NDOW recommends closing area to hunting because of fire damage

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ELKO, Nev. - The Nevada Division of Wildlife is calling for a temporary ban on deer and sage grouse hunting in an area southwest of Elko because of the devastation to habitat from wildfires.

The state Board of Wildlife Commissioners will consider the agency's recommendation to close game management unit 065 when it meets Sept. 10-11 in Winnemucca.

"We're recommending the commission evaluate this," said Larry Barngrover, regional manager of NDOW's Elko office.

No other closure requests are pending, but Barngrover said that could change depending on the rest of the fire season.

"I don't think we should rule it out," he said, "but we don't anticipate anything else."

During July and August, the Rain, Dido and Sadler Complex fires burned in excess of 235,000 acres within the Pinion and Sulphur Springs ranges, as well as significant portions of Huntington Valley.

"Approximately 80 percent of the land burned by these fires was in unit 065," Barngrover said. "The Sadler Fire burned summer habitat that was used by an estimated 70 percent of the deer herd within this unit."

He estimated 70 percent of the winter range also was lost and nearly half of the burned acreage supported sage grouse.

"The fires burned very hot and tended to completely burn vegetation with few acres skipped," Barngrover said.

Based on reports from ranchers and firefighters, the agency believes a fair number of deer and sage grouse already have perished.

"The deer that are remaining will be concentrated and easier to hunt," Barngrover said. "Sage grouse are expected to become quite susceptible to hunting this coming season because birds are concentrated on relatively small parcels of habitat.

"Even though these issues will not have a biological impact, they will be unpalatable to the average person," he said.

Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy in Reno said the closure of unit 065 won't preclude hunters who drew a tag for that area from hunting altogether.

"You don't get a tag just for 065," Healy said, explaining that a tag for that area includes areas 061-068 as well.

"We're not going to be in a situation of telling people you can't hunt at all," he said. "Your tag is still good for a big chunk of country."

archive