Wildlife Almanac (Read in "Fullscreen")

8/14/2019 Wildlife Almanac (Read in "Fullscreen")

1/191 Nevada Department of Wildlife

Nevada Department of WildlifeFall Issue - August, 2009

Big GameForecast

Eye inthe SkyBiologists now track

Nevadas big game bsatellite (Page 3)

Many of Nevadas big

game herds continue to

thrive and set population

records (Page 7)



Director Ken Mayer

Fellow Sportsmen and Outdoor Enthusiasts,

As I read through this issue of the FallWildlife Almanac, I started to notice an importantreoccurring theme. From the story on wildlife

viewing, the big game forecast or shing on LakeMead, the Nevada Department of Wildlife website

(www.ndow.org) offersthe public an incrediblylarge and comprehensiveamount of information andmaterials to help themwith nearly any questionor situation in the outdoorworld.

Take shing in Nevada

for example. Anglers inthis state can check onup-to-date shing reportsand stocking information

broken down by region. Angler InformationGuides detail the top 79 waters in the state, andthe How to Fish in Nevada book explains the insand outs of angling the Silver State. Where tosh, how to sh, sh identicationif you have aquestion about shing in Nevada, there is a goodchance the answer is on the NDOW website.

Hunters in the state are just as fortunate. Thewebsite has nearly everything a sportsmen needsto ensure a successful hunt. Hunter informationsheets detail specic hunts by species andregion. These information sheets tellyou about herd movement as well asnding camping or gas stations in thearea. NDOWs mapping section coverseverything from hunt unit maps to BLMmaps to an interactive mapping programthat allows you to build your own map

with your own specications. Applicationinformation, hunt statistics and draw odds,and bonus point tables allow sportsmento put themselves in the best positionpossible for the big game tag draw. Thekey to a successful hunt is preparation andthere is no better place to start than www.ndow.org.

Outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts cannd detailed information sheets on the

Directors Message

animals and habitats of Nevada. Learn how toavoid conict with wildlife or what conservationprograms are under way across the state. From

bird watching to volunteering, the information isthere for your education and enjoyment.

So enjoy yourself as you read the 2009 FallWildlife Almanac, there are some great storiesabout whats going on around the Silver State. Butif you have any questions once youve nished,you might want to take a minute and check outall the great information on the NDOW website.You just might be surprised how much you nd.Consider signing up for one of our list serves:shing, hunting, habitat and wildlife, follow us

on Twitter or in Facebook. There are lots of newways to learn about the recreational opportunitiesthat the Silver State offers.

As always, I recommend that you take sometime off from your busy lives and spend it outdoors.I sincerely hope that your days aeld are the bestever!

Sincerely,

Kenneth E. Mayer, DirectorNevada Department of Wildlife


3/19

FALL WILDLIFE ALMANA

Nevada Department of Wildlife

By Aaron Meier

The last time mountain quailwere plentiful in the StillwaterRange in Churchill County (1948)Harry Truman was president andJoe Louis was the heavyweight

champion of the world. ShawnEspinosa, upland game biologist forthe Nevada Department of Wildlife(NDOW) thinks its about time they

made a comeback.

Mountain quail are magnicent

birds, especially their plumagecharacteristics. They occupydiverse and varying habitats.

We just hope for success in re-establishing the population,said Espinosa. Our hope is that these effortswill provide diverse recreational opportunity tosportsmen while creating additional populationstrongholds.

Mountain quail are found primarily in themountains along the West Coast and are thelargest North American quail averaging 10-11inches in length. While the California quail hasthe well-known curved plume on top of its head,

the mountain quail has a beautiful long straightplume. Espinosa states that mountain quail oftenoccupy the steepest, and more densely covereddrainages in a particular mountain range.

NDOW began re-introducing mountain quail inthe Stillwater Range in Churchill County in 2008with the release of 97 birds. This year, NDOW

released another 87 birds, whichEspinosa reports will be the last

release for the foreseeable

future in this location.No more releases

are planned in theStillwater Range fornow until the successof these releases hasbeen determined, he

said. Plans are inplace to release birdsinto Lincoln County

and Humboldt County in 2009 and 2010, butmuch of this depends on source stock availability

from other states.Initial efforts to restore mountain quail numbers

in Nevada were difcult with no source stock

available. However, a relationship was formedbetween NDOW and the China Lake NavalWeapons Station (CLNWS), near Ridgecrest,

Calif., to supply mountain quail for transplant intoNevada. Since the initial release in the ToiyabeRange in 1986, over 1,500 quail have beenreleased into 29 different locations in Nevada.

Much of the credit for getting this programrolling goes to retired NDOW biologist Sid Eatonwho facilitated and coordinated efforts withCLNWS, states Espinosa. Recently, CLNWS has

not had a base population number or productionto support removing any birds; however, westernOregon mountain quail populations have been

doing well and the Oregon Department of Fishand Wildlife has provided 200 mountain quail fortranslocation to Nevada over the last two years.

