LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada wildlife officials are asking for the public’s help to find whoever destroyed a remote water-level monitor installed at a wildlife water development in Mineral County.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife reported that the vandalism occurred Sept. 19 at a wildlife guzzler in Hunt Unit 181. Guzzlers are manmade water developments designed to supply water to wildlife across the state’s driest desert habitats.
The destroyed device was part of a statewide initiative launched in 2025 to track water levels remotely at critical wildlife water sources. Through partnerships with sportsmen’s groups—including the Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn, the Wild Sheep Foundation and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited—the agency has deployed 89 remote monitors across Nevada.
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The real-time tracking units allow wildlife biologists and staff to monitor water availability, identify system failures early, and direct maintenance resources efficiently. Each unit costs approximately $3,000 and is funded entirely by sportsmen’s dollars.
“It’s disappointing to see equipment that represents such an important investment in wildlife conservation vandalized and destroyed,” said Brad Bauman, a habitat wildlife staff specialist for the department. “We’re grateful to our conservation partners whose funding made this project possible, and we hope anyone with information about this incident will come forward.”
Department game wardens are asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area or has information about the incident to contact the Operation Game Thief hotline at (800) 992-3030.
Tips can also be submitted through the department’s free NDOW Tip app available for Apple and Google devices.
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