department of wildlife

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service releases 4,600 more Lahontan cuthroat into Lake Tahoe

Following a successful three-day operation in October, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week released more than 4,600 Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe, helping to restore the iconic species to its native waters.

Lahontan cutthroat trout are the largest inland cutthroat trout in the world and the only trout native to Lake Tahoe.

The 4,645 fish from the Pilot Peak strain, originated at the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex in Gardnerville and were released into the Nevada side of the lake this week.

Keeping Tahoe bears wild - COVID-19 closures can affect their behavior

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Spring is in full swing in the Tahoe Basin and Tahoe black bears are searching for food. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears results in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year, local law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat or are damaging property. In some cases, the bear must be euthanized.

Proposed plans for SR-28 corridor from Sand Harbor to Spooner Summit released

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - New plans have been released on the State Route 28 corridor from Sand Harbor to Spooner Summit on the east shore of Lake Tahoe. After the success of the East Shore Trail from Incline Village to Sand Harbor, the plan is to continue the shared-use trail with other improvements to highway safety and infrastructure; summer recreational access; water, air and scenic quality; and increase non-motorized access to the corridor.

The USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has issued a draft decision for the proposed improvements to this area.

5,000 Lahontan cuthroat trout to be placed in Lake Tahoe for first time; Public invited

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For the first time ever, the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery will release 5,000 large Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout into their home waters of Lake Tahoe.

Over three days, the 12"-14" sized trout will be placed in the water, and the public is invited to two of those historic, interpretive stocking events during the Fall Fish Festival at Taylor Creek.

New partnership created to "Keep Tahoe Bears Wild"

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Basin is bear country and natural resource and law enforcement agencies are working diligently to remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal when living in or visiting bear country. To help spread the message, a new website has been launched, TahoeBears.org, where residents and visitors can go to learn everything they need to know about living, visiting and playing responsibly in bear country.

Lake Tahoe canoers stranded 3/4 mile off shore after boat takes on water

6/4/19 4:00PM Update: Details have been updated in Monday evening's incident on Lake Tahoe. The two people were in a canoe that took on water for unknown reasons about 3/4 of a mile off the shore of South Lake Tahoe. They ended up in the water and were there for about ten minutes before a local boater got to them and pulled them out of the water. The Nevada Department of Wildlife had a boat on the water that reached the group, followed by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) boat. SLTPD got the pair off the local boater's boat and returned them to El Dorado Beach.

Keep Tahoe Bears Wild - Practice proper food storage and trash disposal

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Lake Tahoe natural resource and law enforcement agencies remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal at all times while in bear country. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears can result in unwanted bear behaviors, increased human-bear conflicts, and public safety issues, as well as fines and possible jail time for violators. Each year law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat or are damaging property. In some cases, the bear must be euthanized.

Victims in Topaz Lake and ATV incidents identified

UDPATE 1/13/19 - The second drowning victim has been recovered from Topaz Lake. The recovery efforts resumed today on at 9:00 a.m. by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Marine 7 and search and rescue units, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Specialized Vehicle Unit (SUV) and their HASTY Dive Team, and Wardens from the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. Marine 7’s ROV located the body of Jesse Gregory, 50, at a depth of 22 feet.

The surviving fisherman, Scott Wise, has recovered and was released from the hospital.

Boat capsizes in Topaz Lake; One dead, one missing

UPDATE 1/13/19 12:30 p.m. - Douglas County Sheriff's Office has released the names of those involved in the boating accident. One boater, Scott Wise, was able to get to shore while a search began for the other two occupants. Rescue teams located the body of Burt Pederson of Sparks, Nevada, a man in his 40s according to DCSO. Jesse Gregory, also of Sparks, is still missing and presumed to have drowned.

Wise was treated at the Carson Valley Medical Center for treatment. He has since been released.

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Over 100 sick birds from Nevada arrive at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) is known for their loving care of wildlife from beavers and owls to bears, but an arrival this week is unusual even for the non-profit based in Meyers near South Lake Tahoe.

Thousands of shore and water birds from Virginia, Carson and Swan Lakes in Nevada were recently stricken by Avian Type C Botulism. Most of the ill birds are Avocets and Ibis, and over 100 of them were brought to Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for needed attention.

Fireworks barge catches fire in Lake Tahoe

Two hours after the Lights on the Lake fireworks show ended on July 4, one of three barges used in the show caught on fire.

The fireworks crews on board attempted to put out the fire with fire extinguishers but were unable to suppress the flames. Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District (TDFPD) monitors the show each year and weren't far away. At 12:27 a.m. July 5, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District responded with their new fire boat, Marine 24, and doused the fire within six minutes.

There were no injuries.

