Nevada Department of Wildlife Predator Management Status Report Fiscal Year 2019 Recent TWS Talks

• Spatially-Explicit Predator Impact Models: Linking Common Raven Density to Sage-Grouse Nest Success Using Hierarchical Modeling • Impacts of Recolonizing Black Bears on Cougar Predation Behavior • Carnivore Sympatry in Core Habitat of Black Bears • Estimating Reproduction and Survival of Unmarked Mule Deer Offspring from Marked Parents NRS 502.253 (predator fee) • ~$700,000 generated annually • $14,000 admin support Dept of Agriculture • Predator plan projects • Staff salary • Reserve remains available for future years NRS 502.253

1. Management of predatory wildlife 2. Research on lethal control techniques of predatory wildlife 3. Protection of sensitive species Budget Summary

• $643,233 revenues from FY 2017

• $643,233 x 0.8 = $514,586 (80% mandate)

• $528,659 spent on lethal removal (82%) Levels of Monitoring

1. Standard 2. Intermediate 3. Rigorous Project 21: Greater Sage-Grouse Protection (Common Raven Removal)

• Protect greater sage-grouse populations

• Lethally remove common ravens Project 21: Greater Sage-Grouse Protection (Common Raven Removal) • 1,765 common ravens removed by Wildlife Services • 4 nests destroyed by USGS Area Ravens Removed MA 3 113 MA 5 105 MA 6 161 MA 7 145 MA 8 34 MA 10 56 MA 11 55 MA 14 179 MA 15 420 MA 20 151 MA 22 247 MA 23 99 Total Ravens 1,765 Project 21: Greater Sage-Grouse Protection (Common Raven Removal) • Lethal raven removal imperative to maintain and improve Greater sage-grouse populations • Continue Project 21 while common ravens are believed to be limiting factor of Greater sage- grouse

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, and Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Office

$100,000 N/A $86,028 $0 $1,857 $87,885 Project 21-02: Common Raven Removal to Enhance Greater Sage- Grouse Nest Success Project 21-02: Common Raven Removal to Enhance Greater Sage- Grouse Nest Success

• 599 common ravens removed • Due to an unexpected fire, NDOW supports continuing project through FY2021

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office $25,000 N/A $27,910 $0 $1,857 $29,767 Project 22-01: Mountain Lion Removal to Protect California Bighorn Sheep • Bighorn sheep populations in Units 011 and 013 under performing • Wildlife Services and private contractors used to remove mountain lions in proximity to bighorn sheep populations • 19 sheep released on Massacre rim, 12 had GPS collars Project 22-01: Mountain Lion Removal to Protect California Bighorn Sheep • Wildlife Services removed 3 mountain lions in in 011 and 1 in 013 • Contractor removed 2 mountain lions in 011 • No mountain lion predation on marked sheep • NDOW supports project until population viability is reached

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office

$90,000 N/A $76,650 $0 $1,857 $77,507 Project 22-074: Monitor Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep for Mountain Lion Protection • No lion removal efforts conducted • Population estimated at 25-30 animals, no known predation events since FY 2016 Project 22-074: Monitor Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep for Mountain Lion Protection • NDOW supports Project 22-074 until population reaches viability as defined in the annual Predator Plan

$3 Planned P-R Planned Wildlife Services Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Travel, and Office $90,000 N/A $0 $0 $0 $1,857 $1,857 Project 32: Mountain Lion, Black Bear, and Mule Deer Interactions • Project has ended • Final report in appendix of document • Talk given at national TWS, manuscript to follow

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office $0 $0 $0 $16,353 $1,857 $18,210 Project 37 Big Game Protection- Mountain Lions • Area game biologists are contacted about potential mountain lion issues in their areas • Contractors and Wildlife Services are deployed to remove mountain lions Project 37 Big Game Protection- Mountain Lions • WS removed 1 mountain lion in Unit 41 • Private contractor removed 1 mountain lion from the Jackson mountains and 3 from the Calico mountains. Project 37 Big Game Protection- Mountain Lions • NDOW supports continuing project 37, as it allows for removal of mountain lions in quick response to identified needs

