Available now: 2016 elk, pronghorn hunt draw results

Pronghorn_-_Buck_1_1PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has completed its 2016 hunt draw for elk and pronghorn.

The results are available by visiting https://draw.azgfd.gov/ and scrolling down to “View results and bonus points,” or by calling the department at (602) 942-3000 and pressing “2.”

By the numbers:

26,483: The total number of permit-tags issued.
159,978: The total number of those who applied for hunts or bonus points.
119,743: The total number of applications submitted (paper application and online).

Permit-tags for successful applicants, along with refunds for those who were unsuccessful in the hunt draw, are expected to be mailed by Friday, April 22.

In the meantime, there are 73 leftover elk permit-tags that will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis as follows:

1. By mail: Applications will be accepted by mail beginning at 8 a.m. April 25 and must be addressed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Draw/First Come, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. Do not mail applications to a Post Office (P.O.) box.
2. In person: If any leftover permit-tags remain, they also will be available for purchase beginning at 8 a.m. May 2 at any of the seven department offices statewide.

View list of leftover tags (PDF).

Some of the leftover elk tags are for Hopi hunt open areas and are available to everyone, both tribal members and non-tribal members, through the first-come, first-served process.

A number of leftover elk tags remain for military hunts at Camp Navajo, for those who qualify. For more information, visit https://dema.az.gov/army-national-guard/camp-navajo/garrison-operations/camp-navajo-hunting-information, e-mail sarah.b.golabiewski.mil@mail.mil, or call 928-773-3225.

Now that the draw is over, it’s time to start planning that hunt. The first step is to open an AZGFD Customer Portal account. It’s quick, easy and – best of all – it’s free. Just visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “Sign in to Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select the “Create an Account” option, filling in the requested information.

As a reminder, all fields requesting information must be completed. For example, both Social Security and Department ID fields must be completed. If your Social Security number is also your Department ID number, your Social Security number must appear in both fields.

The Portal allows customers to create a secure account where they can manage and view their contact information, as well as their license and draw results history and bonus points, in their personal “My AZ Outdoors” section. A Portal account is a mobile-friendly, convenient way to access the online license purchase and hunt draw application systems.

Another benefit of having a Portal account is the opportunity to sign up for the “I Support Wildlife” program, which helps fund wildlife conservation in Arizona. An annual membership for $25 includes access to the new “premium” version of the Recreational Access Arizona (RAA) mapping application, the latest fish stocking reports, an “I Support Wildlife” window decal and a one-year subscription to the award-winning Arizona Wildlife Views magazine.

The premium RAA mapping application is a significant upgrade over the free version and is a tremendous tool when planning your hunt. It is designed to work on all mobile devices and lets you see your current location in reference to different data layers, including Game Management Units, wildlife waters, Arizona land ownership, an ESRI USA Topographic (USGS 24k Topo) basemap and more. Even better, the premium mapping application allows you to create your own point locations and automatically save and sync that data to all of your devices.

“I Support Wildlife” bridges the widening gap between wildlife facing new threats and a sharp increase in the cost of conservation. The department receives no Arizona tax dollars to support its mission to conserve and protect more than 800 wildlife species, the most of any non-coastal state in the U.S.

For more information, call the department at (602) 942-3000.

Grand Canyon open free through the 24th

Sunday Grand Canyon 2016-04-17 008GRAND CANYON — The Grand Canyon Park is open through Sunday the 24th for National Park Week. The next free days will be from Thursday August 25th through Sunday August 28th.

From Williams take highway 64 through Valle. From Flagstaff, take scenic highway 180 to Valle, then north on 64 to the Canyon. You are required to turn your headlights on while traveling highway 64.

We advise extreme caution when traveling to the Canyon on highway 64 because this event normally brings out the idiots who speed and pass with no regard for human life. The Canyon has been around a long time and will likely be there when you arrive, so observe the 65 mile per hour speed limit. It is a good idea to start out early in the day because parking fills up fast.

You should consider a private tour through Marvelous Marv’s Grand Canyon Tours. He gets you to the Grand Canyon safely, takes care of parking and tells you about the sights. He can arrange the tour to fit your schedule. His tour is available throughout the year.

The park operates an excellent bus service that takes you just about everywhere in the park. When you find a parking space, we recommend using the bus service.Sunday Grand Canyon 2016-04-17 012