Outdoors

Courtesy of www.GrandViewOutdoors.com
On a July evening a few years ago, a massive bull moose wallowed belly-deep in a small stream in the canoe country north of Ely. Facing the other direction, he had no idea a canoe was silently slipping up behind him. He kept dipping for the stems of water lilies and chewing them in the rich evening light.

We approached so closely that the 17-year-old in the bow of the canoe began backpaddling. He looked over his shoulder and shot me a silent glance that told me we were too close to that moose.
He probably was right.

By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
Sometime in mid-March the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) will release the last load of rainbow trout for the agency’s annual stocking season at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave.

But unlike years past, the release of these final truckloads of fish will mark more than the end of a trout stocking season.

They will mark the end of an era, the end of NDOW trout stocking efforts along the Lower Colorado River.

Courtesy of GrandViewOutdoors.com
Alaska wildlife officials said last Tuesday that they were appalled the federal government rejected their plan to kill wolves to protect caribou on a remote Aleutian Island.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced this week it would not sign off on the state killing seven wolves in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge on Unimak Island.

Here's a couple of upcoming events for the week:

By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
Eligible hunters who have purchased their waterfowl stamp ‘privilege” over the internet or at Point of Sales locations also have the opportunity to receive the actual physical stamp at the end of the license year.

For the purist, or for nostalgia’s sake, many hunters like to maintain a real copy of the year’s stamp, and this NDOW offer allows just that.

The 13th Annual Big Game Banquet of the Tahoe Basin Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will be held in Carson City at the Casino Fandango April 30.

Those active in the foundation are asked to help with donations and underwriting of the event. Donation entries for the Program placement with proper credited entry prior to the program printing are needed by March 20th. Any help you can give the foundation will be greatly appreciated!

The Nevada Department of Wildlife has a number of recent fish plants to report in Western Nevada. The most recent are:

If you are a trout fisherman and are fairly new to our area, you may not be aware that some of our best Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fishing is at Pyramid Lake in the month of March.

Pyramid Lake (which is roughly the same surface size as Lake Tahoe) is about 30 miles north of Reno-Sparks, and it contains Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that routinely run into “Double Digits” in weight.

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Go here for this week's full fishing report and here for more outdoor stories.

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The lake is the terminus of the Truckee River which begins at Lake Tahoe.
Pyramid Lake is approximately 15 miles long, 11 miles wide and measures 350 feet deep at its deepest point.

Here is the Northern Nevada, Northern California and Southern Oregon fishing report for the week of March 16-23.

ANGEL LAKE, ELKO COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife www.ndow.org reported: The road is closed.

BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF:
Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (866) 694-2930 www.woodfordsstation.com reported: The road is closed for the winter.

CAPLES LAKE, CALIF:

By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
Eligible hunters who have purchased their waterfowl stamp ‘privilege” over the internet or at Point of Sales locations also have the opportunity to receive the actual physical stamp at the end of the license year.

For the purist, or for nostalgia’s sake, many hunters like to maintain a real copy of the year’s stamp, and this NDOW offer allows just that.

Courtesy of GrandViewOutdoors.com
Abetted by last summer's record flooding, Asian carp are continuing their advance up the Big Sioux and other Missouri River tributaries, as researchers and wildlife officials gear up to deal with the invasion.
"They're here, so the big question is, how many are we going to get?'' said Brian Graeb, an assistant professor in South Dakota State University's wildlife and fisheries department.

By the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Pyramid Lake is located about 35 miles Northeast of Reno, and is the property of and managed by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

Pyramid Lake is known as being North America’s most beautiful desert lake and home to many year round recreational activities.

The lake occupies 112,000 surface acres inside the reservation boundary and has a shoreline of approximately 125 miles.

The lake has no outlet and is a residual body remaining from the prehistoric Great Lake Lahontan water body.

By the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe is seeking public input on proposed changes to the Pyramid Lake Regulations.

For the past several months the Tribe has been working with interested parties to make changes to the regulations in order to improve the recreational experience at Pyramid Lake.

The proposed changes to the regulations are focused improving the fishing
regulations, implementing invasive species protection and making the regulations more user friendly to visitors.

Courtesy of GrandViewOutdoors.com
Republican governors and members of Congress vowed Tuesday to fight an Obama administration plan to make millions of acres of undeveloped land in the West eligible for federal wilderness protection. The GOP officials said the plan would circumvent Congress's authority and could be used to declare a vast swath of public land off-limits to oil-and-gas drilling.

