The Sheldon hunt will be open for two weekends Sept. 18-19 and Sept. 25-26. This is a permitted hunt, with 75 permits awarded by random draw available for each hunt by reservation only. The hunt is open to both residents and nonresidents. The daily limit is two and the possession limit is four for sage grouse.

Permit applications are available in PDF via the NDOW website (www.ndow.org). Applications must be received by mail or in person by 5 p.m. on August 6 at the NDOW headquarters office (1100 Valley Road, Reno, NV 89512).

“The Sheldon Sage-Grouse Hunt is a popular hunt with only 75 reservations available for an early and late season. Last year the Department received 389 applications for the 150 available reservations,” said NDOW game biologist Shawn Espinosa.

Both residents and nonresidents must have an upland game stamp and either a hunting license or short term permit to hunt while hunting upland game in Nevada.

The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge is in northwest Nevada on the Oregon border.

Although the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced in March that it would place greater sage-grouse on the list of “candidate species” across its range in the 11 western states and two provinces, Espinosa reports that sage-grouse populations in the Sheldon NWR do support a hunt season.

“Sage-grouse lek count data collected from the Sheldon NWR sage-grouse population has shown an increasing trend from 1999-2009,” he reports. “We are very concerned with sage-grouse populations in general and if we determined that sage-grouse hunting was having a detrimental or additive impact on that particular sage-grouse population, we would recommend closing the season as we have for many other hunt units in the state.”

NDOW also reminds hunters to remove one wing from each sage-grouse taken as part of a long-term study of the state’s sage-grouse populations.

“We are interested in collecting data from wings collected during the two 2-day seasons,” said Espinosa. “This information provides us with recruitment and nest success data. In addition, we also were able to collect a substantial amount of blood samples last year that were submitted to the USGS Wildlife Health Center. These samples were used to analyze the effects of west Nile virus in 2009. From 2005-2009 the Nevada Department of Wildlife has collected and average of 122 wings annually.”

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.

Mule deer hunters will find tags remaining in several hunt categories and units. Four tags are available for the resident antlerless any legal weapon depredation hunt (hunt #1101) in hunt units 114, 115 – Late, in northeastern Nevada, while there is one antlered muzzleloader hunt (1371) tag remaining in Units 261-268. Archers who would like to hunt buck mule deer have a chance at 97 antlered longbow hunt (1341) tags, with 67 of those in Area 10 – Early. Resident youth hunters continue to have the best opportunity at second draw tags with 334 tags remaining for the junior mule deer, either sex hunt (1107) in a variety of units throughout the state.

A smattering of tags remain for other big game species. There is one resident antlerless elk muzzleloader hunt (4176) tag in Unit 075 and a total of five antelope, horns longer than ears, longbow hunt tags available in four different hunt unit groups. These antelope tags were remaining nonresident tags that are now available to both resident and nonresident hunters in this remaining tag draw.

Hunters interested in applying for any of these tags can apply online at www.huntnevada.com starting June 18 at 8 a.m. or mail their applications to the Wildlife Administrative Services Office in Fallon. Applications must be received by 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, 2010. Final results of the second draw will be provided by Friday, July 16.

For more information on the second draw or remaining tags call the Wildlife Administrative Services Office at 1-800-576-1020 or look on the web at www.huntnevada.com.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org

JCM

TOP 10 BIG GAME TAG APPLICATION RESOURCES

So, you want to apply for Nevada Big Game tags but you aren’t sure where to start. Well, check out this handy list of the Top 10 resources you will need to do your homework and make your decisions about which tags you will apply for.

1. Big Game Season Tables and Special Hunts:

Your source to find season dates and last year’s quotas for every species, weapon class and unit group hunt. Be sure to check for Hunt Unit Advisories for important information such as road access to consider before applying for your tags.

·         Bighorn Sheep

·         Elk

·         Mountain Goat

·         Mule Deer

·         Pronghorn Antelope

·         Partnership in Wildlife Tags

·         Wildlife Heritage Tags

2. Maps

Maps, maps and more maps. Unit boundary maps to interactive maps and everything in between. Click here to see all the maps that NDOW has to offer.

3. Eligibility

Hunters often inquire about their eligibility after having drawn and/or harvested a big game animal in Nevada. Click here to see the table that helps summarize the eligibility requirements.

4. Application Deadlines

The application period for most big game tags is from mid-March to mid-April. Mountain lion tags are available year-round over the counter at any authorized license agent. Click here to see specific big game application dates.

5. Hunt Stats & Draw Odds

This information includes hunt and draw odd statistics for each hunt, with hunter success rates, harvest by point-class, bighorn age and score, and basic draw odds by hunt and unit group. Click here to see everything you need to help you make your tag application decisions.