He explains the overall goal is to establishsustainable populations of mountain quail intotargeted mountain ranges with the birds spreadthroughout the range. This will allow the birdsto compensate for any environmental events inparticular areas that may cause drastic populationdeclines.

Mountain Quail back in the Stillwaters

NDOW game biologists Shawn Espinosa

(right) and Jason Salisbury release

mountain quail back into the Stillwater

Range for the rst time since 1948.



By Aaron Meier and Joe Doucette

In the past, game biologists looking to trackspecic herds used radio collars on the animals

and checked on them using telemetry equipment

from the ground or during surveys from the air.For the past four years, however, the NevadaDepartment of Wildlife (NDOW) has used asatellite collar that contains a small GPS unit,which generates coordinates of the animal everyfour hours and a transmitter to transmit the datavia satellites to NDOW computers each day.

This is not your fathers Department ofWildlife.

After the catastrophic wildres in 2006,

we became concerned for the western Elko

County deer herds critical wintering areas. Thisprompted an effort to intensively monitor muledeer movements and their survival using satellite

telemetry in real time, said NDOW big gamebiologist Mike Cox.

What started as a trial run with a handful of

collars on a select number of deer has turned intoa successful program that now monitors 25-35collars annually on Nevada deer, elk and bighorn

sheep across the state. Since the rst deployment

of satellite collars on Nevadas big game animalsin 2001, a total of 125 different animals have been

tted with either satellite collars or store-on-board

GPS collars.These collars allow us to have a much better

understanding of these animals migration routesand seasonal habitat use areas for mule deer andelk and to monitor bighorn sheep survival and

their movements in selecting preferred habitatafter being released into new areas, said Cox.

They are accurate, precise, and supplyus with tons of data. The collars arenight and day more efcient than trying

to track them down from the ground or

air with telemetry equipment.He said the objective of the project

is to better understand specic staging

areas and routes Nevadas big gameanimals use to migrate across thelandscape. The collars provided evenmore valuable information after severalyears of devastating res destroyed

large chunks of historic winter range for

Nevadas mule deer. NDOW was able toevaluate how the deer maneuver throughthe various burns in an attempt to survivethe loss of habitat. This information has

helped NDOW and land managementagencies better focus limited habitatrestoration and conservation funds onspecic areas the deer prefer based on

the GPS coordinates collected each day.The collars can be programmed

to send out a signal at the desiredintervals of the biologist according to Kari

Eye in the Sky - Big Game Biology from Space

Desert bighorn ewe movements for

rst seven months after released in

new area for reintroduction effort.

Story Continued on Following Page


5/19



Huebner, NDOW game biologist for Area 7. Duringthe migration periods, I programmed collars tosend out a signal every two hours because the

deer were traveling so far in a single day. Duringtheir stay on the winter and summer ranges Ilengthened the intervals to prolong the batterylife.

Huebner has a different set of requirementsfor the data that she gets from her collared deer.Deer in my area cross two very busy highwaysand many are hit by cars. We have a deeroverpass under construction on US 93 about 10miles north of Wells (see related story on page16) and the data from the collars was an important

part of determining the location of the overpassand the fencing associated with the overpass.

One of the benecial aspects for the project

is that a GPS signal is sent to the satellite at theintervals dened by the biologists and then just a

day or two later they can access the informationon the internet, superimpose it over aerialphotographs from Google Earth and determinehow fast the animals move, what corridors they

are using and where they are wintering, fawningand summering.

The real benet is having continuous data

recorded every four hours. We can track exactlyhow the animals move from point A to point B,and discover what obstacles they might haveencountered, everything from mining activity tohighways. With a conventional VHF collar, wecould only track by the air or on foot every one

to two months and get a far less detailed idea ofhow the animals were moving, said Ken Gray,NDOW game biologist.

As much as biologists would like to spend time

in the eld collecting the data the old fashioned

way on foot, there are only 15 NDOW gamemanagement biologists statewide, and with everincreasing responsibilities, there simply is notenough time to collect such detailed information,says Cox. Even if an army of volunteers wereavailable, there are too few roads in many of thecritical areas to track hourly herd movements.

While the original plan for the satellite collars

NDOW big game biologist Pat

Cummings releases a bighorn

sheep after attaching a satellite

tracking collar.




was to determine how far portions of Elkos deer

herd were going into Idaho to winter, NDOWgame biologist Ken Gray explains that the collarsare now being used for a much wider range ofinformation. Recently we changed the directionof our collaring program to see how the extensiveres in Area 6 were affecting the herds migration

to and from their winter ranges, and the use ofthese winter ranges once deer arrived.Gray has found through the data collected

from the collars that many deer are having tomove through extensive burned areas along theirmigration routes and that the fawns are probablyarriving at the winter range in poorer condition,which has contributed to the low fawn recruitment.The biologists have programmed the collarsto fall off the animals after two years, givingthem two full annual cycles to see if the deers

Habitat destroyed by wildre shown in red.

With the information collected from a satellite collar,

NDOW biologists were able to map out the exact route

a mule deer doe in northern Nevada took through

habitat ravaged by wildres to reach winter range.

habits are consistent or not. There is a releasemechanism built into the collar as well as a VHFradio telemetry signal which helps the biologistsnd the collar once it is on the ground.