By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
When the Nevada State Board of Wildlife Commissioners met recently in Las Vegas, its members tackled a packed agenda that included the establishment of big game hunting seasons for 2011 and 2012, including the state’s first black bear hunt and proposed changes to the state’s waterfowl hunt zones.

The week of Feb. 21, Sal and Catali Quilici of Dayton, together with Elaine, her mom (Mary) and I traveled by two vehicles from Carson City all the way south to La Quinta, California (about 500 miles).

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It was a stark contrast between two totally different worlds. In Carson City, we had been experiencing winter weather conditions, seemingly forever, which is typical for this time of the year: furnace running off and on, all day and all night; heavy frost on the car windows in the mornings, ominous-looking gray clouds filling the skies; cold, biting winds; snow-covered landscapes; trees without leaves; dead-looking flower gardens; having to wear winter jackets and gloves; all kinds of neighbors and friends with sniffles, coughs and colds.

Here is the Northern Nevada, Northern California and Southern Oregon Fishing Report For the week of March 9-16:

Here is the Northern Nevada outdoor calendar for the month of March:

By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
While it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to catch a fish, it obviously helps to be one to catch a 39-year old state record for the largest rainbow trout ever caught in Nevada.

Elko angler Mike Mott, who really has worked as a rocket scientist, caught the 16-pound, 8-ounce behemoth on Feb.10 at Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). It measured 30 1/2 inches long and its girth, according to Mott, is about 20 inches.

This is a final reminder that the Clear Creek Bowmen, an archery organization in Carson City, will host their annual “Hell or High Water” archery shoot this coming Sunday, March 13.

By the Nevada Department of Wildlife
In an update to an ongoing investigation, the Operation Game Thief Citizens’ Board has offered a $4,000 reward to generate tips to solve a criminal case of eight deer shot in Voltaire Canyon near Carson City.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) released information on the case on Feb. 15 hoping to generate tips and solve the case.

The Citizens’ Board is a volunteer organization that manages donations to the OGT program and offers rewards to solve poaching cases.

By the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation on Sunday wrapped up its largest annual conservation fundraiser with gross revenues topping $2.5 million.
Those dollars will help support many RMEF initiatives to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. RMEF is a major supporter of new elk restoration efforts in Missouri and Virginia.

Here's a chance to draw cards, win prizes and ski or ride while at Lake Tahoe's Diamond Peak this Saturday.

The Hyatt Regency is the sponsor of the fourth annual Poker Run at Diamond Peak Ski Resort set for Saturday, March 12. Skiers and boarders are urged to join in at Diamond Peak a day of fun on the mountain and and many a chance to win some great prizes.

The Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation will host the Shredtacular Rail Jam event at the American Legion in South Lake Tahoe on Friday, March 11 from 4:30 to 10 p.m.

Open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages, the Shredtacular will be held on a feature built by Rob Giustina of On Course Events. Entry is $20 and includes a goodie bag and a raffle ticket for a chance to win tons of prizes.

If you’re a fisherman or fisherwoman, it’s that time of the year to remind you to purchase your new 2011-2012 fishing license.

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Click here for this week's fishing report and here for the latest outdoor news.
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That new fishing license year began yesterday on March 1 and it will run through the last day in February, 2012.

Here is the Northern Nevada and Northern California fishing report for the week of March 2:

Don Quilici of Carson City holds a large lemon and a large grapefruit that he picked from fruit trees on Wednesday, February 23 in La Quinta, California.
Photo by: Elaine Quilici

Here is the Northern Nevada Outdoor Calendar for the Month of March.

This is a reminder that the Clear Creek Bowmen, an archery organization in Carson City, will host their annual “Hell or High Water” archery shoot on Sunday, March 13.

That shoot will be held at the Centennial Park Archery Range (east of the Eagle Valley Golf Course), just off of U.S. 50.

It will be a target archery competition with all ages welcome.
Registration begins at 8 a.m., with competition shooting beginning at 9 a.m.

Registration fees are:
Adults: $15.
Family: $25.
Youths: $ 6.

By the Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
The boat launch facility at Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe will open March 3.
Boating hours will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday through Monday, through the end of April.

Boat inspectors will be present during these hours with the Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program.