6. Bonus Points

This bonus point data shows how many applicants were successful and unsuccessful for drawing a tag by bonus point category.

7. Hunter Information Sheets

Click here to see what NDOW big game biologists have to say about each hunt area’s terrain, vegetation, recommended hunting spots, and other important tidbits to be successful in your hunt, an invaluable resource for those hunters who are a bit unfamiliar with big game hunting in Nevada.

8. Big Game Season Brochure

Click here to see everything you need to know about the 2010 big game seasons, regulations and application process.

9. License and Tag Fees

Here you will find all the pricing information about the licenses and tags you will be applying for this big game season. Click here to see the license and tag fees.

10. Important Information

Click here to see everything that you need to know for the 2010 big game season.

The report references aerial surveys, which point to a 2009-10 chukar hunting season that should be good for most of Nevada with some areas providing excellent hunting. Coveys comprised mostly of young birds will allow the hunter to approach within shotgun range for at least the first half of the season. Hunters across the state should enjoy good success early if conditions remain dry through October. As the season progresses, hunters will still have to spend a fair amount of time on foot pursuing the species.

Look for great hunting in northwestern Humboldt County (Pine Forest and Black Rock Ranges) and portions of Washoe and Pershing Counties. Expect good hunting in most of Lander, northern Eureka and western Elko Counties. Additionally, some areas in southern Nevada should have fair to good numbers of birds as a result of improved production.

“The issue with many of these areas is crowding on opening weekend, especially in the Pine Forest Range,” said Shawn Espinosa, biologist with NDOW. “Even though it will be good hunting in this area, there are plenty of other spots that will be productive and we recommend seeking these out during the early portion of the season. The Jackson Mountains showed much improvement from 2008 and there are some remote portions of the Black Rock and Bilk Creek Ranges that will be good with fewer people.”

Although counts appear down in Washoe County, the very hot and dry survey conditions could have altered the sample as a number of birds were observed running on the ground, reluctant to leave the shade and water sources. In central and southern Nevada, brood surveys conducted from the ground as well as general observations indicate good production levels which should lead to fair to good hunting in this region of the state.

Higher populations can be attributed in part to the late spring rains this year, which came with mild temperatures that were ultimately conducive to chick production. Native bunchgrasses and forbs responded well to the ample moisture and provided birds with incredible food resources and nesting cover. This plant growth also produces diverse and increased insect populations, an important food source for newborn chicks.

Wildfires have not adversely impacted additional chukar habitats to date in 2009. However, many traditional chukar hunting areas are still suffering the effects of almost a decade of the worst fire events ever to occur in Nevada. During the period from 1999-2007, approximately 6 million acres of various habitat types burned in Nevada resulting in the establishment of cheatgrass and other invasive non-native weed species across the low to mid-elevations. This has been detrimental to many chukar populations because of the lack of native shrubs that are important for cover, nesting and forage purposes.

Sportsmen can thank the Nevada Chukar Foundation and other sportsmen’s groups for funding aerial surveys, water developments, and habitat improvements aimed at increasing populations of the tough-to-hunt quarry.

Chukar season opens Oct. 10 and runs through Feb. 7. Start planning online, where you’ll find the complete Chukar Forecast, distribution map, seasons and regulations and more at ndow.org/hunt/resources/Wildlife_Heritage/upland_game/.

“During the early portion of the season, we really stress getting out and walking and not simply driving up and down canyon bottoms along water sources,” Espinosa said. “If conditions are hot and dry during the early portion of the season, chukar will rely heavily on these water sources and young birds especially will be at a disadvantage. Walking rather than jump shooting birds from the pick-up is much more sporting and can provide birds with at least some access to water.”

 Brochures for furbearer and migratory bird seasons were delivered to license agents this week and join brochures for upland game and fall turkey, which were sent out in August. The information included in these hunting brochures includes season dates, bag limits, hunting hours and a synopsis of important regulations for specific hunts. Specific regulations for hunting on wildlife management areas are also included in several of the brochures.

 The brochures can be picked up at all license agents, including Wal-Mart, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Long’s Drugs and Ace Hardware stores. They are also available at any NDOW office statewide as well as on the NDOW website at www.ndow.org.

 The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org

The Long Story….

 It was a challenge getting ready for this hunt. Physically, mentally, and organizationally. I was preparing to go to a new area that I had never set foot in.  I applied at the invitation Jerome, who has hunted elk with my family and I in Wyoming.  Applying with me was my hunting partner Cal Farnsworth, one of my archery mentors, and good luck token. 

Once we found out we were successful in the Draw, it was a scramble to coordinate schedules.  Jerome volunteered to do the cooking, and shopping, as well as contribute a wall tent, folding woodstove, riding stock, and pack animals.  His  25 years of hunting expertise contributed greatly to seeing the number of deer we did on the trip.

