Category Archives: Arizona Game and Fish

Flotilla of kayakers, AZGFD biologists to float down Lower Salt River to battle invasive apple snail

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MESA — Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists and the local kayaking community are joining forces to battle an invasive snail that, left unchallenged, could negatively impact native snail populations, vegetation and fishing along the Lower Salt River.

Last month a flotilla of more than 20 kayakers donned life jackets, grabbed their paddles and set off down the Lower Salt River northeast of Mesa looking for apple snail egg masses.

A group of citizen scientists from Sea Life Arizona Aquarium will again join AZGFD and Tonto National Forest biologists on Friday, Aug. 11 to help count, smash and drown the bright pink egg sacks into the depths of the Lower Salt River.

“Apple snails were originally introduced to Arizona through the pet trade,” said Jeff Sorensen, AZGFD Invertebrate Wildlife program manager, who is leading the project. “Unfortunately, when owners get tired of caring for them, some of these snails are released into our waterways, where they outcompete native species for food and territory. That has a ripple effect on aquatic species, vegetation and consequently our fish.”

Adult apple snails can grow as large as golf balls. Females produce large egg sacks, which resemble pink bubble gum stuck to cattail stalks lining waterways, such as the Lower Salt River.

Apple snails can lay a clutch of 25-500 eggs every 12 to 15 days.

“Just one female apple snail can produce up to 15,000 offspring per year. That is why it’s important for us to engage the public, and our local kayaking and tubing communities to help battle this invasive species,” Sorensen said.

Those wishing to join the battle against the invasive snail can simply smack the egg sacks into the water with a paddle or stick and the eggs will drown. However, use care when coming into contact with the snails as they are an intermediate host for the rat lungworm, which is a nematode that can cause meningitis in humans.​​​​​​​

Ben Avery Clay Target Center offers deal for dove hunters

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PHOENIX — While practice might not make perfect when it comes to dove hunting, it sure could put more of the fast-flying, acrobatic birds in the game vest. As part of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s “Getting Ready for Dove” campaign, the Ben Avery Clay Target Center is offering dove hunters an opportunity to sharpen their wing-shooting skills in advance of the season opener September 1.

A $5 coupon has been posted online, good for one round (25 targets) of trap, skeet or sporting clays. The coupon is valid for one visit between August 19 and September 2. Visit https://www.azgfd.com/Shooting/BACTC/ or https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/species/smallgame/dove/ to print the coupon. Or just show the coupon on your mobile device when checking in.

“We want Arizona’s dove hunters to have a successful and enjoyable season,” said Jonathan McCraw, range manager. “We’re pleased to be able to offer them an opportunity to come out and break some targets, while saving a few dollars when they bring in a printout of the online coupon or show it on their mobile device.”

“This is a great way to dust off the shotgun and squeeze in a little preseason practice.”

The Ben Avery Clay Target Center is a professionally managed public shotgun-shooting facility, located at 5060 W. Skeet St. (about 1.5 miles west of Interstate 17 on West Carefree Highway) in north Phoenix. Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday (closed Mondays through September). For more information, call (623) 434-8119, or visit https://www.azgfd.com/Shooting/BACTC/.

As a reminder, dove hunters can purchase their Arizona hunting license and Arizona migratory bird stamp online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml. Both documents must be in a dove hunter’s possession in the field when the season opens September 1. Save time, buy online!

For more information about dove hunting, visit www.azgfd.gov/dove.

AZGFD receives grant to battle bat-killing fungus

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was awarded $12,440 in grant funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to help protect the state’s 28 species of bats from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease.

Funds issued by the FWS were part of $1 million in grants to 37 states to help combat the disease that has killed millions of bats in recent years nationwide. In Arizona, the funding will be used to research whether the fungus is impacting our own bat populations.

“Very little information is available on Arizona’s wintering bat populations as few bats have been found hibernating in caves,” said Angie McIntire, an AZGFD biologist and bat specialist. “The detection of the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome on cave-dwelling bats in Texas is a cause for concern for Arizona populations. These funds will help us to gather as much data as possible to better understand the winter ecology of cave myotis in Arizona.”

First discovered in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, white-nose syndrome received its name from the white fungus that was found on a bat’s muzzle and wings. White-nose syndrome has killed more than 5.7 million bats in eastern North America.

