Mike Hoppis is a fellow California hunter who was fortunate enough to draw a Nevada tag for Mule Deer.  He put in a lot of time scouting the unit before hand and managed to connect on a nice mature buck after scouting a total of seven days before the season.   It was  the fourth day of the season when he finally squeezed the trigger on a nice 3×4 buck that in Mikes Words was “the best buck I saw by far and was just too good to pass. ”

The 2009 Chukar Forecast holds good news for those who like to hunt Nevada’s favored upland game species. This season will be better than the previous two years and will provide sportsmen with ample numbers of young birds. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) recently posted the full forecast at ndow.org.

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.”

When it comes to hunting, preparation is the key to success. Sportsmen from across the state will be taking trips to their favorite sporting goods stores this fall to stock up on all the necessary items to assure a successful hunting trip. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) would like to remind those sportsmen to remember to pick up free hunting brochures that are available at all NDOW offices and license agents.

 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. 

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You forgot to double check your application and now you have a big game tag for the wrong area. You got the hunt of a lifetime in Montana and now you can’t use your Nevada tag. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is happy to say “no problem” because now hunters can return most big game tags for any reason.

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.

Much of the Western Wilderness is best accessed by horseback. Unfortunately some folks don’t adequetely prepare their horses for the narrow trails and steep grades.   Every year, ill prepared horses get hurt or killed in remote locations.  On the other hand, there are folks that are great horse handlers who take the time to condition beforehand, expose their stock to narrow steep trails, and distractions such as wildlife, flapping tarps and  backpackers.

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.

As my readers know I have been fortunate enough to draw a Nevada deer tag.    As a child I heard stories from the 50’s,and 60’s about how Nevada was teeming with big bucks.  I saw the mounts of big , wide Nevada  mule deer bucks in bars and restaurants in the West. 

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.
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Earlier this year I put in an application for an archery mule deer tag in Nevada. According to the past year’s statistics I had between a 75% and 25% chance of drawing.

Well apparently luck is on my side because, my hunting partner Cal, and I, were lucky enough to get tags for the August 1-Sept 5th 2009 Archery season.

I’m looking forward to adding another state to my list of Western Wanderings.  If I am successful in the Colorado draw it will make  6 of the 11 Western States that I will have hunted.

I am still waiting for draw results from Colorado for Pronghorn, and California for Deer, Elk, Pronghorn,and Sheep. The last three are all “longshots”. if things go according to script I will have 3 archery tags to fill in August, September and November. I’ll keep you updated as I continue to train and prepare for the upcoming hunts.

As an Aside, Nevada set a record turn around for the Posting of the results…

NDOW posts tag results within 48 hours

By: Kelly Clark

 

The Nevada Department of Wildlife announced big game tag draw results today, breaking a record by announcing the results within 48 hours of the drawing.

 

“We are pleased to be able to offer our sportsmen and women the opportunity to view their draw result as quickly as possible. The Department worked closely with the Commission to be able to provide this service to our hunting public. NDOW is committed to provide these opportunities whenever possible.”

 

The Board of Wildlife Commissioners had requested the 48 hour reporting of results, saying that hunters in the state needed as early a notice as possible to plan hunts, consider applying for big game tags in other states, and for the agency to maintain transparency. A commission regulation on the issue was recently approved providing for the 48 hour release; however NDOW was already working to put programming and procedures in place following an internal review last year after tag draw results were circulated prior to official release dates.

 

Wildlife Commission Chairman Gerald Lent, several members of the public and county advisory board members attended the tag draw on Wednesday May 27 at Systems Consulting, Inc., the vendor based in Fallon Nevada that handles all aspects of the agency’s big game tag draw. The draw results are now posted online at www.huntnevada.com .

 

Hunters who see their names listed as successful should check that they have sufficient balances on their credit cards; also check whether there have been any changes (address changes or credit card expiration date changes can also cause problems). If you are shown as successful and need to report credit card changes, call Systems Consulting, Inc. at 1-800-

576-1020 M-F, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

 

Over 50,000 hunters sent in 151,000 applications for 22,164 big game tags available in the draw. There are still 1,191 tags remaining after the first draw. Remaining tags are available for eligible hunters, including those who did not apply in the first draw. For more information go to www.huntnevada.com.