We met Jerome at his home on Friday.  We packed coolers and panniers for the 3 pack horse loads, and organized our tack for the morning.  We ended the night with a meal at a local Basque restaurant complete with lamb, sweetbreads, garlic and Picon. 

In the morning we were at the door of the local supermarket at opening  to purchase dry ice and cubed ice for our insulated panniers.  Then we drove to our hunting area, finally arriving at the trailhead in the afternoon.  We had horses saddled and packed and hit the trail at 5:00 pm.  By 8:00 pm we had the tent pitched and a fire started in the stove for a hot dinner as the moon rose over the aspens.

The next six days consisted of many miles covered on foot and horseback from 8500 to over 10,000 feet in elevation. 

I had numerous stalks that were foiled by brush, wind or other deer busting us. 

On Sunday I got to 33 yards on a 3 point buck who saw me and bounded off before I could get a shot. 

Monday, I stalked 3 bucks with Cal who we watched bed below us.  Swirly winds must have alerted them because we arrived at empty beds 2 hours later.  That afternoon, we spotted a buck below us  who, by the time we got into position, got up to feed, and was spooked off by another buck.  We were caught in the open as the new buck fed across the hillside, oblivious to us. 

A doe bedded above caught our movement and sounded the alarm.  Our quarry stepped off over the ridge not really knowing why.  We named these two bucks “Butch and Sundance” since they managed to slip away. We laughed to ourselves that they were probably asking each other: “Who ARE those guys?”

Tuesday, we went on a long ride to see some new country.  By 9:00 am we had seen 9 bucks.  After letting the horses graze in a patch of aspens for a couple hours we rode up a canyon, spotting bucks in the mahogany above us.  Groups of 3, 4 and 5 bucks peered at us from each finger.  It was amazing despite the fact that the bucks had our wind and elevation. 

We arrived near the 10,000 ft mark, tied the horses below the ridge  and continued glassing for deer.  A group of bucks fed out on the bare ridge 500 yards away.  A bowhunter on foot crested a saddle 500 yards below the deer, unaware that they were there.  When the bucks saw him they spooked towards us, and we ran for a saddle that looked to be a likely escape route. 

The bucks didn’t run through the saddle but stuck to the mahogany and pinons.  He ended up bedding on my right 50 yards away, and when I tried to get in a position to shoot, he spooked then stopped and gave me a final look at 110 yards.  He was an honest 30 -inch wide buck of my dreams that walked out of my life on that hot afternoon.

If that wasn’t enough, I spotted a group of 10 bucks as we rode back to camp feeding on a sage covered hillside, 220 yards away.  I was making a stalk when to my left, a group of 8 bucks spotted either me or the horses behind the hill, and ran through the group of 10 bucks.  Following them was another 5 bucks.  The Herd of 23 bucks all bounded over the saddle in front of me, raising a cloud of dust that stretched for half a mile.  I was dumbfounded.

The day’s total of deer spotted was a Whopping 51 BUCKS.  A remarkable day indeed.

 Wednesday and Thursday we went back to country we had spotted and stalked deer in before.  Once again we pursued “Butch and Sundance” but they managed to elude us each time.  On one memorable stalk I had one of the bucks explode from an open saddle 38 yards away as I was looking at the mahogany patch we had spotted him in days prior. 

Thursday night I sat near camp with binos and spotting scope and watched 4 good bucks feed out at last light.  I marked the tree they fed out into the open from, and made plans for the morning.

Friday morning I woke at 4:00 am and started the 3/4 mile hike up the hill in the dark, gaining 1000 feet in elevation.   I shivered until the sun’s rays reached my hideout just 20 yards back from the crest of the hill the bucks were on.  I spied two of the bucks 100 yards on the other side of the hill feeding in my direction, but in the open.  Then according to Cal and Jerome who watched from afar, the bucks fed back into a rugged steep tree covered draw.   I retreated back down to camp hungry and tired.  After a quick nap, and tending to the horses I filled up on water and snacks and hiked back up the hill, determined to catch the bucks when and if they decided to feed out into the open again. 

The arduous climb was one to remember.  It was 85 degrees in the shade and the sun radiated off the rocks, causing me to consume all my water on the way up to the dry, rocky lookout.  It was going to be a dry, thirsty evening.  By the time I reached the vantage point I had six hours of light left. 

Those six hours were spent searching with binoculars through the cover the deer had fed into.  I followed the faint hint of a trail up into a basin ringed by rimrock on one side and a grassy ridge on the other.  The shadows were getting long when I spotted a buck bedded in the sage, with another behind him.  the wind was wrong, the terrain was open, and time was slipping away.  All I could do was snap pictures as they caught my scent and slipped over the hill.