Wild Tahoe Weekend at Taylor Creek in South Lake Tahoe

Event Date: 
Repeats every day until Sun Jun 24 2018 .
June 23, 2018 - 10:00am
June 24, 2018 - 10:00am

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will host the eighth Wild Tahoe Weekend 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24, 2018 at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. The weekend event consists of the Native Species Festival on Saturday and the Lake Tahoe Bird Festival on Sunday.

Save a bear - be smart about food storage/trash disposal in the outdoors

Several Lake Tahoe agencies have joined together to remind residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal at all times while in bear country. Intentional or unintentional feeding of bears can result in the bear being killed, fines and/or jail time for violators. Every year law enforcement and state wildlife officers respond to hundreds of calls in which bears may pose a public safety threat and/or are damaging property. In some cases, the animals are euthanized.

Become part of the solution and help save our Tahoe bears!

Mac the Naw: Topaz fishing opener Jan. 1 brings cash prizes and slot play for big catches

Hello fellow anglers, it is that time of year to celebrate the new year and the Topaz Lake opening day fishing season. On Monday, Jan. 1, 2018 at precisely 6:46 a.m. will be the official starting time for anglers to begin fishing on Topaz Lake.

For those of you driving out that morning, be careful and mindful of other drivers on the road that have might celebrated to much the night before.

Bears making comeback to Nevada's Great Basin

Conservation efforts are seeing the return of black bears into the Great Basin of Nevada, an area that hasn't seen the mammal for over 80 years according to a study released this week by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), and the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR).

Prior to this study, most of the state's black bears could be found around Lake Tahoe and the Pine Nut Mountains after being forced from the Great Basin by unregulated hunting and conflicts with domestic livestock.

NDOW allowing 20 black bears to be hunted; Protesters plan demonstration

On September 15, 2017 the annual Nevada bear hunt season opens, and this year 45 hunters have been issued tags to participate in the season that lasts until December 1, or until the quota of 20 black bears has been met. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) calls this the "Black Bear Harvest."

In protest of the hunt, a "peaceful, educational" demonstration has been planned by NoBearHuntNV.org and Compassion Works International on September 16 in Reno. Participants will be meeting at the intersection of South Virginia and McCarran in front of Reno Star sculpture at 11:00 a.m.

Reward offered to find who illegally reintroduced pike to Comins Lake

In 2015, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) spent more than $250,000 to remove illegally stocked northern pike that had decimated the trout fishery at Comins Lake, and now that work, time and money were for naught.

The voracious predator has again been illegally planted in the lake south of Ely, Nevada.

Importance of understanding dangers of cold water shock

With recent water tragedies in Lake Tahoe we are republishing this 2016 article.

The most common misunderstanding about swimming in Lake Tahoe is that people can suffer from hypothermia, which leads to death. The real truth is that "cold water shock" will kill much quicker than hypothermia ever will.

"The sudden lowering of skin temperature on immersion in cold water represents one of the most profound stimuli that the body can encounter." Golden and Tipton in Essentials of Sea Survival

Annual Canadian Goose roundup completed in Lake Tahoe and Reno

Not only humans enjoy hanging out in Lake Tahoe, the Canadian Goose does as well, and according to many, perhaps too well. The annual goose roundup is now complete with 118 of the geese from Lake Tahoe now living at the Wild Horse Reservoir in Elko County.

Bear dies after being hit by car near Incline Village

A three-year-old female bear was hit by a vehicle early Wednesday morning on SR-28 in the Memorial Point area south of Sand Harbor near Incline Village.

Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) received a call at 12:40 a.m. by a passing motorist on May 31 of an injured bear lying in the roadway. When deputies responded they found the badly injured bear who was breathing but unable to move.

Life in the mountains: Practice proper food storage

After a challenging winter and spring in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the summer season is upon us. Agencies around Lake Tahoe (U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, California State Parks, California and Nevada Departments of Wildlife) are reminding residents and visitors to practice proper food storage and trash disposal when living in, or visiting, bear country.

Jasper the bear dies after being shot; Sheriff responds to shooting

Jasper, the bear shot by a deputy in Incline Village on Saturday has died as a result of her injuries.

"I am saddened to hear of the passing of the bear from yesterday's incident in Incline Village involving one of our deputies," said Washoe County Sheriff Chuck Allen. "We appreciate the efforts made by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The Sheriff's Office will thoroughly review the incident and take whatever measures are deemed appropriate."

Deputy accidentally shoots bear with live bullet in Lake Tahoe

A Washoe County Sheriff's deputy trying to scare off a group of bears in Incline Village Saturday morning shot the mother bear with a live round instead of a rubber round.

At approximately 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2017, deputies responded to a report of a group of bears near residences in the area of Driver Way and Village Boulevard in Incline Village.

On arrival, deputies encountered a mother bear and three cubs. This group of bears had been previously identified as food aggressive and deputies have had numerous encounters with this group in recent weeks.