The program is expensive, between thecollars, the helicopter trapping and downloadcosts; the estimate is around $5,000 per collar

over the two-year life of the collar. But both Grayand Huebner say the information is pricelessand they have both learned information thatcould only have come from this program. Themajority of the funding for collars and captureshave come from the Wildlife Heritage Trust Fund.Other signicant contributors include Nevada

Bighorns Unlimited Reno and Midas Chapters,Elko Bighorns Unlimited, Fraternity of the Desert

Bighorn, and Newmont and Barrick Goldstrike

Corporations.


7/19



By Doug Nielsen

When summer gives way to fall in southern

Nevada, anglers head to the waters of the Lower

Colorado River and hunt for big striped bass.

Though stripers can be caught year round, the

cooler temperatures of fall bring larger sh near

the surface at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave

where anglers stand a better chance of hooking

into a really big sh.

Just how large are we talking about?

Consider this. The current state record striped

bass was pulled from Lake Mohave in 2001. It

weighed in at an impressive 63 pounds and

measured 49 inches long. The Lake Mead record

is 52-pounds, 8-ounces. While record-breaking

sh arent reeled in every

day, or even every

year, these records

do show what each

lake is capable of

producing. At Lake

Mohave, 30-pound

stripers are

fairly common,

especially in the

fall and spring.If you want to

catch sh, it pays

to know what they

eat. Studies of the

stripers eating habits

show that Lake Mead

stripers feed almost exclusively on

threadn shad, but they will eat other sh

when the opportunity arises. Keep this in mind

when selecting your bait. Obviously, live shad isthe best bait but they are sometimes hard to nd.

Thats when you may want to go with anchovies,

sardines or squid. Many anglers opt to cut their

anchovies into three or four pieces. The heads

and tail pieces they use for chum and the center

pieces for baiting their hooks.

When shing with natural bait, chumming will

greatly enhance your catch rates and is permitted

on Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Keep in mind,

Southern Nevadas Fall Stripers

however, that you cannot chum with game sh.

Some anglers chum with cut anchovies, others

with corn.

Lures can also be very productive for striped

bass, especially when they are actively feeding on

the surface. When stripers actively feed at or near

the surface they often create quite a commotion

on the waters surface. This disturbance, often

referred to as a striper boil, is created by the

shad or other baitsh as they attempt to escape

the feeding frenzy. Do not drive your boat through

a boil as this will often cause the stripers to shut

down. Instead position your vessel on the outside

edge of the boil and cast into it. That way the sh

will keep feeding and will be

more likely to hit your

bait. Popular lure

patterns include

the Sassy Shad,

K a s t m a s t e r ,

Jumping Minnow

and Zara Spook

among others.

In addition to

striped bass, LakeMead and Lake

Mohave provide

good fall shing

action for both

largemouth bass

and smallmouth

bass. A popular

technique for both of these

sh is the drop shot shed along the bottom

with a plastic worm. Surface plugs, spinnerbaits,crankbaits and other plastics will also catch these

popular sh. The Rattle Trap and other crank

baits that imitate shad are a good bet in the fall.

A key with both species is to sh points and other

structure.

Every once in a while, Lake Mead will give

up a real toad. The state record largemouth bass

was caught here in 1999. The sh weighed in at

12 pounds even.



By John McKay

2009 looks to be an excellent year for big

game tag holders in the Silver State. With the loneexception of mule deer, Nevadas big game herdscontinue to thrive and set population records.

However, with mule deers ongoing strugglesdue to a host of natural and man-made issues,the outlook for this mainstay species continues to

cloud an otherwise sunny forecast for Nevada biggame hunters. Heres a brief look at the various

species and habitat conditions around the state.

Mule Deer

Signs through the rst

half of 2009 point to a goodhunting season with late springstorms delivering signicant

precipitation across much ofNevada. The much neededwater dramatically improvedhabitat conditions and thepossibility of good antler growth.However, any recent habitatimprovements will be short livedif drought conditions return this

summer and fall.Spring mule deer fawn ratios(the percentage of fawns toadults) were mixed across thestate in 2008, with ratios insome units at or above the ve-year average,

some below and others exhibiting record lowrecruitment. Low fawn ratios ultimately mean

limited recruitment, little if any herd growth andpossible further declines in populations. Despitelow recruitment, buck ratios (the percentage of

bucks to does) appear to be holding, with many

units at or above the 30 bucks/100 does level.

All told, below normal precipitation, coupled withcatastrophic wildres and other large-scale habitat

destruction and degradation would seem to pointto a continued long-term decline in Nevadas muledeer herd populations.

Rocky Mountain Elk

With the exception of Area 26 in southernNevada, elk populations continue to expand

statewide. The spring 2009 population is

estimated at 10,900, a 28 percent increase overthe ve-year average and another record high.

