Ndow Presents The Nevada Wild Podcast

In this week's Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by the Southern Region Hunter Education and Shooting Sports Coordinator Martin Olson to have a conversation about muzzleloader hunting in Nevada. Martin talks about NDOW’s free muzzleloader introduction classes and why he thinks shooting a muzzleloader is so fun. The guys also talk about how choosing to apply for muzzleloader tags can help both kids and adults go big game hunting more often in the Silver State. Thank you for supporting Nevada's wildlife!

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is a proud member of BearWise®, a program of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. Black bears have been in Nevada long before we lived here, but by the early 1900s they had been extirpated from the state. Conservation efforts and habitat regeneration allowed black bears to begin coming back into Nevada and reinhabit their old stomping grounds. Since the 1980s we have watched Nevada’s bear population in the western part of the state increase dramatically. It is now up to Nevada’s residents and visitors to live and recreate responsibly in bear country! In this episode of Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Game Biologist and Bear Expert Becca Carniello. Becca explains her unique position in the Department, and they discuss solutions to human-caused problems for bears in Nevada and how we can all live with wildlife and what it means to be “Bear Wise”. Find more resources on living with bears and other wildlife here: https://www.ndow.org/learn-discov

In this week's Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Statewide Boating Education Coordinator Aaron Meier to talk about Operation Dry Water and boating safety. Aaron explains that Operation Dry Water is a national campaign designed to combat boating under the influence (BUI) through increased boat patrols over the three-day weekend. The guys talk about how much fun boating in Nevada can be and outline a few simple steps you can take to stay safe on the water.

In this week’s Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Rendle Taylor and Ken Shoemaker, two Director’s from the Silver Arrow Bowmen Archery Club in Reno, Nevada. Rendle and Ken explain their roles on the board, the current goals of the club, NDOW’s recent investments in the archery range, and how you can get involved. They discuss the June 21-22, 2025, Bowhunter Bonanza, how to register, and the ins and outs of a competitive archery shoot.

In this week's Nevada Wild podcast, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Fisheries Biologist Heath Korell to talk about one of everyone's favorite Nevada lakes, Cave Lake. Heath gives a great history lesson dating back to the 1930's and details the dam rebuild project that started in 2019. The guys discuss interesting facts about the area including that the state record brown trout was caught at Cave Lake in 1984! They also talk about the Grand Reopening of Cave Lake on Saturday, June 7 with festivities that include a fish planting, float tube seminar, and a ribbon cutting to commemorate the day. Thank you for supporting Nevada's wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Mountain Goat and Bighorn Sheep Staff Specialist Mike Cox. Mike talks about an exciting project to bring more mountain goats to Nevada earlier this year and gives an update on how well they’re doing overall. He also gives the guys an overview of all three subspecies of bighorn sheep found in Nevada and outlines how the Department is working through a tough drought situation down south.   Mike is a wealth of knowledge and is as passionate of a biologist as they come. Make sure to listen to what he has to say on this weeks’ episode.   Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Data and Technology Services Division Administrator Matt Maples. The guys talk about technology and data in the Department, the big game application and draw, bonus points and why they matter, and what makes applying for tags in Nevada unique. They also share some tips and tricks to up your odds of drawing a big game tag this year! Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Game Division Administrator Shawn Espinosa to get an overview of the outlook for the upcoming big game hunting season. Shawn speaks to the uptick in quota recommendations for mule deer, antelope, and elk, and shares a bit about the challenges bighorn sheep are facing in Southern Nevada. If you’re applying for big game hunts in Nevada this year, listen in, you might pick up a hot tip or two in this weeks’ episode! Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Mule Deer and Antelope Staff Specialist Cody Schroeder to get the latest update on Mule Deer and Antelope in Nevada. Cody talks about deploying mule deer collars across the state, mapping migration corridors and gives the guys an update on how our Mule Deer and Antelope populations are doing throughout the state. Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Elk and Moose Staff Specialist Cody McKee to get the latest update on Elk and Moose in Nevada! Cody tells us about the first-ever Moose collaring project in the Ruby Mountains and shares some interesting information he helped uncover about historical accounts of Elk in Nevada. This is an exciting conversation you won’t want to miss. If you want to learn more about Moose in Nevada checkout the "Tracking Moose in Nevada" episode Outdoor Nevada here: https://www.pbs.org/video/tracking-moose-in-nevada-p2p6jz/