Are Nevada officials hauling bears away for hunting?

It's bear hunting season and that's always controversial. This year, the debate is especially fierce in Lake Tahoe where animal activists are accusing the state of Nevada of trapping bears for hunting.

In the past five years, Nevada wildlife officials have caught and moved more than 20 bears out of the Lake Tahoe area into the desert. The Nevada Wildlife Department says it's got nothing to do with hunting, but its own data raises questions about the timing of the moves.

NDOW releases Lake Tahoe bear back into the wild near Mt. Rose

Nevada wildlife biologists released a three-plus year old male black bear back into the forest near the top of Mt. Rose Summit on Monday morning after capturing him Sunday in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe.

Nevada Department of Wildlife trapped the young bear while attempting to trap another bear that had caused damage to a building, according to wildlife biologist Carl Lackey. The bear that was captured and then later released Monday wasn't the bear Lackey was looking for.

Lackey says that NDOW had handled the released bear once before in the mountains east of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

No bear selfies allowed at Taylor Creek: Agencies partner to keep people and bears safe

During the 2014 Kokanee Salmon run at the U.S. Forest Service's Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe, many visitors attempted to get a "selfie" with the bears who frequent the area in search of Salmon. This disregard for both the bear's safety as well as the public's prompted USFS officials to issue warnings and threat to close the area.

Importance of understanding dangers of cold water shock

The most common misunderstanding about swimming in Lake Tahoe is that people can suffer from hypothermia, which leads to death. The real truth is that "cold water shock" will kill much quicker than hypothermia ever will.

"The sudden lowering of skin temperature on immersion in cold water represents one of the most profound stimuli that the body can encounter." Golden and Tipton in Essentials of Sea Survival

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is increasing their educational campaign for boaters and swimmers to understand the dangers of cold water at Lake Tahoe.

Deaths in Lake Tahoe attributed to cold water shock, not hypothermia

"Swim Smart, Swim Safe: know the dangers of cold water" is the message coming from agencies responsible for boating and water safety on Lake Tahoe, especially after the recent deaths in the lake of two healthy men.

Drowning incidents from boating, paddling and swimming often share the same cause, "cold water shock," an involuntary gasp reflex caused by sudden immersion in cold water. Swimmers and boaters suddenly exposed to the cold waters of Lake Tahoe may experience rapid breathing, gasping, fainting, muscle failure and immediate risk of drowning.

Tahoe Village recognized for bear logic awareness efforts

Two homeowners associations rose to the challenge when Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval challenged Nevadans to think like a bear as he proclaimed July as Bear Logic Month.

“That is what Bear Logic is all about, thinking like a bear,” said Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) black bear biologist Carl Lackey.

On the South Shore, Tahoe Village Homeowners Association on Upper Kingsbury, and in Reno, the Caughlin Ranch Homeowners Association, have both been recognized by NDOW for their bear logic awareness efforts.

Cub killed for forays into Sand Harbor

Nevada Department of Wildlife officials killed a two-year-old bear after it made repeated forays into the Sand Harbor area of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park.

According to department spokesman Chris Healy the bear displayed troubling behavior that prompted officials to capture and euthanize it.

“It is a tough situation,” Healy said. “Outwardly it looked healthy but the behavior was troubling.”

According to NDOW, the bear entered the parking area at Sand Harbor late Thursday morning. It raided a cooler that was in the back of an open-top Jeep.

This is Bear Country: Practice proper food storage and trash disposal

Several local agencies have teamed together to inform the public on the importance of proper food storage and trash disposal at their Lake Tahoe homes and vacation rentals.

Darted bear drowns in Dayton

A black bear drowned Monday after it was tranquilized by wildlife officials and then ran into a pond in Dayton and slipped beneath the water, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The bear, an eight-year-old, 300-pound male, was reported to be wandering through the Dayton Valley Golf Club Monday evening, department spokesman Chris Healy said.

Authorities don't want repeat of 'bear selfie' craze

During the 2014 Kokanee salmon run at Taylor Creek, spectators left pathways at the popular U.S. Forest Service Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe to approach bears in search of a selfie photo with a bear. Not only was this dangerous for the human, it was dangerous for the bear and USFS threatened to close the area to the public.

Third ‘Born Bad’ bear from same litter euthanized at Lake Tahoe highlights biology debate

Are some bears just born to be bad? Or do they learn from other bears that raid garbage cans, break into cars and homes and eventually have to be killed because they’ve lost their fear of humans?

Scientists have researched this classic debate over “nature” and “nurture” among black bears for decades, from Yosemite National Park in the Sierra to central Florida and the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

Another bear killed by Nevada officials, this time on Kingsbury Grade

For the second time in a week the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has had to euthanize a black bear that was found near homes.

