Guzzlers are man-made watering holes, built in areas where there is not enough water to support wildlife. While guzzlers are built to primarily benefit big game and upland bird species, they also provide a valuable source of water formany of Nevada's diverse wildlife species. Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) relies heavily on partners and volunteers to build guzzlers and has a number of opportunities coming up.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by NDOW Habitat Biologist Sam Hughes and Statewide Volunteer Coordinator Julie Bless to talk about NDOW’s guzzler program, upcoming guzzler builds across the state, and how you can get involved!

Find volunteer opportunities here: https://www.ndow.org/learn-discover/get-involved/

This year Nevada Outdoor School (NOS) celebrates 20 years! Through its outdoor programs NOS inspires the exploration of the natural world, responsible stewardship of our habitat and dedication to community. This women founded and led non-profit is the perfect organization to feature for NDOW’s Women’s Month celebration.

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with Nevada Outdoor School Executive Director Melanie Erquiaga to talk about the history of NOS, its open AmeriCorps opportunities, and all the great events and programs they have coming up!

Get involved with NOS here: https://www.nevadaoutdoorschool.org/home.aspx

NDOW funds improvements at shooting ranges across Nevada to make them safer and more accessible to the community. We're now accepting applications for these funds from anyone who would like to see upgrades at their local shooting range.

In this week's Nevada Wild, NDOW's Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller explain how this grant program works, how you can apply for grant-funded improvements at a shooting range near you, current projects, and the need for safe, accessible shooting ranges throughout the state.

Find the 2023 Shooting Range Grant Application form here: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Shooting-Range-Grant-Application-2023.pdf

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller are joined by Eastern Nevada Conservation Education Supervisor Julie Gabrielson to talk about the long-awaited 6th annual Elko Sportsman’s Expo! The expo is back on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5 with two days of outdoor related activities and booths presented by NDOW and the Ruby Mountain Rios Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Julie explains what to expect at this FREE event, why it’s the perfect event to experience with your friends and family, and how it's a great way to connect with the Elko community.

Learn more here: https://fb.me/e/5epNeh6W5

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez are joined by Bighorn Sheep Staff Specialist Mike Cox at the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Sheep Show, where Mike was inducted into the Biologist Wall of Fame for the work he has put into bighorn sheep conservation across the west! Mike talks about the honor, his commitment to wildlife conservation, and dives into the status of Nevada’s bighorn sheep populations.

View the 2022 Bighorn Sheep Checkout Summaries he refers to in the podcast here: https://www.ndow.org/blog/hunt-statistics/

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller record from the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Sheep Show, with new NDOW Wildlife Education Coordinator Margaret Lord and Hunter Education Coordinator Logan Klonicke. Logan and Margaret took a break from running stations at the Sheep Show’s youth component, the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE). They fill us in on this year’s YWCE, how they’re adjusting to their new positions after working as Americorps for NDOW last year, and their goals for future programming to continue connecting kids to wildlife, nature, and outdoor recreation.

The public portion of YWCE takes place tomorrow (Saturday, January 14) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hall 4 and the F-Meeting rooms of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. The event is FREE and parents who bring their kids can receive a voucher to get into the Sheep Show exhibit hall for free. Note: Do NOT go the Sheep Show registration and pay to get in, simply head to Hall 4.

Find more information on YWCE here: https://fb.me/e/26yl3StAV

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez sit down with Nevada Department of Wildlife Outdoor Connection Coordinator Bobby Jones to dive into one of NDOW’s big undertakings of 2022, the Pathways to Relevancy Project. The goal of this project is to help the agency better understand the general public’s views on nature, wildlife, outdoor recreation, and NDOW as a whole to help us better serve the state.

As part of this project, Bobby analyzed survey results from the Outdoor Foundation’s 2022 Outdoor Participation Trends Report that surveyed participants on their views of outdoor recreation. Bobby quizzes us, fills us in on the results, and explains how this information will benefit the agency and Nevadans.

You can view the full 2022 Outdoor Participation Trends Report here: https://outdoorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2022-Outdoor-Participation-Trends-Report-1.pdf

The Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE)is back! YWCE, the youth portion of the Wild Sheep Foundation's Sheep Show, will take place at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on January 12-14. School groups will attend a private experience on the first two days, and on January 14, YWCE opens up to the public for FREE!

In this week’s Nevada Wild, NDOW’s Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Ryan Brock and NDOW Conservation Educator Zac Campbell to talk about all the activities to expect at this year's YWCE, and how there’s something for everyone from the outdoor enthusiast to the artist. Special guests Rilee Brock (Ryan’s daughter!) and Luke Bryant (Ryan's student) fill us in on their favorite activities at the event, and what they're looking forward to most attending YWCE as students for the first time. 

Find more details on the event here: https://www.wildsheepfoundation.org/mission-and-programs/youth-programs/ywce

Whether you’re interested in fishing for warmwater species, like bass, in southern Nevada, ice fishing in eastern Nevada, or casting a line in a river in western Nevada, the Silver State has it all when it comes to fishing opportunities!

In this week's Nevada Wild, Ashley Sanchez and Aaron Keller sit down with NDOW Angler Education Coordinators Jan Nemec, Nicole Hamblin, and Abbey Czarnecki. They cover fishing conditions across Nevada, share ice fishing safety tips, and get into the 25 Days of Fishmas spirit by sharing gift ideas for the angler in your life!

Buy your fishing license at ndowlicensing.com.

View our fishing reports here: https://www.ndow.org/get-outside/fishing/fishing-stocking-reports/database/

Game Warden Reserve Lieutenant James Kocijanski, our most recent NDOW Volunteer of the Month, will be retiring at the end of the year. Kocijanski, better known to most as “Kozz,” has been an essential member of the NDOW Law Enforcement Division for the last decade. As one of two Reserve Game Wardens in the state, Kozz has been instrumental in assisting with patrols, promoting the Operation Game Thief program, training fellow law enforcement officers in TECC (Tactical Emergency Casualty Care), and training civilians in the lifesaving Stop the Bleed course.

In this week’s Nevada Wild, Aaron Keller and Ashley Sanchez sit down with Kozz as he looks back at his 10 years of service for NDOW.

To get involved in NDOW’s Game Warden Reserve program, scroll down to the “Volunteer Game Warden section here: https://www.ndow.org/learn-discover/get-involved/

Learn more about Stop the Bleed trainings here: https://www.stopthebleed.org/