The statewide population continues to increasedespite aggressive cow elk harvests in many

units designed to keep populations at or below

management objectives. A total of 1,315 elk were

harvested in 2008, with 656 bulls taken, of which

59 percent were six-point or better.

Pronghorn Antelope

The highest recorded statewide pronghorn

population in history (24,000) was reported in2008, only to be surpassed in 2009 with anestimated 24,500 animals. As an illustration of justhow dramatically pronghorn numbers have grownin recent years the 2009 population estimate is14 percent over the ve-year average of 21,500,

which was the new record statewide population in2006. Above average kid production rates, high

postseason buck ratios and an active relocation

program by NDOW have continued to expandpronghorn numbers and range in recent years.

2009 Big Game Forecast


Photo by Dave Peterson


9/19



And even though the rate of pronghorn populationgrowth has slowed or even reversed in somehunt units, the overall statewide population trendremains positive with good buck ratios and quality

animals to be found in every unit.

Bighorn Sheep

Desert bighorn continue to set populationrecords. The 2009 statewide populationestimate of 7,000 is the highest everrecorded and is 19 percent over the ve-

year average.Nevada remains the leader in providing

quality desert bighorn hunting with a record173 tags issued in 2008 and high huntersuccess at 88 percent. The quality of theanimals remained high as well with the

average age of harvested rams holdingsteady at 6.3 years (from 6.4 years in2007) and an average Boone & Crockett

score of over 152 points.California bighorn are also doing very

well. Aerial surveys observed high lamb ratios ina number of units and indicate steady growth inalmost all herds. The 2008 estimated statewidepopulation is 1,800; also a record high and athirteen percent increase over the ve-year

average.

Rocky Mountain bighorn populations remainstable to slightly increasing. Moderate lambproduction, good age class distribution of ramsin the population and growth of the recentlyaugmented Rocky herd in the Mount Moriah area

of the north Snake Range of eastern White Pine

County all point to a bright future for this species.The thirteen Rocky tags issued in 2008 is the

highest number ever and more than double thesix tags issued in 2006.

Mountain Goat

Mountain goats of the East Humboldts andRuby Mountains continue to do very well withpopulations in the three hunt units they regularlyinhabit exhibiting a stable to slightly upward trend.Opportunities to hunt this unique trophy specieshave increased dramatically over the last ve

years and hunters continue to experience veryhigh success rates (93 percent in 2008).

Hunter success, hunter days and averageage of harvested animals all indicate stable goatpopulations with trophy quality animals.

Much of the information used in this forecastwas gathered from the Nevada Departmentof Wildlife 2008 2009 Big Game StatusBook. The status book is a compilation of the

annual herd status reports for all big gamespecies as written by area game biologistsfrom around the state. It also containsa wealth of other information valuableto hunters including tag numbers, drawodds, harvest information and historicalpopulation estimates. The status book can

be read in its entirety on the NDOW websiteat www.ndow.org.



By Kelly Clark and Shawn Espinosa

A study on the impacts of a utility line onsage-grouse populations in Eureka County isnot yet complete; however there have beensome interesting ndings to date regarding sage-

grouse demographics and habitat associations.Sage-grouse populations associated with thestudy area have experienced a 25% decrease inmale sage-grouse lek attendance, and the third

consecutive year of population declines.The study was developed as partial

mitigation for construction of the line and severalfunding partners including the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), Nevada Department of

Wildlife (NDOW), University of Nevada, Reno

(UNR) and NV Energy cooperated to make thestudy a reality. Dr. James Sedinger and graduatestudent Erik Blomberg from the Department ofNatural Resources and Environmental Sciencesat UNR are currently working on the study, now

in its seventh year. Their hypothesis is thatraptors and ravens that perch on the new utilityline will hunt both young and adult sage-grousenearby, thereby negatively affecting sage-grouse

populations. Alternatively, they propose that theperceived threat of predation associated with theutility line may also cause sage-grouse to avoidthose areas, effectively causing them to abandonthe leks (strutting and mating grounds), nest sites,

and brood rearing areas near the utility line.The study area is along State Route 278 and

includes the Cortez and Roberts Mountains inEureka County. The transmission line, known as

Falcon to Gondor, is a 345-kilovolt NV Energy

transmission line that was constructed in the fallof 2003. It is 290 km long with 735 towers that vary

in height from 23 to 40 meters. It was constructedwith H-brace uprights outtted with perch

deterrents. According to NDOW biologist Mike

Podborny, the power line is in the middle ofEureka Countys prime sage-grouse habitat.

To date, up to 13 sage-grouse lek sites

are being monitored, with 950 male andfemale sage-grouse having been capturedand banded or radio marked during the rst

six years of the study. Of the 13 sites, thenumber of males on four of the leks increased,

six leks had fewer males display, one lek site

was about the same and two had insufcient

data to reect a trend. The number of males

was at a high of 423 in 2006, and a low of212 in 2008. The number of females on theleks showed a low of 46 in 2007, and a high

of 87 in 2006.In the rst six years of the study, 144

raptor surveys were conducted. During the

rst few years of the study, there was anincreasing trend in the sightings of commonravens at sage-grouse leks, but that numberdropped dramatically in 2008. The H-braceperch deterrents constructed as part of theline seemed effective for awhile as raptorsshowed reduced perching bouts (timeperched), but ravens have found a way to

Study Shows Impacts of Power Lines on Sage-grouse



11/19


Nevada Department of Wildlife 1

construct a nest even on very difcult

surfaces. This year there was a highnumber of raven nests observed onthe line (11) compared to previousyears (high count of eight.)

