Department of Wildlife

For those who keep tabs on Nevada's wildlife, a frequently asked question during periods of heavy snowfall is – should we feed wildlife when winter limits their food availability?

Game wardens noted an alarming increase in illegally, sometimes mistakenly, killed waterfowl at the end of the waterfowl hunting season that closed on Jan. 29 at the Key Pittman and the Overton Wildlife Management Areas in Southern Nevada.

The Foundation for Carson City Parks and Recreation is financially partnering with the Carson City Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Department to install a vault toilet at the Carson City Rifle and Pistol Range.

The Foundation recently donated $6,210 towards this needed project which will be used as a cash match for a Nevada Department of Wildlife Hunter Education/Shooting Range Program Grant.

The first annual Carson Mall Health, Wellness, and Safety Fair was held on Saturday, Jan. 28.

Trisha Pagayuan, Promotions Director of the Carson Mall, talked about how the event came about in the community.

Hello fellow anglers, the weather may be questionable but many anglers are getting out and doing well. You just need to dress a little warmer for the occasion.

If you’re looking for something to do on New Year’s Day other than sitting on the couch watching football, you should try heading out to the season opener at Topaz Lake. The lake has been closed to fishing since September 30, but it will be open for fishing again on Jan. 1 in one of Nevada's more unique ways to celebrate New Year's Day.

Hello fellow anglers, I hope you have a safe and Happy New Year. I will be bringing in the Naw year at Topaz Lake with 500 other freezing souls. The water level is up 12 feet from this time last year, both of the boat launches will be open. The Topaz Landing Marina will be open with rental boats this year.

The Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Awards for 2016 were presented on this fall at the annual Nevada Mining Association Convention at Lake Tahoe, Nev. These awards are presented to companies who have made exceptional accomplishments in the restoration and preservation of Nevada’s environment. The awardees were:

Time is running and you still can’t figure out what to get that special angler, hunter or outdoor enthusiast for the holidays? If you are still searching for the perfect gift for your sportsman, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has some ideas that might help.

Hello fellow anglers, Wishing you a warm and a happy holiday fishing season. Although many areas in our local area have closed for the season, we still have plenty of options to keep on fishing. The lakes in the higher altitudes have started to freeze and ice fishing will be upon us soon. I ask anglers to resist the urge to venture out on lakes and ponds until we have at least eight inches of solid ice.

Game wardens are actively searching for information after it was discovered that eight mule deer were killed and left to waste over the course of three weeks in September in hunt unit 262 near Mount Charleston in southern Nevada.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife and Operation Game Thief are offering a $3,000 reward to help catch the person or persons responsible.

As we head toward Halloween on Monday we think about all the scary creatures often associated with the celebration. It’s easy to come up with scary thoughts about things that go bump in the dark, and unfortunately, a lot of people think of bats as that bump in the dark. You might be surprised, however, to learn that nearly everything you thought about bats is incorrect and they are actually extremely important to the success of Nevada’s ecosystems.

Nevada wildlife biologists released a three-plus year old male black bear back into the forest near the top of Mt. Rose Summit on Monday morning after capturing him Sunday in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe.

During the 2014 Kokanee salmon run at the U.S. Forest Service's Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe, many visitors attempted to get a "selfie" with the bears who frequent the area in search of the colorful fish to add to their daily calorie intake before winter hibernation.

A sagebrush ecosystem conservation program that will guide management of more than 1.5 million acres of habitat in Nevada, protecting both sensitive ecosystems and mining interests was announced Tuesday by Gov. Brian Sandoval and federal land managers.

July is BEAR Logic Month, a time to teach residents how to live in bear country, including information on how bears are managed. BEAR Logic means to think like a bear and try looking at your property from a bear’s perspective. This will help you understand why bears are frequenting your property and how you can avoid these encounters.

July is BEAR Logic Month in Nevada, a time to teach residents and visitors how to live and recreate in bear county. As many of you already know, securing trash is the best way to prevent human-bear conflicts.

Compared to the last few weekends, Carson City is downright sleepy. That just makes it much easier to get around town and explore. Head to Mills Park for the First Annual Polynesian Festival in the Marv Teixeira Pavillion. Glen Eagles welcomes back the Regional Chili Cook-off this weekend; get your fill of some amazing grub and help raise funds for Honor Flight Nevada. Catch one of last few performances of Wild Horse Children’s Theater’s Aladdin, Jr. Continue reading for other great ways to spend your time.

SATURDAY:

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has declared July "BEAR Logic Month.” "BEAR” stands for Bear Education, Aversion and Research, and BEAR Logic Month is an opportunity to help educate the public about living in bear country.

Hello fellow anglers and welcome to Independence Day weekend 2016. The weather is hot and the fishing is picking up. The roads will be busy and patience will be thin. Take your time and watch for anglers jumping from hole to hole, especially around the rivers. With our dry and hot temperatures, a few things to remember:

"Swim Smart, Swim Safe: know the dangers of cold water" is the message coming from agencies responsible for boating and water safety on Lake Tahoe, especially after the recent deaths in the lake of two healthy men.

Drowning incidents from boating, paddling and swimming often share the same cause, "cold water shock," an involuntary gasp reflex caused by sudden immersion in cold water. Swimmers and boaters suddenly exposed to the cold waters of Lake Tahoe may experience rapid breathing, gasping, fainting, muscle failure and immediate risk of drowning.

When Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval proclaimed July as Bear Logic Month he challenged Nevadans to think like a bear.

“That is what Bear Logic is all about, thinking like a bear,” said Nevada Department of Wildlife black bear biologist Carl Lackey.

Law enforcement officers across Nevada will be on heightened alert for those violating boating under the influence laws during the annual Operation Dry Water weekend, June 25-26.

Operation Dry Water is a nationally coordinated heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, focused on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

On Monday, June 20 the state of Nevada and the Nevada Department of Wildlife will join the American Eagle Foundation, U.S. Congress, and Governors coast to coast in celebrating “American Eagle Day” to commemorate the United States’ National Bird.

With help from a wet winter, law enforcement agencies in Northern Nevada are preparing for a busy boating season at Lakes Tahoe, Topaz, Lahontan and others water ways following several years of drought and tough boating conditions.

With Memorial Day weekend approaching and summer around the corner, public agencies in Nevada, California and around Lake Tahoe are urging residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal when living in or visiting bear country.

Carson City Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department would like to advise all visitors of a reported sighting of a sow bear with cubs. Carson City staff spotted the bears in the Clear Creek area across from Vista Grande Boulevard west of Fuji Park. We would like to warn park visitors that bears might be attracted to the park because of food and trash.

Hello fellow anglers, well the big kids have had there opening fishing day. Now it is time to the little kids to shine. On June 3-4, the 27th annual Lampe Park Free Kids Fishing derby will kick off the season for 2016. This event is open to all kids ages 3 through 12.

The sixth annual “Tom Brooks Memorial Kids' Fishing Day” will be held on Saturday May 7th, 2016 at Baily Fishing Pond, located at Fuji Park. The fun starts at 8am and will run until 1pm.

During the week of April 17-23, the Nevada Department of Wildlife is joining a nationwide effort created by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators to promote boating education. Developed by NASBLA, and produced under a grant administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Spring Aboard campaign brings together state, federal and nonprofit partners to encourage boaters to enroll in a boating education course before boating season kicks off.