The syndrome has now spread to 33 states and five Canadian provinces and infects eight of the top 10 agricultural producing states. While the syndrome hasn’t yet been detected in Arizona, it’s critical to monitor for the disease and research its impact to better protect our 28 species of bats, which include 13 that migrate or that are active in winter, and 15 presumed to hibernate.

“In addition to wintering locations, two important summer bat roosts would be surveyed with this funding,” McIntire said. “Additional information will be obtained on two roosts used as migratory stop-overs, which will help us to better understand when cave myotis arrive and depart from these roosts under normal conditions.

For more information on Arizona’s bats, visit https://www.azgfd.com/ and search for “living with bats.”

Dove, band-tailed pigeon regulations now available online

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2017-2018 Arizona Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon Regulations online at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/.

What hunters will notice right away is the new format. The color brochure is easier to read and features important hunting information, such as season dates, daily bag and possession limits, and legal requirements, at a glance. The printed version should be available at all department offices and more than 200 license dealers by mid-August.

A youth combination hunt/fish license is only $5 and includes an Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp. Hunters 18 and older who want to hunt doves and band-tailed pigeons (as well as ducks, geese, coots, snipe and common moorhens) must possess a valid Arizona hunting license, as well as an Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp for the 2017-18 season. Both can be purchased online at https://license.azgfd.gov/home.xhtml, or any department office or license dealer.

The dove season begins September 1 and runs through September 15. The late season is November 24 through January 7, 2018. The band-tailed pigeon season is Oct. 7-20. For more information about hunting doves or band-tailed pigeons, visit https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Species/.

‘Tripod’ the three-legged desert tortoise, 50 others ready for adoption

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PHOENIX — A brutal round with a dog resulted in an amputated leg, but Tripod the three-legged desert tortoise is ready for a new home.

The surgery was conducted at the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital and since then, Tripod – as he is affectionately known – has recovered at the Arizona Game and Fish Department Wildlife Center, where he and 50 other desert tortoises are in desperate need of a forever home.

“When this tortoise was brought into the veterinary clinic, the damage was so severe that it’s left front leg needed to be immediately amputated,” said Tegan Wolf, AZGFD Tortoise Adoption Program coordinator. “Tripod has since recovered nicely and gets around perfectly fine on three legs.”

While Tripod is between 30 and 50 years old, dozens of other desert tortoises eligible for adoption vary in age and size. Arizona residents interested in providing an adoptive home to a desert tortoise can find an adoption application and packet with general information at www.azgfd.gov/tortoise.

Those applying to adopt a tortoise will be contacted by the department once their application is approved.

Adopters need to have a securely enclosed yard or separate enclosure in their yard, free from potential hazards such as a dog, fire pit or unfenced pool. The enclosed area must include an appropriate shelter for the tortoise to escape Arizona’s extreme summer and winter temperatures.

All of the desert tortoises eligible for adoption are given health exams before going to their new homes.

Desert tortoises offer a unique alternative to more traditional family pets and can teach many of the same life lessons to children, including responsibility, compassion and commitment. Contrary to many assumptions, desert tortoises can be interactive and provide companionship without as many demands as a cat or dog.

Public comment sought on draft recreational boating compatibility determination for Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

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LAKE HAVASU CITY — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft recreational boating Compatibility Determination (CD) for the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge System that is available for public review and comment.

The process began in 2015, and a previous draft CD was released in April 2016 and withdrawn after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided more deliberation was required. A copy of the revised draft CD is available online at: www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/HavasuBoatingCD-Draft-July_2017.pdf

The public comment and review period is open for 30 days: August 1-30, 2017. To be part of the record, comments must be submitted in writing and be received on, or postmarked by, August 30, 2017.

Send written comments to:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
Attn: Draft Recreational Boating CD Comments
317 Mesquite Avenue
Needles, CA 92363

Comments also may be emailed to: havasu_comments@fws.gov

A public Listening Session is scheduled for Aug. 17, 2017. Details of that meeting will be posted at www.fws.gov/refuge/havasu/ once they are available.

“Public participation in this process is important to ensure future recreational activities on the Refuge offer quality experiences for all visitors while meeting the purpose of the Refuge,” according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, frequently asked questions, maps and other information will be posted soon at: www.fws.gov/refuge/havasu/

Arizona Big Game Super Raffle nets record $673,600 for wildlife

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PHOENIX – Winners of the 12th annual Arizona Big Game Super Raffle were announced Thursday night at Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters in Phoenix.