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office $50,000 N/A $67,233 $0 $1,857 $69,090 Project 38 Big Game Protection- Coyotes • Area biologists identified underperforming pronghorn herds • Wildlife Services uses aerial and ground effort to reduce local coyote populations Project 38 Big Game Protection- Coyotes

• 72 coyotes removed Area Coyotes Removed • NDOW supports MA 10 7 MA 13 3 MA 16 55 continuing project 38, as it MA 25 7 allows for removal of Total 72 coyotes in quick response to identified needs

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office $50,000 N/A $50,569 $0 $1,857 $52,426 Project 40 Coyote Removal to Complement Multi-faceted Management in Eureka County

• Underperforming mule deer herd in Area 14 • 13 mule deer does collared since January 2017 2 currently alive Project 40 Coyote Removal to Complement Multi-faceted Management in Eureka County • Wildlife Services conducts coyote removal to benefit mule deer • 360 coyotes, 1 mountain lion removed

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office $100,000 N/A $107,461 $0 $1,857 $109,318 Project 41: Increasing Understanding of Common Raven Densities and Space Use in Nevada

• 16 ARGOS transmitters deployed • 53 nests monitored to detect fledging • NDOW technicians conducted 823 raven and raptor point count surveys Project 41: Increasing Understanding of Common Raven Densities and Space Use in Nevada 1. Modeling common raven occurrence across sagebrush ecosystems in the Great Basin, USA 2. A rapid survey for site level estimates of raven densities 3. Estimating common raven densities in a semi-arid ecosystem: implications for conservation of sage-grouse and other sensitive prey species 4. Relating raven density to sage-grouse nest success at the nest level in California and Nevada 5. Spatially-explicit predator impact models: linking common raven density to sage-grouse nest success using hierarchical modeling 6. Raven and sage-grouse interactions and behavioral ecology 7. Raven monitoring at Virginia Mountains (not funded with $3 predator fee) 8. Raven monitoring across Nevada 9. Raven disease exposure in the Great Basin 10. Effectiveness of egg-oiling raven nests using drone technology and sage- grouse nesting responses Project 41: Increasing Understanding of Common Raven Densities and Space Use in Nevada

• NDOW supports continuing project 41

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office

$100,000 $300,000 $0 $323,443 $1,857 $325,300 Project 42: Assessing Mountain Lion Harvest in Nevada

• No work performed during FY2019

• Interim report in hand, final report FY2020

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, and Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Office

$0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Project 43: Mesopredator Removal to Protect Waterfowl, Turkeys, and Pheasants on Wildlife Management Areas

• Primarily waterfowl and turkeys underperforming on some WMAs • Wildlife Services deployed ground efforts to remove mesopredators • NDOW supports continuing project 43 pending funding availability Project 43: Mesopredator Removal to Protect Waterfowl, Turkeys, and Pheasants on Wildlife Management Areas

Species Mason Valley Overton Badger 0 3 Beaver 0 4 Coyote 7 6 Feral Cat 2 2 Porcupine 2 0 Raccoon 4 3 Spotted Stunk 0 4

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office

$50,000 N/A $38,038 $0 $1,857 $39,895 Project 44: Lethal Removal and Monitoring of Mountain Lions in Area 24 • Underperforming bighorn sheep herd • Marked 11 lions in FY2019 • 250 feeding sites • Two contained bighorn sheep (lions removed) • 67/250 feeding sites contained feral horse

Project 44: Lethal Removal and Monitoring of Mountain Lions in Area 24 • Recommend monitoring lion activity, remove offending individuals • Future collaborations likely in order (including outside funding) • NDOW recommends continuing project 44

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office

$50,000 N/A $61,770 $0 $1,857 $63,627 Project 45: Passive Survey Estimate of Black Bears in Nevada

• Black bears expanding back into historic range • Need for Department to estimate population, monitor • Existing collaboration with Michigan State University and University of Montana Project 45: Passive Survey Estimate of Black Bears in Nevada

• 100 cameras and hair snares distributed across ~5000 km2 • > 300 hair samples, over 1.2 million photos • Department recommends extending project to FY2022

$3 Planned P-R Planned Lethal NDOW Non-Lethal NDOW Salary, Travel, Total Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures Expenditures and Office

$40,000 $120,000 $0 $343,955 $1,857 $345,812 Questions?