NDOW Eastern Region outlines field projects, stocking and enforcement updates for Elko area

Nevada Department of Wildlife staff briefed the Elko County Advisory Board on a slate of regional projects and operational updates, including bighorn-sheep captures, a summer elk-capture effort to investigate seasonal elk mortality (SEMS), fisheries stocking, habitat projects and law-enforcement activity.

Travis Allen, game-division staff, said a two-week bighorn sheep capture would begin locally and that a multi-site summer elk capture is planned to collar animals in targeted management areas to investigate seasonal mortality. "We're starting our big summer elk capture, first time collaring elk during the summer months in Nevada to further investigate CEMS," Allen said; the effort will include liver biopsies and trace-mineral checks and will target six management areas.

Cody Byrne, fisheries supervisor, described recent stocking and habitat work: central efforts included stocking a thousand wipers at Wildhorse Reservoir and 5,000 channel catfish at Wildhorse plus 2,000 catfish at Willow Creek Reservoir; a standardized electrofishing survey at South Fork Reservoir found healthy largemouth and smallmouth bass and older catfish.

Jason Jackson, game warden, reported enforcement activity including recent seizures of 130 antlers from two out-of-state groups and multiple citations. He also said the division has hired seven new game wardens statewide and is recruiting for remaining supervisory and dispatch positions.

Staff updated the CAB on transportation-mitigation planning with NDOT for a wildlife-fence project at Dumpty and on volunteer opportunities including guzzler builds and potential fence modification events.

CAB members asked about water and distribution plans for relocation and stocking projects; staff said sites and partner coordination are being evaluated to maximize survival and conservation benefit.