes outside every day can do for your health, and more!

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Kevin Netcher to talk about Aquatic Invasive Species(AIS) and the harm they can have on the ecosystem and economy. Kevin explains which AIS are threatening Nevada’s natural resources, NDOW’s prevention efforts, and how you can help us stop AIS from spreading to more of Nevada’s waters! Learn more about AIS in Nevada here: https://www.ndow.org/get-outside/boating/aquatic-invasive-species-prevention-program/

This week’s Nevada Wild highlights the success of Nevada's Youth License Fund. Over several weeks this summer, this fund allowed members of the public and non-profit organizations to donate money to cover the cost of youth combination licenses for kids to remove a barrier to kids having FUN outdoors in Nevada! Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW’s Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones to talk about how many donations the fund received, how many licenses went out to kids who never fished before, what's next for the fund, how you can donate and more! Learn more about the fund and how to make donations here: https://www.ndow.org/blog/nevada-youth-license-fund/

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Migratory Game Bird Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme. He explains how the birds people commonly refer to as pigeons are actually “Rock doves!” He introduces us to Nevada’s actual pigeon species, including the band-tailed pigeon, a new project he’s working on to learn more about these birds, and how you can play an important role in this work!

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW’s new Habitat Division Administrator Mark Freese. They talk about his background with the agency, the important role the Habitat Division plays at NDOW, and the agency's many ongoing habitat restoration projects. In the second half of the show they also talk about Mark's passion for wildfire restoration work, which could not be done without the support of conservation partners, including the Nevada Dream Tags program! The Nevada Dream Tags raffle, happening now through June 30, is a chance at winning one of six premier big game tags. Funds raised through the Dream Tags raffle go straight into wildlife habitat conservation and rehabilitation in Nevada. Learn more and buy tickets here: https://shop.nvdreamtag.org/

The Wild Sheep Foundation’s Nevada Outdoor Experience, a FREE outdoor expo, was created to excite and inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're interested in archery, wildlife conservation, leave no trace ethics, nature crafts, gold panning, rock climbing, or even metal detecting, there really is something for everyone! In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez sit down with the Wild Sheep Foundation's Ryan Brock to go over event details and explain what activities to expect, why this is such a great event for families, and how the event keeps growing and getting better!

Nevada's Free Fishing Day is tomorrow, Saturday, June 10. 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, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Educators Nicole Hamblin 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: https://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: https://www.ndow.org/get-outside/fishing/plan-your-fishing-trip/

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with local fishing legend Jan Nemec, NDOW’s Western Nevada Angler Education Coordinator. Jan tells us all about his history with the agency, and explains his passion for fishing, and even greater passion for fly tying! Jan fills us in on his upcoming events, including two of NDOW’s most fun events, the Kids Carp Derby and Free Fishing Day. He also highlights where to go for great fishing right now! Find details and registration on upcoming events here: https://register-ed.com/programs/nevada/210-angler-education

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the official start of boating season! The wet winter the state experienced this year is going to make for a prime year to get out on Nevada's waters, so now is the time to prepare your boat! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW's Statewide Boating Education Coordinator Aaron Meier to discuss National Safe Boating Week and the steps to take to ensure you and your family have a safe, enjoyable time out on the water! Find out how to register your boat, enroll in a Boating Education course and more here:https://www.ndow.org/get-outside/#

Nevada's big game tag application period deadline is quickly approaching! In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Hunter Education Coordinator Martin Olson to talk about frequently asked questions they've received about the application period, tools like NDOW's Big Game Application Workshop, and tips to follow when preparing to apply. Apply for tags until 11 p.m. May 10 at ndowlicensing.com. View our 2023 Big Game Tag Application Workshop here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUZv-JFMl0w

This week’s Nevada Wild celebrates National Volunteer Month! NDOW is lucky to have incredibly skilled and passionate volunteers working hard across the state. From field work to educational programming, volunteers are vital to this agency. Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Volunteer Program Coordinators Nicole Hamblin, Michelle Lopez, and Julie Bless. They explain why volunteers are so important to NDOW’s conservation programs and projects, upcoming volunteer opportunities across the state and how you can get involved! Find everything you need to know to get started as a volunteer here: https://www.ndow.org/learn-discover/get-involved/