Category Archives: Hunting

Paper applications for 2017 fall hunts now being accepted

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2017-18 Arizona Hunting Regulations online at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

The department now is accepting paper applications for 2017 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and pheasant. The online application service for the draw is expected to be available in early to mid-May.

Paper applications can be mailed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or dropped off at any department office statewide. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, June 13. Paper applications must be received by the department by the deadline. Postmarks do not count.

The printed 2017-18 Arizona Hunting Regulations booklets are expected to be available in the next week or two at department offices and license dealers (PDF) statewide.

In the meantime, hunters are encouraged to open a free AZGFD customer portal account. 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) online 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 (with active cell service) 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.

For questions about opening a portal account, call the department at (602) 942-3000 and press “7.”

Will open camping bring more trash?

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WILLIAMS – You might remember in January when people came to enjoy the snow. They left the area in the same condition that they would not allow at home and even report to their local police. To be fair, some of this trash is even be from locals.

The lake camp sites are starting to open later this month, but people have already started camping and trashing camp sites open along the roads.Early in April, we found this tent at a camp site we visited. It is an Ozark Trail 4 person Instant Dome Tent. The tent was actually usable except of the fiberglass rods that held the tent up. One of the rods was broken. The unfortunate design of the tent did not allow the replacement of the rod, so the happy camper just left it and the carrying case laying at the camp site.

Later in the month we found several trash bags laying at a camp site deeper in the forest. We continually find beer bottles, cans, dog bowls and other trash laying around camp sites and on trails and in the forest.

Another problem we have seen is RVs parking in parking lots designed for trails or parking to block open roads.

We welcome visitors to Williams and enjoy seeing people from all over the world. We like hunters who come to use our facilities. We ask, however, that you observe the common courtesy you expect others to show you.

  • Do not park in roadways so that you block others from using the camping sites.
  • If you hike our trails, don’t drop your water and beer bottles and cans and other trash on the ground. Pack it out.
  • Anglers please do not leave your fishing material and trash behind. Some of the lakes have tubes in which you can put fishing line. They all have trash cans. Please pick up after yourselves.
  • Do not leave your trash behind. Williams provides receptacles you can use for trash.
  • While driving, do not throw trash and cigarettes out of the window.
  • If you are having a party anywhere, do NOT release balloons into the air. They not only trash the forest, a balloon knocked out power in Bellemont when it hit a power transformer.

We ask that you keep our home clean.

2017 elk, pronghorn hunt draw results available

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has completed its 2017 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:
  • 25,613: The total number of permit-tags issued.
  • 172,736: The total number of those who applied for hunts or bonus points.
  • 129,743: 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 21.
In the meantime, there are 791 leftover elk permit-tags – 731 for the minimal occurrence zone/low density (general) hunts in game management units 12A, 12B, 13A and 13B. All remaining permit-tags will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis as follows: 

  • By mail: Applications will be accepted by mail beginning at 8 a.m. April 24 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.
  • In person: If any leftover permit-tags remain, they also will be available for purchase beginning at 8 a.m. May 1 at any of the seven department offices statewide. 
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) online 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 (with active cell service) 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 questions about opening a customer portal account, call the department at (602) 942-3000 and press “7.”

2017 fall hunt recommendations now posted on AZGFD website

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 2017 fall hunt recommendations for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, bison, bear and mountain lion are now available online at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

A series of six “open houses,” where constituents can review and ask questions about the proposed recommendations, will begin next week at Game and Fish regional offices statewide. No formal presentations are planned.

  • Thursday, March 30: 3-5 p.m., Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road.
  • Thursday, March 30: 4:30-6:30 p.m., Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive.
  • Friday, March 31: 3-5 p.m., Tucson, 555 N. Greasewood Road.
  • Tuesday, April 4: 3-5 p.m., Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
  • Tuesday, April 4: 3-5 p.m., Yuma, 9140 E. 28th St.
  • Wednesday, April 5: 6-8 p.m., Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road.

The department annually makes recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission regarding the management of game species, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas and permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years.

The proposed recommendations will be presented to the commission for consideration during the Saturday, April 8, portion of its April 7-8 meeting at Game and Fish headquarters, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, in Phoenix. The agenda will be posted at https://www.azgfd.com/Agency/Commission.

Six public forums scheduled for fall hunt recommendations

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has scheduled six public forums to meet with constituents about developing the 2017 fall hunt recommendations for deer, bighorn sheep, turkey, javelina, bison, bear, mountain lion, and small game animals.

The department annually makes recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years.

The meetings will be conducted from 6 to 8 p.m. at these Game and Fish regional offices:

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
Tuesday, Feb. 28: Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
Thursday, March 2: Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
Thursday, March 2: Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive
Thursday, March 2: Yuma, 9140 E. 28th St.
Monday, March 6: Tucson, 555 N. Greasewood Road​​​​​​​

Constituents who are interested in specific game management units within those regions will have the opportunity to discuss management direction.

“The meetings allow sportsmen and other members of the public to stay informed and provide input on the hunt recommendations,” said Amber Munig, big game management supervisor. “We will be discussing the direction for the recommendations based on survey data, harvest rates and the hunt guidelines. We won’t be proposing permit numbers at this point, but we will generally discuss where permit numbers might be headed.”

After the public forums have been completed, the final proposed draft hunt recommendations will be made available for public review at several regional open houses and posted on the department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines in late March.

The final fall hunt recommendations will be presented to the commission for consideration at its April 8 meeting in Phoenix.