The prizes included a total of 10 Special Big Game Tags, one for each of the state’s big game species – bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, bison, turkey, bear, javelina and mountain lion. The permit-tags were awarded by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Raffle tickets ranged from $5 to $25, depending on the species. A New Mexico elk hunt and Swarovski optics package also were raffled.

In the 12-year history of the raffle, more than $6.1 million has been raised for wildlife and wildlife management in Arizona. This year’s event generated a record $673,600, topping $633,750 in 2016.

The 2017 winners:

  • Bighorn sheep: John Donovan, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • Black bear: Peter Migale, Novato, Calif.
  • Bison: Larry Lunsford, Carlsbad, N.M.
  • Elk: Martin Lindstrand, Damascus, Ore.
  • Javelina: Norman Unruh, Saragosa, Texas.
  • Mountain lion: Stephen Todd, Chandler, Ariz.
  • Mule deer: Roy Crouch, Artesia, N.M.
  • Pronghorn: Robert Sherer, Great Falls, Mont.
  • Turkey: Kent McClelland, Phoenix, Ariz.
  • White-tailed deer: Ryan Jackson, Kingsburg, Calif.
  • New Mexico elk hunt: David Knox, Lakeside, Ariz.
  • Swarovski optics package: Brett Zeis, Langdon, N.D.

The raffle is conducted by a nonprofit entity to raise money for wildlife conservation efforts. A volunteer board of directors, comprised of representatives from sponsoring organizations, oversees the operation of the raffle.

Every dollar raised for each species through the raffle is returned to the department and managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee (AHPC) for that particular species. With input from local habitat partners across the state and sponsoring organizations involved in the fundraising, project priorities are determined that will provide the most benefit to each species.

Game and Fish officers keep Arizona’s waterways safe as part of Operation Dry Water

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PHOENIX — Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) officers made contact with hundreds of boaters the weekend before the Fourth of July as part of Operation Dry Water, a national awareness and enforcement campaign that targets people who are operating a boat or watercraft while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Alcohol is a top factor contributing to recreational boater deaths, and the initiative’s goal is to increase safety on Arizona’s lakes and rivers and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries.

This year’s weekend of enhanced enforcement took place June 30 to July 2, in advance of the Fourth of July, which fell on a Tuesday. During those three days AZGFD officers stopped 812 boats, 74 of which had a designated driver. Three arrests were made for operating watercraft under the influence, 94 citations were written, and two individuals were arrested for driving motor vehicles under the influence. Statewide, 89 AZGFD officers participated in the initiative.

The lakes and waterways patrolled were: Lake Havasu, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Pleasant, Lake Powell, Apache Lake, Bartlett Lake, Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake and Roosevelt Lake, as well as Bullhead City and Parker Strip along the Colorado River.

AZGFD has been participating in Operation Dry Water since the initiative began in 2009. AZGFD partners with local agencies on the effort, which is done in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Although the legal limit for operating a boat in Arizona is .08 blood-alcohol content, an operator is in violation of the law and may be prosecuted for operating a watercraft while impaired to the slightest degree by alcohol and/or drugs.

While on the water, boaters should also keep in mind:

State law requires all passengers 12 years old and younger to wear a life jacket while onboard and that each passenger must have a properly fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Drowning is the most common cause of death in boating incidents — always wear your life jacket.
Anyone being towed by a boat or on a personal watercraft, such as a Sea-Doo or Jet Ski, must wear a life jacket.
Know the “Rules of the Road.” Navigation rules identify who has the right of way and determine the required direction of travel.
Never allow passengers to board or swim while the engine(s) are running. A boat’s propeller can still be spinning while the motor is in neutral. Always make sure no one is near the propeller before starting the boat’s engine.
Paddle boards, kayaks and canoes are considered watercraft and users are required to have a wearable personal flotation device onboard while on the water. These watercraft must also follow the same navigation laws pertaining to all watercraft.

For more information on boating safety or to sign up for a boating education course, visit www.azgfd.com/Education/Boating/.

Arizona conservationists to be honored at 2017 Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet​ August 19

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PHOENIX – The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation, together with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will induct five individuals into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame.

The Foundation’s 20th Annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place during the annual Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Chaparral Suites Scottsdale at 5001 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale.