The day ended without a punched tag, but it will be a hunt I will always treasure.  My first hunt in Nevada with great friends, great country, and more of an appreciation for the value of pre-season conditioning and a good mountain horse.  If the tag allotment will allow it, Cal and I plan to return for Round 2 in a couple of years.  We have some scores to settle.  Butch and Sundance will be saying ” Who are those guys?”  I know it.

The best part of the deal for these hunters is that their bonus points, providing them more chances in the random big game tag draw, will be reinstated when their tags are returned by the deadline. It will be as if they had never applied.

The idea to allow return of tags for any reason was initiated by sportsmen themselves, through the Tag Allocation and Application Hunt Committee established by the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners a few years ago. Through that public input process, NDOW staff, the commission and members of the public identified various changes to big game tag allocation processes.

“It allows an option for hunters who simply cannot use a tag; and for bighorn sheep and mountain goat, provides an opportunity for an alternate to receive and use the returned tags, if the tag is turned in by the deadline,” said Bob Haughian, Operations Division Chief at NDOW. “Hunters have been asking for this option for years, and we are pleased to be able to accommodate them.”

Regulations already allowed for the return and refund of tags and reinstatement of bonus points for death, disability or armed forces transfers. This expanded regulation doesn’t require a reason for return of tags.

For bighorn sheep and mountain goat hunters who meet the July 15 deadline, bonus points will be reinstated and hunters will get a refund of their tag fees. Those tags will be reissued to an alternate hunter.

For elk, antelope and mule deer hunters, bonus points will be reinstated for those who return their tags at least one day before the opening day of the hunt. However, there are no tag refunds for these species, and the tags will not be reissued.

Hunters can find a quick reference table in the 2009 Nevada Hunt Book, available at NDOW offices, licensed sales agents, and online at ndow.org.

Those wishing to return their tags should contact Wildlife Administrative Services, a contractor handling draws for NDOW. They can be reached at (800) 576-1020.

One of my feed customers, Ann Sands was telling me about her latest ride; A 5 day, 250 mile trail ride in the Schell Creek Range of Eastern Nevada. Now THAT is being a Western Wanderer.

As a competitive trail rider, she has put a lot of time and miles in conditioning her horse Bella over the last two years and exposing her to a variety of obstacles and sights and sounds throughout her training rides.

She sent me this picture below from the ride we talked about and I think it illustrates what a mountain horse is all about. When the path is too steep to ride up, a savvy rider will step off to allow their horse to climb the ridge. But the BEST mountain horse will pull you up as they find their way to the top.

So think of that before you catch the pack horses for hunting season. It might save you some headaches on the trail, and some hard hikes too.

While there are still big bucks out there, they are not as common as legend may make it seem.  Pressures on mule deer in Nevada are the same as many other Western States.  Drought, development of winter range, predation, competition for browse and forage , and disease all place added pressure on the species that is perhaps the most iconic of Nevada’s fauna. 

In order to address these issues , the Nevada Department of Wildlife has added a deer management specialist position as the following press release explains:

Responding to a decline in mule deer numbers, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has re-structured positions to create budget for a wildlife staff specialist focused solely on the coveted game species. The mule deer specialist position will be under the Game Division, headquartered in Reno.

“When the Governor hired me, he made it clear that one of his top priorities was for me to address the declining deer population in Nevada,” said Ken Mayer, NDOW’s director. “Thus, since I have been director, I have been assessing the deer situation in Nevada and developing a plan to address this important issue,” he continued.

Working with regional and field biologists, the new staff member will make statewide management and research recommendations based on experience, data acquired in the field, research, and scientific inquiry. Through the Game Chief, the mule deer staff specialist will work closely with the Director’s office and the Commission to develop policy in the area of mule deer management in Nevada and will represent NDOW at regional and local meetings, and at national and international symposia. The mule deer specialist will also provide information to all interested parties, including the public and scientific community.

This new staff member will also relieve some of the demands on the big game staff biologist, taxed with a heavy workload, and will complement that position.

“This position will focus solely on deer management and conservation in Nevada and will work closely with the field staff in NDOW’s three regions to assess the herd status, limiting factors and develop measures to address those limiting factors,” Mayer continued.
“It has been obvious to me from the beginning of my administration that if we were to be successful in developing and implementing an effective approach to address the deer decline, we needed to develop field-based habitat and predator management programs and dynamic herd assessments,” Mayer continued. “As well it is critical that we have a dedicated staff member to lead the effort.”
NDOW created this position by re-allocating resources from a hatchery technician position at Lake Mead. Due to the invasion of quagga mussels in the lake, the Lake Mead Hatchery is currently not cultivating fish. The agency is seeking alternative water sources to operate that hatchery.
NDOW will begin recruitment next week, and Game Chief Mark Atkinson said the agency is looking for applicants with intimate knowledge of mule deer in Nevada.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. Visit www.ndow.org.