Researchers are reviewing sage-grouse mortality and vegetativecharacteristics associated withnesting and brood rearing activities.Data collected so far indicates thatmonthly survival was lowest duringthe months of April and September.Mortality during the spring is tobe expected because of nestingactivities and the high visibility ofsage-grouse on leks; however, theearly fall mortality was interestingbecause the mortality occurred before hunting

seasons began. Both birds and mammals areapparently predators on the sage-grouse. Otherndings are that sites with higher shrub diversityexperienced increased nesting success. Inaddition, shrub cover played a more importantrole in nesting success than understory (grassand forb) vegetation.

The 2009 progress report on the study statesthat this years conditions are exceptional for highbrood/chick survival, with regular precipitation,

and good grass and shrub growth. The report

states Of 20 broods that have hatched, weveonly documented three complete brood lossesso far, and most broods are 2-3 weeks old. With

any luck this high rate of brood/chick survival will

carry on through the summer and lead to our rstpopulation increase since 2006.

The report Dynamics of Greater Sage-grouse(Centrocercus Urophasianus) Populations inResponse to Transmission Lines in Central

Nevada will be available on line at www.ndow.orgupon conclusion of the study.

Greater sage-grouse populations acrossthe West have declined since the 1960s, withsome states showing stabilizing trends in thepast two decades. Sage-grouse are dependent

upon sagebrush for food and shelter throughoutthe year and depend on sagebrush exclusivelyduring the winter months. Across the West, about

530,000 square kilometers of the sagebrush

steppe habitat that Greater sage-grousedepend upon has been lost, and someleading sage-grouse biologists (Connelly, etal) believe that the loss and degradation ofhabitat is an important cause of populationdecline.

At least nine separate petitions to list sage-grouse as an endangered species havebeen considered by the United States Fishand Wildlife Service (USFWS). Currently,USFWS is reviewing a lawsuit led by

Western Watersheds Project, a conservationgroup that sued the wildlife service over itsdecision not to list Greater sage-grouse in2005. That decision has been delayed butis now scheduled to be announced in early2010.



By Jake Sunderland

Preparation is key to a successful hunt.Scouting, research, sighting in your weapon,physical tness, gear and packing; all thesethings are important and if you dont spend time

preparing and doing your homework your chancesof a successful and enjoyable hunt decrease.

Each step to preparing for your hunt is justas important as the next. You cant have anenjoyable hunt if you dont know your area, butdont forget that your chances of success are lowif you havent prepared your weapon. Forget yourtag and your trip is over before it begins. Luckily,the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) hasmany resources on its website, ndow.org, to helpyou do your research as you prepare for your

hunt.It is important to know

your hunt unit; ndow.orgcan help with its hunterinformation sheets(found at ndow.org/hunt/resources/infosheets/),hunt unit advisories thatwarn of difcult hunteraccess (found at ndow.o rg /hun t / r esou rces /

advise/) and detailedmaps (found at ndow.org/hunt/maps/). However,nothing can replacescouting your hunt unit.

The biggest thing isto know your unit by scouting two or three timesand studying the resources NDOW has online,said Mike Cox, a big game staff biologist atNDOW. Sometimes its been a while since youhad a tag, so you denitely want to familiarize

yourself with the unit and its boundaries.Cox said that another great way to get to know

hunt units is to use NDOWs Interactive MappingService (found at ndow.org/learn/map_project/).Using the Interactive Mapping Service, hunterscan view topographic maps, unit boundary maps,land status maps, Wilderness Area maps andmuch more.

Nevada is 80 percent public land, which isgreat, but you need to know how best to access

it, Cox said. Make sure you know whereDepartment of Defense and tribal lands existwhich are close to hunting and make sure youget permission from a landowner to hunt on any

private land.While studying unit maps, keep an eye out for

restricted vehicle use areas.While it sounds obvious, its important to

remember that hunting is a physical activity andthat hunters will want to be in shape when theyhead out into the eld.

Get back into shape, Cox said. Its importantto have a regimented exercise routine so that youare prepared physically for the hunting season.

Dont forget to prepare your weapon for the

hunt. Sight in your rie orbow and practice severaltimes at a local range ifavailable. Always packextra ammunition andarrows. Making sure yourweapon is ready and youcan accurately shoot itwill ensure a clean killand prevent senselesswounding of an animal.

What hunters packis very important to thesuccess of their trip aswell. For clothing, besure to pack clothes forall types of weather and

temperature. Make sure your boots have beenbroken in. Dont forget that you must have yourhunting license and tag with you at all times.Binoculars, scopes, rope and a headlamp withextra batteries are a must. More on what to pack

can be found at NDOWs Hunter Checklist (foundat ndow.org/hunt/resources/check/).

