2024Vol41No3NBUJournal

The May Nevada Wildlife Commission meeting can be referred to as “the Super Bowl” of all commission meetings. Historically, the May meeting before the big game draw is slated for a long review of proposed big game quotas. These meetings can attract a variety of individuals from sportsmen to those who are against certain hunts. The Friday agenda typically covers normal business, department and committee reports, and updates from public workshops. Saturday is dedicated to big game quotas where the commission goes through line by line, considering every species, area and weapon choice while making any necessary edits to the proposed quotas. Edits to these proposed quotas are based on County Advisory Board (CAB) comment, public comment, and commission discussion. NEVADA WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING UPDATE

For the full agenda, support material and a link to the YouTube recording, please visit www.ndow.org/events/commission meeting-may-2-3-2025-reno/ to learn more. The next commission meetings are on June 13-14 in Elko and August 15-16 in Ely.

Friday, May 2, 2025 Law Enforcement Update

NBU Journal . Volume 42 . Number 2 30 A summary of the drought and habitat challenges being experienced by bighorn sheep herds in southern Nevada was presented. Capture and translocation efforts of 150 bighorn sheep in the Muddy Mountains have been planned for June 2025 with several options being considered. NDOW began identifying possible translocation sites within Nevada to reintroduce or augment existing desert bighorn populations. Viable translocation sites are currently very limited in Nevada due to widespread presence or threat of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi), a respiratory pathogen responsible for limiting bighorn populations across their range. Currently, M. ovi has not been detected in the Muddy Mountain herds. In February of 2025, 8 possible augmentation sites were sampled by targeting multiple subgroups from each population. Of the potential release sites, only the Tobin Range results retuned both PCR and ELISA negative, making them a candidate for release. The Cortez Range is currently unoccupied, and reintroduction was approved by the BLM via Categorical Exclusion in April 2025. Some sheep will also go to the Promontory Point nursery herd in Utah. On April 24, 2025, wardens seized a total of 104 elk antlers, 8 mule deer antlers, and 3 small mule deer dead heads from 5 individuals – four adults and one juvenile. All four adults were cited for illegal shed collection during a closure, receiving citations totaling $640 each, including court fees. The group also admitted they intentionally arrived before the legal season opened, stating that waiting until the opener would leave them with little to no opportunity due to competition. NDOW also received a conviction on the 2022 investigation of residency fraud with the take of big game mammals’ investigation. Two individuals were convicted of multiple wildlife violations for unlawful killing of a large 5x4 mule deer. The primary suspect pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting unlawful possession, a gross misdemeanor, resulting in a five-year suspension of their hunting privileges. Habitat Update Water hauls in Bares Mountain were completed the week of March 17 using the Nevada Division of Forestry helicopter. More water hauls were completed the week of April 21 in the Southern Region. The Northern Nevada crew completed their second volunteer project build in partnership with Nevada Bighorns Unlimited on April 5 in area 041. Hound Hunting Permit Petition A petition was filed for a proposition for a hound hunting permit to be implemented in Nevada for hunting with dogs for mountain lion, bobcat and black bear. The objective would be to increase revenue for NDOW, fund future mountain lion studies and enforcement, increase opportunities for Nevada residents, preserve the tradition of hound hunting, and promote wildlife conservation and ethical practices in hunting game with hounds. NDOW provided some background on average mountain lion harvests. Over the last 4 years, hunter harvest of mountain lions were 158, which does not meet the quota cap. Of those harvests, 58% are Nevada residents and roughly 40% are non residents. Guided hunts are approximately 40% which directly lines up with the number of non resident hunters. There was quite a bit of public comment with many Nevada houndsmen and CABs in support and some non-resident houndsmen not in support. It was decided to withdraw the petition and bring this topic to committee level for more discussion. Coyote Hunting Contest Regulation Drafting The Commission directed the Department to draft two regulation alternatives regarding coyote hunting contests: • Alternative 1 would require individuals participating in coyote hunting contests to hold a valid Nevada hunting or trapping license. • Alternative 2 would require individuals or entities organizing coyote hunting contests to obtain a permit from the Department prior to holding the event. The Commission voted (6 in favor; 3 opposed) to move Alternative 1 to workshop. Saturday May 3, 2025 Biennial Big Game Release Plan