spectr17
12-28-2002, 01:33 AM
NDOW News / Media Press Releases
12/12/02
HUNTER RETURN CARDS CRITICAL TO BIG GAME MANAGEMENT
By: Geoff Schneider
Big game return cards are critical to managing herds and setting hunting quotas and season dates for next fall’s hunts, so the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) is again asking hunters to return their cards before the Jan. 31 deadline.
“Harvest data is so critical. It and the information we receive from our surveys are used in determining how many tags can be issued next fall,” said Mike Cox, NDOW staff biologist.
Cox said that Nevada hunters have the highest compliance of any western state for returning the big game harvest cards and ranges from 95 to 98 percent. He believes this high return rate indicates that hunters understand that accurate data benefits them by allowing NDOW to properly manage big game herds.
“Without good data, we can’t manage the herds as well for hunters,” Cox said. “Without data we don’t have an accurate picture of the population dynamics of herds. But the biggest thing for hunters is that with good data we will never over harvest a population.”
A change instituted last year asks hunters the date that they harvested their animals. This information allows NDOW biologists and the Nevada Wildlife Commission to consider making changes to seasons that will benefit hunters.
“The kill data is useful in determining the timing of harvest. This allows us to improve the timing of our seasons. For instance, we may see an opening or opportunity to shift a season,” said Cox.
Biologists use the return data along with information they gather during their aerial and ground surveys to manage herds and recommend quotas to the wildlife commission. The combined data provides an accurate picture of herds and lets biologists know population trends, ratios of male to female animals and ratios of young to adult animals. Biologists review at all of this data each spring prior to making their recommendations for hunt quotas.
“We need accurate data and harvest data is so critical to this,” Cox said. “It’s especially important to the female segment of herds, particularly elk where in some instances we have caps (limits) on the size of herds.”
Hunters who have not yet submitted their return cards can do so online at http://www.ndow.org or by calling (800) 576-1020
12/12/02
HUNTER RETURN CARDS CRITICAL TO BIG GAME MANAGEMENT
By: Geoff Schneider
Big game return cards are critical to managing herds and setting hunting quotas and season dates for next fall’s hunts, so the Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW) is again asking hunters to return their cards before the Jan. 31 deadline.
“Harvest data is so critical. It and the information we receive from our surveys are used in determining how many tags can be issued next fall,” said Mike Cox, NDOW staff biologist.
Cox said that Nevada hunters have the highest compliance of any western state for returning the big game harvest cards and ranges from 95 to 98 percent. He believes this high return rate indicates that hunters understand that accurate data benefits them by allowing NDOW to properly manage big game herds.
“Without good data, we can’t manage the herds as well for hunters,” Cox said. “Without data we don’t have an accurate picture of the population dynamics of herds. But the biggest thing for hunters is that with good data we will never over harvest a population.”
A change instituted last year asks hunters the date that they harvested their animals. This information allows NDOW biologists and the Nevada Wildlife Commission to consider making changes to seasons that will benefit hunters.
“The kill data is useful in determining the timing of harvest. This allows us to improve the timing of our seasons. For instance, we may see an opening or opportunity to shift a season,” said Cox.
Biologists use the return data along with information they gather during their aerial and ground surveys to manage herds and recommend quotas to the wildlife commission. The combined data provides an accurate picture of herds and lets biologists know population trends, ratios of male to female animals and ratios of young to adult animals. Biologists review at all of this data each spring prior to making their recommendations for hunt quotas.
“We need accurate data and harvest data is so critical to this,” Cox said. “It’s especially important to the female segment of herds, particularly elk where in some instances we have caps (limits) on the size of herds.”
Hunters who have not yet submitted their return cards can do so online at http://www.ndow.org or by calling (800) 576-1020