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Eastern Nevada Conservation Education Supervisor Julie Gabrielson and Educator Nicole St. John to talk about the long-awaited 10th annual Elko Sportsman’s Expo! The expo is back on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 with two days of outdoor related activities and booths presented by NDOW and the Ruby Mountain Rios Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Julie and Nicole explains what attendees can expect at this FREE event, why it’s the perfect event to experience with your friends and family, and how it's a great way to connect with the Elko community.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW Wildlife Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme to talk about the best internship in the country, the James Lathrop and Wayne Capurro Memorial Internship Program. This program offers young adults who are passionate about pursuing a career in wildlife an exciting summer job working for the Department for up to four consecutive summers. On the job training is provided and work often consists of conducting a variety of wildlife surveys for species like bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and even moose! If you or someone you know is a graduating high school senior or a current undergraduate student passionate about wildlife, please have them listen to this episode for application tips and to learn more about this awesome program! Applications are open and are currently being accepted for several open positions within the program, so take your shot at the internship opportunity of a lifetime and apply today! The application deadline is Febru

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW Wildlife Staff Specialist Pat Kelly to talk about his career at NDOW. Pat shares stories about raising a family at the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area and talks at length about why he’s enjoyed working at NDOW so much over the years. Pat has managed NDOW’s fish hatchery program for the past 14 years and is officially retiring later this month. Tune in this week to learn about NDOW’s fish hatchery program and listen to the guys swap stories about living and working at a fish hatchery. Who knows it just might be the perfect career for you! Thank you for supporting Nevada’s wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by Bat Conservation International’s (BCI) Conservation Research Coordinator Jessie Bunkley and NDOW Volunteer Charity Wanechek to talk about an exciting community science project focused on bat conservation in Nevada. Jessie gives us an overview of the pilot community science project she created and launched earlier this year, and we get a first-hand perspective from Charity about her role as an NDOW volunteer working on this project. This is a great story about how teachers, students, and NDOW volunteers like Charity and her 8-year old son Zephyr can be community scientists collecting important data on behalf of conservation organizations like BCI. Make sure you don’t miss this episode, and thank you for supporting Nevada's wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones are joined by NDOW’s Aquatic Education Coordinator Abbey Czarnecki to talk about kayak fishing in Nevada. They talk about different types of kayaks, fishing gear, kayak fishing groups, and the best places to go kayak fishing in Nevada. They talk about targeting bass at Lake Mead, going after giant trout in Northern Nevada and the gang also tries to get to the bottom of a real life mystery which is finding out why Aaron Keller of all people does not own a fishing kayak. Whether you’ve never been kayak fishing in your life and want to get started, or you’re already an expert, there is something for everyone on this kayak fishing podcast. Thank you for supporting Nevada's wildlife!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with NDOW’s Upland Game Staff Specialist Justin Small to take a deep-dive into the 2024 chukar hunting forecast. Long story short, chukar are thriving in Nevada, and it’s going to be great chukar hunting season this year! Tune in to this week’s podcast to find out why this years’ forecast looks so good for chukar hunting in Nevada.

Hunting season is in full swing! Learn more about the awesome hunting opportunities that kickoff on Saturday, September 28, and why this fall is setting up to be one for the record books. In this podcast, Nevada Wild hosts Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with Logan Klonicke, Western Region Hunter Education Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife to talk about National and Nevada Hunting and Fishing Day. Aaron, Bobby, and Logan are all avid hunters and talk about what they hope to experience this fall. They also discuss the upcoming youth hunting opportunities, classes being offered by NDOW, and they share some great stories from the start of their hunting seasons.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones continue the conversation about renewable energy in Nevada with NDOW’s Wildlife Diversity Division Administrator Jasmine Kleiber and they are joined by The Nature Conservancy Director of External Affairs for Nevada Jaina Moan. Jasmine and Jaina talk about the current renewable energy landscape, how NDOW collaborates with partners like The Nature Conservancy to help avoid impacts to wildlife and they discuss what the future could hold for the Silver State.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Bobby Jones sit down with Nevada Department of Wildlife Veterinarian Nate LaHue to talk about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a transmissible neurological disease that is always fatal to animals in the deer family. Currently, CWD is found in 34 states and 4 Canadian provinces, but not in Nevada. Nate explains the recent positive samples just over Nevada's western border in California, NDOW's efforts to prevent the disease from entering Nevada and what it means for Nevada's deer, elk, and even moose, if the disease enters the state. He also explains the new transport restriction zone and the different ways hunters can help, including the program that allows hunters to sample their own harvests. Find more information about CWD and prevention efforts in Nevada here: www.ndow.org/blog/chronic-wasting-disease/ or here: www.cwd-info.org

Nevada's Free Fishing Day is Saturday, June 8. 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, Aaron Keller sits down with NDOW Educators Nicole Hamblin, Jan Nemec 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: 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: www.ndow.org/get-outside/fishin…your-fishing-trip/