Department of Wildlife Regional Offices & Commissioners

HUNT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

Hunt Survey Questionnaires must be submitted for all big game tags regardless of successful harvest. Questionnaires must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. PST on January 31 following the close of the hunt season for which the tag was issued. Hunts that close after January 31 must be submitted on or before 5 p.m. PST on February 28.

Hunt survey questionnaires may be submitted through a customer’s account at ndowlicensing.com by clicking the Surveys link.

Successful tag holders who fail to report a harvest return card will be subject to a $50 penalty and a suspension from the next season’s application period until the penalty is paid and the questionnaire completed. (Refer to NAC 502.405) The penalty must be paid by the close of the following year's big game application period. Failure to pay will result in a one years suspension from all big game tags. (Refer to NAC 502.405)

Nevada Testing and Training Range (NTTR)

United States Air Forces NTTR lands provide a unique, likely once in a lifetime, desert bighorn sheep hunting experience. Since the inception of the NTTR in 1940, these lands have remained relatively undisturbed allowing bighorn sheep to persist through time. Hunters are required to pass a criminal background check, submit a full inventory of their equipment, and take part in a mandatory safety briefing prior to accessing withdrawn lands.

The 2022 hunt season saw multiple violations during the NTTR hunts that lead the air force to threaten closing the hunt into the future. To allow the hunt to persist, the Department and Desert National Wildlife Refuge agreed to additional restrictions.

The NTTR made it very clear that if there were any more violations, they would pursue closing the hunt in perpetuity.

If you are interested in applying for these hunts please take this process seriously.

Alternates

Choosing to be an alternate adds the applicant to a list of hunters willing to accept a tag exactly matching their first-choice application if one should be returned to the Department. Alternates are awarded by lowest assigned draw number provided in the Big Game Main Draw. An alternate can receive a tag anytime from when the results are released from the main draw up until 14 calendar days prior to the opening of the tag’s hunt season. (NAC 502.4175 and 502.421 - CGR 490)

Alternates receiving their tag will not be notified by the Department. A customer’s default credit card will be charged, and an email confirmation will be sent to the email address stored in your customer account. Tags are mailed from the time of purchase and alternates will receive their alternate tag in the mail within 7–10 business days.

COLLEGE STUDENTS

College students from other states that are living and studying in Nevada may obtain a resident license and apply for resident tags. Call your regional NDOW office for more information.

Minimum Legal Requirements For Taking Edible Meat From The Field

Hunters are encouraged to use as much of their harvest as possible. Although most meat from big game is edible, below are the minimum lawful requirements.

In the case of a big game mammal, the meat of the front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee), hind quarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock), and the meat along the backbone between the front and hind quarters. (Refer to NAC 503.0047)

1. Front Quarter (Shoulder)
2. Hind Quarter (Thigh)
3. Backbone (Backstrap / Tenderloin)
   

Illegal Outdoor Marijuana

The past year has shown an increase in illegal outdoor marijuana grow gardens in the Nevada outback. Sportsmen should be aware of their surroundings while utilizing the outdoors. If you observe remote camp sites/ irrigation equipment/marijuana plants leave the area immediately.

Note the location of suspicious activity and contact law enforcement officials. Game wardens work in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies when these grow gardens are found to apprehend the growers, eradicate the plants and rehabilitate the damaged environment.

Operation Game Thief 1-800-992-3030

or DPS 1-866-2REPORT or NDOW Tip App.

How Does The Draw System Work?

All applications, regardless of species or gender, are assigned a random number. Applications with bonus points are assigned additional random numbers by squaring the bonus point total and adding one for the current year (however only the lowest number within the bonus point application is used). Applications are drawn in sequential order starting with the lowest random number then evaluated within the following group order:

1. Silver State
2. Partners in Wildlife
3. Junior Mule Deer Antlered or Junior Mule Deer Antlered/Antlerless (if available)
4. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Ram, California Bighorn Sheep Ram, Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Ram, Elk Antlered, Antelope Horns Longer than Ears, Mule Deer Antlered, Mountain Goat, Bear, Moose Antlered
5. Elk Depredation Antlered, Management Bighorn Sheep Ram
6. California Bighorn Sheep Ewe, Nelson (Desert) Bighorn Sheep Ewe, Elk Antlerless, Antelope Horns Shorter than Ears, Mule Deer Antlerless
7. Spike Elk
8. Elk Depredation Antlerless

This allows applicants to put in for all species and gender classifications they wish to hunt, without worry of drawing a less preferred tag over a more preferred, due to changes in eligibility requirements (i.e. because you are now only allowed to draw a single tag for each species or subspecies category). For instance, in this draw order, if you draw an Antlered Elk tag early in the draw process, your application for Antlerless Elk will not be considered. However, you can apply for both Antlered and Antlerless Elk in the same draw and not worry about your Antlerless tag being drawn first before Antlered Elk.

BLM Information

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Nevada encourages hunters to call in advance of hunting season to find out if land management practices will be conducted during the hunting season. While BLM field offices are aware of hunting seasons, some management activities, such as prescribed burns, wild horse gathers, road closures or fire restrictions may temporarily disrupt hunting activities.

Call Before You Hunt

If possible, call the appropriate BLM office before you send in your hunt area requests. That way you may avoid an area that may have some access restrictions or other changes because of management activities. It’s a good idea to call BLM just before the hunt to find out if any unplanned restrictions from fire or emergency wild horse gathers are in effect.

• Battle Mountain District Office
  (775) 635-4000
• Carson City District Office
  (775) 885-6000
• Elko District Office
  (775) 753-0200
• Ely District Office
  (775) 289-1800
• Southern Nevada District Office
  (702) 515-5000
• Winnemucca District Office
  (775) 623-1500

Responsible Hunting in Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs)

Some units contain BLM lands designated as wilderness or wilderness study areas. Motor vehicle use—trucks, ATVs and motorcycles—is not allowed unless signs are placed to indicate a designated route. The motorized vehicle rule extends to mechanized vehicles such as game carriers, which are also not allowed in these areas. Hand-held GPS units are allowed.

Responsible Off-Highway Vehicle Use

There has been a big increase in the use of OHVs by hunters. While most areas of the public lands are designated as open to OHV use, cross-country travel on OHVs is causing unnecessary damage to habitat that wildlife depend on. OHV riders are asked to stay on existing roads and trails. If it is necessary to drive off roads to retrieve and pack out harvested game, hunters are asked to use care and avoid creating new routes.