Multi Purpose Water Catchments (Guzzlers)

Water developments collect and store natural precipitation, metering out the precious moisture to all forms of wildlife throughout the year. These projects greatly expand viable habitat that would otherwise be unusable in desert mountains. The following list is a sample of our guzzler projects:

Big Game Transplants and Reintroduction

With the assistance of NBU, over 60 mountain ranges have received new populations of Desert, Rocky Mountain, or California Bighorns. Over half of the total bighorn sheep tags statewide are due to reintroduced populations. NBU has also been proactive in reintroduction of antelope throughout northern Nevada as well as elk into select mountain ranges.

Scientific Research

Many persons are not aware of the problems that can arise when there is contact between wild and domestic sheep. Bighorn sheep are highly susceptible to some bacteria carried by domestic sheep. While domestic sheep are immune to strains carried by bighorn sheep. NBU has funded numerous Research Studies in such universities as University of California Davis, Washington State, and Idaho State in an attempt to solve this problem, which seriously limits areas suitable for bighorn reintroduction.

All of the California bighorns transplanted into the United States had their origin in British Columbia. When populations in the Kamloops area slumped, NBU funded multi-year migration route and area use studies through local British Columbia sportsmen groups to identify limiting factors to viable sheep populations

Long before public perception identified declining sage grouse populations as an indication of declining rangeland health, NBU was funding sage grouse research programs on the Sheldon National Antelope Refuge through Oregon State University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

NBU partially funded habitat and forage utilization studies that allowed the expansion of the elk herd in the Jarbidge Wilderness of Northeastern Nevada. Important conclusions were drawn including the lack of impact of the resident elk herd on cattle grazing as well as the lack of competition between elk and mule deer in this mountain range.

In conjunction with our reseeding of range fire efforts, NBU has funded field trial research of improving seed germination success. Methods of encapsulating seeds with nutrient rich pellets will hopefully greatly improve the efficiency and success of reseeding operations.

Habitat Improvement

NBU appoints various directors to serve on boards and committees involved in wildlife, conservation, and rangeland issues.

• Nevada State Bighorn Sheep Management Plan
• Nevada State Elk Management Plan
• Wildlife Commission Subcommittee on Private Lands
• Black Rock Desert, High Rock Canyon, Emigrant Trail Wilderness Management Subcommittee
• Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife
• BLM National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

Nevada is losing valuable habitat to range fire at an alarming rate. This may be the greatest threat to our wildlife resources. Although extremely costly, NBU each year funds extensive reseeding efforts. The following restoration projects have been funded:

Education

NBU strongly believes a well-informed public is vital to the protection and enhancement of our wildlife resources. It is particularly imperative to educate our youth of not only the value of wildlife but also the vital role of sportsmen in wildlife conservation. The following is but a sample of our contributions to this effort:

Jim Lathrop, Jr. Scholarships
Nevada Range Camp
NBU Quarterly Newsletter
Project Wild
Teachers Guide – The Wildlife Society – Nevada Chapter
Trout in the Classroom
Wild Outdoor World Magazine (in partnership with RMEF)
Nevada Outdoorsman Publication

Monte Cristo Guzzler from NineCaribou on Vimeo.