The bear was trapped overnight in the Kingsbury Area of Douglas County, and was put down because it was a danger to the public.

'Dangerous' black bear killed at Tahoe

A problem-causing black bear that wildlife officials said was becoming increasingly dangerous was killed Tuesday in Incline Village.

The bear, a 9-year-old, 450-pound male, was captured Monday night or early Tuesday morning, tranquilized and subsequently euthanized with drugs, said Chris Healy, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The bear was determined to be the same one that had been raiding trash, breaking into cars and knocking over fences in the area and was killed as a threat to public safety, Healy said.

Judge: ‘Cyber stalking’ evidenced in Tahoe bear case

A legal battle between bear advocates and a Lake Tahoe couple who says they were threatened and intimidated after reporting a problem bear to authorities will continue after a judge said evidence suggests “cyber-stalking” occurred.

Richard and Adrienne Evans failed to prove the Bear League intentionally interfered with the relationship between Adrienne and her professional mountain bike racing sponsors and that claim in the couple’s lawsuit is dismissed, Washoe District Judge Lidia Stiglich ruled May 27.

Battle Over Tahoe Bears Gets Ugly

A Lake Tahoe woman is suing a longtime bear protection group after she says she got death threats for reporting an aggressive black bear to Nevada authorities, who then killed the animal.

Adrienne Evans, a professional mountain bike racer and high school science teacher, accuses the BEAR League of igniting an ugly social media campaign that turned into a vengeful attempt to run her and her husband out of town. She said she loves bears and wasn't trying to get the animal killed.

TRPA wins Silver Spike Award for their "Tahoe in Depth" newspaper

Tahoe In Depth, the environmental newspaper that the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency created two years ago to help improve awareness and understanding of lake issues, was recognized with a Silver Spike award at the Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America annual awards ceremony on Thursday.
Silver Spike awards recognize the northern Sierra region’s best public relations and communications campaigns, according to Anne McMillin, President of the Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Three Sheriff's boats have sunk in Lake Tahoe this summer

Authorities are looking into why a second boat used by the Washoe County Sheriff's Department sank off the shore near Incline Village Thursday.

The 15 year old boat, Marine 10, was brought to Lake Tahoe from it's normal home in Pyramid Lake because it's predecessor, Marine 20, sank off shore in late May.

Normally, Marine 10 is hooked to a trailer at night but was tied to a buoy instead due to the trailer undergoing maintenance.

Both incidents are under investigation.

Douglas County Sheriff Candidate Ron Pierini: We Maintain One of the Lowest Crime Rates in Nevada

South Tahoe Now sent a questionnaire out to all of the candidates for Douglas County Sheriff. We will be posting them in the order received.

1) What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department?

Labor Day weekend fishing report for Northern California and Sierra

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in the Sierra, Northern California and Nevada. This report is for the week of Aug. 28 through Labor Day. Don't forget, California's second free day of fishing without a license will be Saturday, Sept. 7.

Don Q's Nevada and Northern California fishing report for week of August 1-6

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Aug. 1-6.

Fish without a license on the Nevada side Saturday, June 8

Here’s an advance notice of something very special in the outdoor world that will occur in just a few days: Draw a great big red circle around the date of Saturday, June 8 on your calendar and then plan to have a fun-filled day in the Great Outdoors.

June 8 is Nevada’s Free Fishing Day for the year 2013. On that day, you can fish anywhere you want, and not need a Nevada fishing license or a Nevada Trout Stamp or a Nevada Second Rod Stamp.

Memorial Day weekend fishing report for Northern California and Sierra

Here is the Memorial Day weekend fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of May 22-28. Pack plenty of sunscreen, fill your cooler full of cold beverages and enjoy the long holiday weekend.

Don Q's weekly fishing report for Feb. 6-12

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Feb. 6-12.

Nevada wildlife director resigns

The director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife resigned abruptly Wednesday at the request of Gov. Brian Sandoval, following months of pressure from representatives in rural Nevada over deer m...

Don Q's fishing report for week of Jan. 2-9

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Jan. 2-9:

Nevada Department of Wildlife offers grants for shooting range projects

The Nevada Department of Wildlife has grants available to individuals or organizations with shooting range project proposals.NDOW receives the bulk of its funding through user fees and excise taxes...

Big fish caught at Lake Tahoe

Below is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Dec. 12-18. We want to note a big fish caught by Eric St. Denis of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., pictured above. Eric caught a 28-pound, 9-ounce Mackinaw trout at Lake Tahoe on Dec. 9, at 10:30 a.m. Photos courtesy of Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters.
The Lake Tahoe record for Mackinaw Trout is a 37-pound, 6-ounce (44 inches in length) trophy caught by Robert Aronsen, way back in 1974. To date, only a handful of Macks have been caught that have weighed 30 pounds or more.

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