In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller introduce NDOW's Wildlife Veterinarian Nate LaHue. LaHue explains his role at NDOW, and the various projects he works on to monitor the health of Nevada's wildlife. Currently, LaHue and NDOW biologists are busy working to prevent Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal disease to animals in the deer family, from entering the state. While it hasn't been found in Nevada, CWD has been detected in our neighboring state, Utah. LaHue explains what hunters need to know before heading into the field to help us stop CWD from entering Nevada.

Find more information on CWD here: http://www.ndow.org/Nevada_Wildlife/Health_and_Disease/Chronic_Wasting_Disease/

In the spirit of Bat Week and Halloween, this week's Nevada Wild focuses on bats, along with one of our favorite creepy crawlers, snakes!

Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk with NDOW Wildlife Diversity Biologists Jason Jones and Jason Williams about the common misconceptions revolving around bats and snakes. They also highlight what makes these creatures so important to our ecosystems.

For information on bat houses mentioned in the podcast click here: https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/bat-houses/

The fall season has some of the best fishing of the year in Nevada! If you haven't already, buy your fishing license at ndowlicensing.com so you can get out there and enjoy it!

In this week's Nevada Wild, NDOW's Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW's Angler Educators Jan Nemec, Joe Doucette, and Abbey Czarnecki to talk about what makes fall a prime time of year for fishing, the best places to go, and fish stocking updates around the state. They also highlight a great learning opportunity for both, avid anglers and people interested in learning to fish, NDOW's first Virtual Fish Camp, happening next week, Monday, October 26 through Thursday, October 29.

Learn more about Fish Camp, and get registered here: https://www.facebook.com/NvDOW/events/

For fishing reports head here: http://www.ndow.org/Fish/Fishing_Report/

Do you have ground elk, venison, or antelope in your freezer? Get it thawing out so that you can cook enchiladas tonight!

On this week’s Nevada Wild, we hear from Ashley Sanchez, who had been interested in cooking with wild game meat, and tests it out for the first time in her life with venison enchiladas (elk version of the recipe below)! NDOW's Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones joins Sanchez and Aaron Keller to talk about how you can get more creative with cooking wild game.

Whether you have never cooked with wild game before or you're a professional chef, the elk enchiladas recipe discussed in this podcast is a great one to try. Don't have elk? Don't worry. You can cook this recipe with any type of meet!

Find the complete Elk Enchiladas with a Spicy Red Sauce recipe on Kristy Crabtree’s Nevada Foodie website here: https://nevadafoodies.com/elk-enchiladas-with-a-spicy-red-sauce

Watch a video tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOhhtT2oOII&feature=youtu.be

For more wild game recipes, check NDOW's Facebook every Friday for the latest Foodie Friday recipe! https://www.facebook.com/NvDOW/

Beginning this weekend, all of northern Nevada will be open to waterfowl hunting for the season! The season opener for northwest Nevada is tomorrow(Oct. 10), and the season is well underway in the eastern side of the state.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk with NDOW's Waterfowl Staff Specialist Russell Woolstenhulme and Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge Manager Pete Schmidt about what hunters can expect for waterfowl hunting this year, they share some recommended places to go, and explain what to do before heading out.

If you're going out hunting, remember to bring the fishing gear so you can get in some fishing while you explore the outdoors. Buy a hunting, fishing or combination license at ndowlicensing.com.

You have one more weekend left to take your kids hunting for the youth chukar hunt, which ends this Sunday(Oct. 4). On top of that, the chukar opening is on October 10. There's a lot to prepare for!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk to NDOW's Upland Game Staff Specialist Shawn Espinosa and Chukar Chasers Foundation President Damon Booth about this year's chukar forecast, the best spots to take your kids upland game hunting and more! Be sure to buy your hunting license at ndowlicensing.com so you can join in on the fun. Make it a combination license so you can do some fall fishing while you're on your hunt!

If you're a passionate about chukar hunter, learn more about the Chukar Chasers Foundation here to get involved: http://www.chukarchasers.com/foundation

View the chukar forecast here: http://www.ndow.org/Hunt/Seasons_and_Regulations/Upland_Game/

There is no better excuse to explore Nevada than by celebrating Nevada Public Lands Day, tomorrow, Saturday, September 26. Nevada Public Lands Day, which also falls on National Public Lands Day, encourages Nevadans to discover the many exciting and affordable recreation opportunities right in their own backyards.

In this week's Nevada Wild, NDOW's Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk to Jenny Ramella and Dale Conner with Nevada State Parks to highlight parks you can explore near you, fun ideas for celebrating your National Public Lands Day and how to respect the outdoors while exploring.

To celebrate Nevada Public Lands Day, Nevada State Parks is waiving park fees, including entrance costs, camping, and for the day. Find a state park near you here: http://parks.nv.gov/

Red Rock Canyon national conservation area will waive entry fees, but some fees such as camping and group day-use fees will remain in place. Lake Mead National Recreation Area also waives entry fees for the day.

Saturday is also National Hunting and Fishing Day. The free entries to many state parks and national recreation areas present a great opportunity for fall fishing, some of the best fishing of the year! Buy your fishing license today at ndowlicensing.com.

Also be sure to check out a virtual volunteer event to celebrate National Public Lands Day here: https://www.neefusa.org/npld

Farmer Stan Hardy invests in his community by working with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada (NRCS) to implement conservation measures like land leveling at the Overton Wildlife Management Area in Southern Nevada where he leases land for his hay operation. .

In this week's Nevada Wild Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Stan, NDOW's Overton Wildlife Management Area Supervisor Bennie Vann and NRCS District Conservationist Teri Knight to talk about how this partnership is important for all involved, and ultimately benefits the recreationists who visit the area and the wildlife alike!

For video mentioned in this podcast click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJh8OtYnlzs

Find a story map on the partnership here: https://nrcs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=2dea7d67b31f49ef8a55fbf17abbd160

If you're a farmer and need assistance from NRCS, email Teri Knight at [email protected], or visit: Farmers.gov

Ron Pierini's history with educating the public on hunting safety and ethics is evident through his work volunteering hundreds of hours as a hunter education instructor and his work for Operation Game Thief. His dedication to wildlife made him a great recipient for the annual Wayne E. Kirch Nevada Wildlife Conservation Award, which he received at the June Nevada Board of Wildlife Commission meeting. Pierini was also recently appointed to the Wildlife Commission.

In this week's Nevada Wild, NDOW's Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller talk to Pierini about his love for Nevada's wildlife and volunteering. NDOW's Julie Watson, a member of the judging committee, joins in to talk about the award, and why Pierini was selected. Pierini also explains his goals as a board of wildlife commissioner.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is increasing its crime-fighting arsenal with a new app that helps citizens use their smartphones to connect with the department to both get information as well as submit anonymous tips with a customized app.

In this week's Nevada Wild, NDOW's Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller meet with Game Warden Captain Brian Eller and Matthew Woller with TIP 411, the app's developer, to talk about how this will be a powerful tool in helping game wardens stop wildlife crimes, how the tool has been effective in other states, and how you can use it to report possible crimes.

NDOW Tip is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, or by visiting the agency’s website (www.ndow.org). Members of the public can also still call the OGT hotline directly at 1-800-992-3030.