The important thing about preparation is thatits a process that should be spread out over weeksand even months. Doing all this the weekendbefore you leave on your hunt is a daunting task,but when its spread over the course of a fewmonths its a great way to extend your hunts froma few days in the eld to an activity that you get toenjoy throughout the year at home.

Doing Your Homework Key to Hunting Success


13/19



By Carolyn Montgomery

Like any angler, Adam Truran gotout his rod, rigged up his line with aRapala, strapped on his headlampand went shing early one June

morning, but from there, this sh taleis a unique one. That early morningat Lahontan Reservoir, Truran wasreeling in a new state record forwiper.

This story gets even better. Notonly did Trurans 25-pound, 9-ounce,33-inch long wiper set a new Nevadastate record, he was just 1-pound13-ounces shy of achieving a newworld recordfor the hybrid species.

According to the NevadaDepartment of Wildlifes (NDOW)Trophy Fish Record book, this isntthe rst wiper state record set atLahontan Reservoir; in fact, the record has beenset and broken eight times since 2000 makingit the most hotly contested chase in the Nevadaangling record book.

A newcomer to the record-holders, Truranbroke the two-year-old record of 25-pounds6-ounces set by Dan Hannum of Dayton in July2007. Expect Hannum to try to regain the title, hehas set the state record four times since 2002,and it took him only 15 days to recapture the title

the last time he lost it.Checking NDOWsTrophy Fish Book,this Churchill Countyshery boasts vestate records. Inaddition to the wiper,

record white bass,channel catsh andwalleye have beenpulled in over theyears.Lahontan Reservoir,

despite last yearsdismal water year,has reboundedextremely well due tothe second wettest

June on record. In addition to capturing onaverage 10-pound wipers, anglers are also havingsuccess with walleye, with a recently reported9-pound 8-ouncer reeled in, and a largemouthbass tipping the scales at 3-pounds 7-ounces.

We expected them to reach maximum sizeat around 25 pounds; the world record being27-pounds 5-ounces, said Mark Warren, Chiefof the Fisheries Division. With the abundance ofSacramento blacksh in the reservoir, we knewthat the wipers would have an abundant foodsource and grow to larger, if not world recordsizes.

Wipers, a hybrid cross of a white bass and astriped bass, were rst introduced into LahontanReservoir in 1993 and, water levels permitting,thousands have been stocked every year. In this

warm-water shery, they have been getting biggerever since. In fact, in the 2002 Trophy Fish Recordbook Warren, then a sheries biologist, predicted,the wiper record from Lahontan Reservoir shouldcontinue to be broken annually until sh reach themid-twenty pound size.

How right he was.So grab your shing gear and get out to your

favorite water, bragging rights to a new recordcould be yours, just ask Adam Truran, proudowner of the largest wiper in the state of Nevada.

Previous record holder

Dan Hannum

Adam Truran pulled

in this state-record

wiper out of LahontanReservoir June 6, 2009

Angler Just Misses World Record with Monster Wiper



By Margie Klein, Norv Dallin and Aaron Keller

For those outdoor enthusiastswhose idea of shooting featuresa camera, Nevada offers a

wide variety of wildlife viewingopportunities.

Nationwide, wildlife viewingis fast becoming one of the topeconomic drivers in the tourismcategory. The U.S. Fish andWildlife Service reported in2006 that participants spendmore than $45 billion annuallyon wildlife watching activities.Moreover, the report estimatedthat 71 million people participatein the activity nationwide - a 13%increase over the previous 10years. And though it may seemstrange to some, more than halfof wildlife watchers are sportsmen.

Wildlife viewing, however, isnt just for thetourists. With so many new residents hailing fromother parts of the country, there is a real interestin nding community ties. What better way to get

invested in a new locale than by connecting withnature? Folks looking for knowledge about their

local environment are visiting parks, management

areas, forests and refuges. Participants areinterested in what they can see, when they cansee it and where. They also want tips for enjoyingthe wildlife viewing experience in a responsiblemanner, but many dont know what theyre looking

for.NDOW is answering the call by providing

accurate species lists and wildlife viewing

educational programs. The agency is alsoembracing the world of social networking and can

now be found on Twitter. Check us out at http://

twitter.com/NvDOW.

Check out some of the outstanding viewing

opportunities statewide:

Southern Region

Though most people probably wouldntconsider Southern Nevada a haven for wildlife,

there are those who know better. In fact, during

recent years, this part of the Silver State has seena signicant increase in the number of people who

participate in wildlife viewing. This increase wasreected in the success of the inaugural Wings &

Wildlife Festival held recently in Laughlin.NDOW helped to organize the Wings and

Wildlife Festival, which took place in March of this

year. The rst-time event saw over two hundred

people in attendance. Events offerings includedseminars, birding and wildlife viewing excursions,and the opportunity to speak with representatives

of local natural resource agencies. The festivalwon an award from the Nevada Commission onTourism. The majority of festival participantswere from out-of-state.