 

Remaining Tags:

Hunt 4111 Resident Elk Antlerless Longbow Archery: 3 cow elk tags

Hunt 1107 Resident Junior Mule Deer: 347 youth tags

Hunt 1181 Resident Mule Deer Antlerless Rifle: 740 tags

Hunt 1341 Resident & Nonresident Mule Deer Antlered Longbow Archery: 101 tags

 

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.

Well we are creeping up on Application deadlines for two Western Meccas for Big Game Hunting.

Nevada has a deadline of April 20th at 5:00 pm for online applications. If it is your first year applying though you will need to do a mail application to get ON FILE with your Hunter Education Requirement if born after 1949. So allow plenty of time for your application to be processed.

Previous applicants may already know about the online procedure at www.huntnevada.com. I’ve already recieved my paperwork from Nevada with my information on file so all I have to do is provide my Sportsman ID number and the tags I want to apply for and I am good to go.

Don’t forget, if you want to accrue bonus points, you MUST BUY a Nevada Hunting license. I made a mistake and missed a couple years and lost points. It won’t happen again.

Colorado’s Deadline of April 7th is not far off either. I just put in my pronghorn application. If you are serious about hunting some premier units you willneed to understand the Preference point system there as well, The following release by the Colorado Division of Wildlife explains it well.

To manage big game animals to assure sustainable hunting opportunities and resource preservation, the Colorado Division of Wildlife issues a limited number of licenses through a drawing process for most species.

For big game, over-the-counter licenses are available only for bull elk during the second and third seasons.

Hunters who want licenses for deer and other big game – including elk in some game management units and seasons – must apply annually.

Here’s how the application and draw system works:

Hunters apply for licenses and submit up to four choices for the game management units desired. Applicants who don’t get their first choice get a preference point for that unit. An applicant can also purchase one point each year for $25. However, no more than one preference point can be awarded in a year. Points are awarded for each individual species.

The number of preference points needed to draw a license depends on the species, season, and the particular game management unit. For the most coveted units, hunters must accumulate numerous preference points to have a chance to obtain a license in the draw.

An example: To obtain an either sex elk license during the first rifle season in GMU 1, Colorado residents need 10 preference points and a non-resident must accumulate 16 preference points. In that unit more than 1,100 people apply, but only 26 licenses are issued.

If you want to accumulate points for a preferred unit, but you still want to hunt for that season, apply to a coveted unit but pick units with zero point requirements for your subsequent choices. Preference points continue to accumulate until you receive a first-choice license.

For cow elk, the majority of game management units require no preference points, so everyone who applies has a similar chance of drawing a license. For buck deer, many units require 1-2 points, and for limited bull elk most units require even more points.

The DOW maintains a permanent preference point record for everyone who applies. The record is automatically referenced when a hunter applies for a unit that requires points.

Most big game licenses are reserved for Colorado residents. For units and species that require five or more preference points, 80 percent of the licenses are allocated to residents, the remainder to non-residents. If fewer than five preference points are needed, 65 percent of the licenses are allocated for state residents and the remainder for non-residents.

A complete explanation for all species and a list of preference-point requirements for the upcoming season is published each year in the March/April edition of Colorado Outdoors, the DOW’s magazine. The information is also published on the DOW’s web site, www.wildlife.state.co.us.

The drawing for licenses is always held on the first Tuesday in April. Results are posted on the web site. Leftover licenses go on sale the second Tuesday in August and are available until they are sold out.

From an Email I received second hand…

Hey everyone,

Here are some photos of my Nevada buck. I stalked the herd of bucks for
well over an hour and ended up with a 20 yard shot, straight up hill.

All the credit for this buck needs to go to Gary Gallegos, who helped me.
His unrelenting enthusiasm, great glassing skills and uncanny big buck
instinct created an opportunity where there appeared to be none.

34 ¼ wide.

Randy

Randy Ulmer is an outstanding archer and hunter.  Check out his page at www.randyulmer.com