The inductees for this year’s event include:

  • Steve Hirsch, of Phoenix, is being inducted posthumously. Steve was a prominent attorney, avid outdoorsman and the son of Bob Hirsch, a prior Hall of Fame inductee and acclaimed outdoors columnist. Steve’s passion for Arizona and its wildlife led him to serve as a director and the president of the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation for more than 16 years. Steve’s leadership and vision provided the driving force for Wildlife for Tomorrow as it worked closely with the department to support projects that benefited the management and enjoyment of Arizona’s fish and wildlife resources, youth educational activities and projects that made a difference to wildlife habitat in our state.
  • Larry Voyles, of Phoenix, has devoted his 43-year career to wildlife conservation and outdoor heritage, including nine years as director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. He began his career with AZGFD as a wildlife manager and in 2008 was selected as the agency’s director. He worked to modernize the department and unified the 50 states’ conservation agencies to improve wildlife conservation efforts nationwide. He is a national leader in shooting sports, recruitment and retention.
  • Jean Wilson, of Yuma, who has served Yuma County readers for decades through her outdoors column in the Yuma Sun and has dedicated her life to encouraging families and children to appreciate the outdoors. She regularly runs clinics and classes designed to get people to enjoy fishing, hunting and archery.
  • Steve Clark, of Glendale, who is a founding member of the Arizona Elk Society and has worked tirelessly for the past 17 years to carry the organization and its mission forward. He also serves on the Arizona Livestock Recovery Board and the Arizona Natural Resources Committee, was recognized as Civilian Conservationist of the Year in 2010 by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and Conservationist of the Year in 2015 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
  • Warner Glenn, of Douglas, a fourth-generation Arizona cattle rancher who operates two ranches in Cochise County. In addition to ranching, he operates the hunting guide service established by his father – legendary hunter Marvin Glenn. In 1991, Warner Glenn was among the founders of the Malpai Borderlands Group, a conservation ranching organization that established a system of scientific-based ecosystem management on more than 1 million acres of ranch land in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

The Hall of Fame event will include a social hour and silent auction beginning at 5:30 p.m., with dinner being served at 6:30 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. The evening will also feature a live auction, exciting raffle prizes, and musical entertainment by the Back Porch Bandits.

Individual tickets are $70. A table for 10 is $700. A table of 10 and a full-page ad in the full-color banquet brochure is $1,200. The options for ordering tickets are:

  1. Download a ticket ordering form, fill in the requested information, and either scan and e-mail to duanewellnitz@yahoo.com or mail Wildlife For Tomorrow, c/o Duane Wellnitz, 719 W. Wildwood Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85045.
  2. Call Duane Wellnitz (Wildlife for Tomorrow Board Member and Ticket Chairman) at (480) 625-9540.
  3. Purchase your tickets on the Wildlife for Tomorrow website at wildlifefortomorrow.org.

Wildlife for Tomorrow was created in 1990 to enhance the management, protection and enjoyment of Arizona’s fish and wildlife resources. The foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to provide additional support for projects and education activities where traditional resources are not adequate.

The Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame was developed in 1998 by the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation to honor those who have made significant contributions to Arizona’s wildlife, the welfare of its natural resources and the state’s outdoor heritage.

Information sought on killing of pregnant mule deer near Saguaro Lake

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MESA — Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief program is offering up to a $1000 reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with the possible poaching of a mule deer doe.

On the evening of July 10, Maricopa County deputies received reports of shots fired, and found the dead deer in a wash north of the Butcher Jones Recreation Area of Saguaro Lake. The doe was pregnant and nearly full term.

“We hope the public will come forward with information regarding this incident,” Game and Fish Wildlife Manager Laura Orscheln said. “Losing a pregnant doe that was nearly full term equates to the loss of two deer from the population, not just one. It is a loss to wildlife enthusiasts across Arizona.”

The Department relies on the citizens of Arizona to assist in the reduction of wildlife violations. If you have any information or knowledge of this incident, please call the Department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll-free at 1-800-352-0700 or use the online form. Callers should reference case number 17-002615.

Callers will remain confidential and can remain anonymous if desired. A reward of up to $500 is being offered in this case for information leading to the arrest of the violator(s).

Each year, the Department pays cash rewards to individuals who report wildlife crimes in Arizona. Money for rewards comes from criminal poaching fines, civil restitution by violators who commit wildlife crimes, and donations.