Since Nevada relies so heavily on revenuegenerated through tourism, the state is well-served by jumping on the ecotourism bandwagon.Pink Jeep Tours was Southern Nevadas original

ecotourism operator, but it didnt take long for

other outdoor tour vendors to join them. Even thetraditional bus tour operators are joining in andincluding wildlife as one of the sites to see.

Wildlife Viewing in the Silver State



15/19



migrating waterfowl from the Central and Pacic

Flyways. The refuge, which supports the largestpopulation of nesting canvasback ducks west of

the Mississippi River outside Alaska, is a vital

waterfowl nesting area for many species. Severalroads open to automobiles and bicycles allowclose up views of many of the 207 bird speciesfound in the area. Mule deer and antelope canoften be spotted grazing in the nearby meadowsas well.

Western RegionAaron Keller, conservationeducator at NDOW, explains thatone of the tricks to watching wildlife

is recognizing good wildlife habitat.The strip along a river is calleda riparian area, one of the mostvaluable habitats for wildlife. In ariparian area, variety is key. Trees

and shrubs of different ages andheights offer a multi-level layering

of places for birds to perch, restor nest. A mix of understory andaquatic plants offer a banquet offood opportunities in berries, shoots,leaves and seeds. The cool riverentices many animals of all shapesand sizes for drinking water, or to

nd a shady place to escape.

Unlike most rivers in the world,

Great Basin rivers do not ow into

the sea. Their water sinks into the ground

or is evaporated into the atmosphere.Water is scarce in this part of the countryand the demands and pressures for riversto fulll a variety of needs are growing.

The shortage of water effectively makes

wildlife populations gravitate to the streams

and rivers of northern Nevada. It is notuncommon to walk the Truckee River and

view ducks, geese, mink, muskrat, and

deer just to name a few. Migrating birds willoften chart their route along river coursesto ensure plenty of places to stop along theway.

These migration routes are followed bywildlife on the ground too! The routes canbe viewed season after season, and the

chances of seeing the same animal yearafter year is not unheard of.One prime example of these valuable

Northern Nevada riparian areas is the OxbowNature Study Area. A visit to the Oxbow willtake you back in time to what the Truckee River

looked like before all of the houses and roads

were built. You will have the opportunity to viewmany species of wildlife in the gallery forests,along the trails, and if you look close you might

spot a passing cutthroat trout swimming upriver

looking for mayies to catch for lunch.


17/19



By Joe Doucette

In a collaborative effort, the NevadaDepartment of Transportation (NDOT) and theNevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) arebuilding a wildlife crossing overpass approximately

nine miles north of Wells, Nevada on US 93. Inaddition to the overpass, there will be wing fenceshelping to funnel the deer to the overpass. Thiswildlife crossing overpass is one of the rst of its

kind in the western United States.

We average 1,500 to 3,000 deer migratingthrough this corridor across US 93 in an averageyear, explains Kari Huebner, NDOW big gamebiologist, and many are struck by vehicles, some

are reported but many arent.

The project, designed to protect both deerand humans alike, has been in the planning

for two years. To pay for the project NDOT willbe using approximately $1.5 million from theAmerican Recoveryand ReinvestmentAct and NDOWand supporters areproviding $880,395.

For this overpassproject, NDOW hascontributed $500,000from the wildlifeportion of theQuestion 1 BondInitiative. This bondwas approved bythe public on Nov.5, 2002. NDOWreceived $27.5million to enhance,

protect and managewildlife and wildlifehabitat, enhance recreational opportunitiesrelated to wildlife, and develop and renovatefacilities and improve existing habitats for sh and

wildlife.In addition for this project, NDOW contributed

$267,495 in Wildlife Restoration funds, $75,000from the Nevada Wildlife Record Book (a nonprot

sportsmens group that receives its funding from

sale of the bighorn sheep license plate) and$37,900 from Wildlife Heritage funds for fencingand monitoring of game movement. The WildlifeRestoration funds are received under the Pittman-

Robertson Act, which is funded through an 11percent tax on rearms and ammunitions, a 12.4

percent tax on archery-related equipment and a10 percent tax on handguns. These taxes areprovided to state sh and game agencies across

the nation to support wildlife management.The overpass will be approximately 160 feet

wide and span almost the same distance goingover the highway, says Huebner.

According to Huebner, the overpass will be

covered with dirt and a mix of desirable andnative plant species will be planted. The site wasselected because the topography requires verylittle build up for the overpass as there is already

an embankment

that is almost at theideal height.

The resultsof a mule deersatellite collaringproject showedthat this area is aprimary route forthe Area 6 and Area7 mule deer herdto migrate through(see related story inthe Almanac). Theoverpass will bebuilt in such a waythat animals should

not be visible fromthe road. Besides

mule deer, both elk and antelope will also benet

from the overpass.NDOW will perform a monitoring project using a

combination of motion activated still and possiblyvideo cameras to determine what species areusing the overpass, when it is being used and thenumber of animals using the overpass.