To learn more about the hunt recommendations and hunt guidelines processes, visit www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

Learn how Arizona’s big game draw process works

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PHOENIX — A lot of hunters will be scrambling the next few days, sifting through Arizona’s complex draw process and filling out hunt permit-tag applications for the 2017 pronghorn and elk hunts before Tuesday’s deadline.

Got seven minutes? Want some good advice? Before doing anything, watch a short video that can help to clarify everything you need to know from hunt permit-tags and bonus points to hunt numbers and draw passes. The video recently was produced by the Information Branch of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.Arizona’s big game draw is designed to give all hopeful hunters a chance to hunt the state’s big game species. In the video, Amber Munig, the department’s big game management supervisor, explains a draw process that can be tricky at times.

Great weather . . . great hunting!

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PHOENIX — A week’s worth of gray skies has given way to wall-to-wall sunshine. The rain puddles are long gone. The air is crisp, clean, refreshing.

While snow still might be piled high in some places around Arizona, it’s a great time – no, the perfect time – to head for the backcountry in lower elevations and take advantage of some great hunting opportunities.

But hunters need to get going. The general waterfowl season in the “Desert Zone” ends Sunday, Jan. 29. The last day to use “over the counter” archery-only nonpermit-tags for any antlered deer and spring javelina is Tuesday, Jan. 31. And the general season for Gambel’s, scaled, California and Mearns’ quail closes Feb. 12.

Don’t forget about the general spring javelina season. As of Monday, Jan. 23:

193 leftover hunt permit-tags were available for handgun, archery and muzzleloader (HAM) spring hunts that begin Feb. 10.
183 hunt permit-tags remained for general spring hunts that begin Feb. 24.

All of the leftover hunt permit-tags are available on a “first-come” basis. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted online a list of the leftover hunt permit-tags. Hunters can apply one of two ways: Fill out a paper application and bring it to any department office statewide, at which time a hunt permit-tag will be issued, or mail the completed application to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Draw/First Come, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086. Allow 10 to 15 business days to receive a hunt permit-tag by mail.

Arizona deer, elk clear of Chronic Wasting Disease

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced that Arizona continues to be clear of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to deer and elk.

Department officials did not find any cases of CWD in the 750-plus deer (mule and white-tailed) and elk that were harvested by hunters and voluntarily submitted for testing in 2016. Game and Fish has been testing for the presence of the disease in Arizona since 1998. While CWD has been found in the neighboring states of Utah, New Mexico and Colorado, the disease has not been detected in Arizona.

The department is grateful for the assistance of hunters who submit deer and elk heads for testing, as well as the cooperation of local taxidermists and game processors. Heads can be brought to any Game and Fish office statewide between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information about CWD, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/research_cwd.shtml.

Online applications for 2017 pronghorn, elk hunts now being accepted

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department now is accepting online applications for 2017 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for pronghorn antelope and elk.

To apply online, visit https://draw.azgfd.gov and scroll down to “Apply for a Draw.” For an overview of the online application service, including license requirements, applying for bonus points and payment information, see Page 10 of the “2017 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information” booklet (PDF). Printed booklets also are available at all Game and Fish offices and license dealers (PDF) statewide.

Paper applications can be mailed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or dropped off at any regional office statewide.

All applications – online or paper – must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Postmarks do not count.

In a major change from last year, online applicants must keep their credit card payment information current. If payment is declined at the time of the draw, the application will not be drawn. The department no longer will attempt to reach applicants by telephone to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards have failed.

This also marks the first time pronghorn and elk hunters will be able to purchase PointGuard as part of their online application. An innovative new program, PointGuard provides hunters with peace of mind in knowing they can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason without losing their coveted bonus points. Information: https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard.

In the meantime, the department is encouraging all applicants to sign up for a free AZGFD Customer Portal account. 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 information and bonus points, in their personal “My AZ Outdoors” section. A portal account also provides convenient access to the online license purchase and draw application systems.

It’s easy to create an account. Just click on the “Sign in to Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the www.azgfd.gov home page and then select the “Create an Account” option, filling in the requested information. A portal account is mobile-friendly, so customers can view their information on their smartphones.

Finally, did you know the department’s online services are available 24/7? >From creating that AZGFD Customer Portal account and purchasing a valid hunting license, to getting the latest wildlife news and applying online for the draw, visit www.azgfd.gov anytime for all of your outdoor needs. Save time, buy online!

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

Update: Persons of interest were hunting legally

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Northern Arizona Gazette supports legal hunting. We do hope to help catch actual poachers. We presumed, as did Arizona Game and Fish Department, that the person who sent in this photo had some good faith indication that these legal hunters were poachers. We apologize to the couple for any inconvenience they may have suffered from this event.

SUPERIOR — The Arizona Game and Fish Department on Monday found that persons of interest in a photo distributed on some AZGFD social media accounts were hunting legally when they recently took a buck near Superior.

When they learned they were “persons of interest” through AZGFD social media posts, they contacted the Department, produced their tag and additional photos of the buck, and the investigation was concluded.

“This was a success story in that a member of the public reported what appeared to be suspicious behavior,” said AZGFD Officer Kriselle Colvin, “and thanks to social media and immediate cooperation of the hunter, we were able to confirm that this deer was in fact taken in a completely ethical and legal manner.”

Initially, a concerned citizen had sent the photo to Operation Game Thief. The majority of our state’s hunters do the right thing and uphold the game laws in Arizona — this case is another example.

If you see suspicious behavior, please contact AZGFD’s Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700, 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, or visit www.azgfd.gov/ogt.shtml.