Date: 05/13/09
Contact: Lynne Foster
Phone: (775) 688-1997

NEVADA WILDLIFE COMMISSION TO SET BIG GAME TAG QUOTAS

This week the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners will meet on Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16, at 1100 Valley Road in Reno to set final tag quotas for all big game species.

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Friday. Agenda items for that day include approval of projects to expend approximately $630,000 in Wildlife Heritage funds. Sportsmen, through their purchase of special big game tags at bids, auctions, or drawings, support the Wildlife Heritage Fund. The money is used for projects which protect, propagate, restore, introduce or manage game species, and for the management of predatory wildlife.

The commission re-convenes on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Agenda items for that day include the establishment of big game tag quotas for the 2009-10 season.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife’s 2008-09 Big Game Status Report, released last week, details populations and habitat conditions in the state, and shows elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep populations on the rise. Mule deer show a decline of 2 percent, most likely due to a combination of habitat loss, wildfires, prolonged drought conditions, and predation. NDOW biologists create this report annually to provide the commission with science-based recommendations for big game tag allocations. A random draw to allocate tags is conducted in June.

Biologists are recommending 184 more resident elk tags over last year. Pronghorn antelope populations are estimated at a record high, and biologists are recommending an increase of 115 resident tags from last year’s quota. They are also recommending 16 more resident bighorn sheep tags over last year. Only recommended mule deer quotas show a decline, with biologists recommending 1,228 fewer resident tags, an 8% decline over the previous year.

Each session of the meeting includes a public comment period, and interested parties are encouraged to attend. For a complete agenda and supporting documentation, visit www.ndow.org, and click on “Commissions and Boards.”

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.

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