Safe Passage for Nevadas Deer

Artist rendition of nished overpass on US 93,

approximately nine miles north of Wells.



By Chris Healy

The long roadto recovery for the

shery at Onion Valley

Reservoir began earlier

this summer when theNevada Department

of Wildlife stocked

4,000 rainbow trout in

the popular HumboldtCounty reservoir. Thiswas the rst stocking of

sh since 2006.

Uncertainty oversustainable water

supplies has preventedNDOW from stocking

trout in the reservoirthe last couple of years.We now feel that thereis enough water forthe downstream userto have their allocatedshare and still have

enough water leftover to support a trout shery,

says NDOW Fisheries Chief Mark Warren.

Fishing success at the popular reservoir will notreach expected heights until enough sh can

be stocked to ll the 100-acre reservoir. That

process will take between 18 and 24 months.

Onion Reservoirs annual allocation of sh is

usually 16,000 rainbow, bowcut and tiger trout.Repairs to the dam and the water outlet

structure in late 2005 and early 2006 preventedwater storage during the ensuing winter period.

Some sh were stocked in the spring of 2006

but the reservoir went dry later that summer andwhen dry winters followed in 2007 and 2008,

the popular shery, once again, did not receive

enough water to warrant trout stocking.

It takes awhile to rebuild a shery, says

Warren. We will probably stock again this

fall, depending on water levels, and we plan tostock Onion at its allocated numbers of sh in

2010 (16,000 trout) to take advantage of the

Onion Valley Reservoir on the Road to Recovery

large amounts of available food for the sh. In

past years Onion Valley Reservoir has receivedallocations of rainbow, bowcut and tiger trout.They grow fast in these waters which is why this

shery is so popular, says Warren.

Despite its remote location, the Pine ForestComplex has been a popular destination foranglers throughout northern Nevada. The

popular trout shery is located in the Pine Forest

Range near Denio, Nevada, and is part of the

Pine Forest complex of sheries. Blue Lakes and

Knott Creek Reservoir are the other destination

shing hot spots in the area, which is in northern

Humboldt County near the Oregon border.

Angling opens at these high mountain sheries

on the second Saturday of June each year and

closes to shing on November 15. Travelers

into the area are reminded that roads in the PineForest Range are primitive in nature and usuallyrequire a sturdy four-wheel drive vehicle.

Blain Merrell, hatchery technician for the Nevada Department

of Wildlife, stocks sh into Onion Valley Reservoir.


19/19


By Craig Mortimore

The James Lathrop & Wayne Capurro

Memorial Scholarship Program provides selectstudents with the opportunity to work with the

Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) during

the summers to obtain exposure to the wildlifemanagement profession.

Graduating seniors of Nevada high schools,private schools, home-schooled studentsmeeting the high school graduate equivalencyrequirement or persons already enrolled atthe University of Nevada, Reno are eligibleto compete for these full time seasonal aidpositions. The employment begins at earliestavailable date in the spring and ends once the

fall semester commences. The scholarship isnot a direct grant or gift payment to a student inthe traditional sense; rather it is an employmentopportunity where wages earned can be used tohelp support his/her college education. Scholars

are paid seasonal employees of the NDOW andreceive on-the-job training to provide them with

practical knowledge and experience to enhance

their college studies and future career.The Reno Chapter of Nevada Bighorns

Unlimited (NBU) underwrites a portion of this

scholarship program which is co-named in honorof one of their founding members James Lathrop.

Additional funding support is provided by theNevada Wildlife Record Book and is also named

in memoriam for one of their founding membersWayne Capurro. Both men made outstandingcontributions to wildlife management throughtheir roles as hunters, volunteers, organizers andadvisors to the Department, the Nevada Boardof Wildlife Commissioners and the many wildlife-

oriented organizations that mutually support thesustained health of Nevadas wildlife resources.Just this year, NDOW combined the two

separate scholarships under a single moniker,

the Lathrop-Capurro Scholarship. Next year, it

is Game Divisions intent to invoke another name

change, calling it the Lathrop-Capurro Wildlife

Internship Program.Since the rst scholarship was

awarded to Ralph Cino in 1991, the

combined programs have provided Game

Division with a total of 28 individual seasonalworkers, including the four active seasonal

aids now with the agency. Twelve peoplehave completed the entire four year optionand NDOW went on to hire four of them,including Tyler Turnipseed, Kari Huebnerand Scott Giles who are now veteranemployees. The students have comefrom all over the state, rural and urban andmany have gone on to work in the wildlife

conservation eld.

Today the Game Division collaborateswith professors and graduate students atUNRs college of Agriculture, Biotechnologyand Natural Resources to nurture theseseasonal workers academic foundation

as well as their practical experience.Combined, it is our intent to createexceptional graduates, hopefully mostwith advanced degrees, that are ready tocontribute to the conservation movement

Students Learn NDOW Ropes

Students Luke Wartgow (left) and Adam

Burnside examine a captured black bear.

Wildlife Almanac (Read in "Fullscreen")

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Transcript of Wildlife Almanac (Read in "Fullscreen")