PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds hunters who applied online for 2018 spring hunt permit-tags that 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, November 2, is the deadline to update their credit card or debit card account information, as well as purchase PointGuard to protect their bonus points.

Online applicants are responsible for keeping their account information current. If a credit card or debit card is invalid for any reason at the time when the computerized draw is performed, an online application could be rejected.

Online applicants who have been issued a new credit card or debit card, a new expiration date, or had a change to their card’s number should visit https://draw.azgfd.gov/. Scroll down the page, select “Update My Payment Information” and follow the prompts. Note: It is important to update payment information for each species for which an online application has been submitted. If payment has been declined, the application will not be drawn. The department no longer calls applicants to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards have failed.

Meanwhile, applicants can purchase PointGuard, as part of their online application, through 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, November 2. A free AZGFD portal account is required to purchase PointGuard. Visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “My Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select the “Create Account” option.

PointGuard is a great way to protect those coveted bonus points for when “life happens.” PointGuard is only $5 per species, per applicant, and ensures if a successful applicant is unable to participate in a hunt for any reason, the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated. Visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard/, or call (602) 942-3000, for more information.

Another benefit for those who create a portal account is getting VIP access to draw results up to a week before the results are released to the general public. The department will post an announcement on its website when results become available. All spring hunt permit-tags will be mailed by December 13; all refund warrants will be mailed by December 1.

Waterfowl hunting season spans months in Arizona, first starting in the high country in October and moving into bigger bodies of water as we get closer to the New Year. While firearm safety is paramount for hunters, those planning on using boats and watercraft in pursuit of waterfowl also need to make life jackets and other safety precautions a top priority.

“Hunting is an important family tradition for many in Arizona, and taking the step of wearing a life jacket while pursuing ducks and other waterfowl will help ensure you have a successful day on the water,” said Josh Hoffman, boating safety education coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Life jackets are particularly important as the temperatures drop. While Arizona winters are mild, cold water immersion and hypothermia can occur in water as cool as 70 degrees. Falling into or entering cold water causes an immediate gasp reflex that can fill the person’s lungs with water. Wearing a life jacket will keep the person’s head above water and body on the surface.

If you do fall overboard, stay calm, move slowly and don’t try to take off clothing while in the water. And if the boat has capsized, it most likely will not sink and can be used as a platform. It’s advised that boaters stay on top of the capsized vessel as much as possible in order to stay out of the water.

The National Safe Boating Council lists six safety tips for boating in cold water:

1. Proper clothing. Wear waterproof fabrics and layer clothing (i.e., layer one is a wicking base, layer two is clothing for added warmth, and layer three is an outer shell to keep out water or wind). Avoid cotton as it absorbs water and quickly reduces body temperature.

2. Float coat. A float coat provides the comfortable fit and warmth of an insulated jacket, while also providing the functionality of a life jacket. A float coat does not provide hypothermia protection or replace anti-exposure coveralls or a dry suit. Be sure to check that it’s U.S. Coast Guard-approved.

3. Dry suit. A dry suit, or anti-exposure coveralls, keeps the boater dry and protects him or her from hypothermia. It’s worn over proper clothing layers. Boaters should try it on with their clothing layers to ensure they still have needed mobility for the boating activity.

4. Life jacket. If boaters are not wearing a float coat, they should wear their life jacket at all times while on the water.

5. Communication devices. A boater should carry at least two communication devices that will work when wet, such as a VHF FM-DSC marine band radio and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon or personal locator beacon.

6. Blankets. Keep emergency spare blankets on board in case someone is suffering from hypothermia symptoms.

Boaters also can brush up on their knowledge by taking one of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s free education courses. Class schedules and details are posted online.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is encouraging hunters who harvest a big game animal affixed with a GPS or VHF tracking collar to return that collar undamaged to any department office statewide.

While harvesting a collared animal is legal, Game and Fish asks hunters to refrain from cutting, damaging or otherwise destroying any portion of a collar. A collar easily can be removed from a harvested animal’s neck by loosening two nuts on the black “drop-off” box on one side of the collar. A crescent wrench, socket wrench or multi-use tool can be used to loosen only those two nuts.

The department relies on valuable data that collars provide in making science-based decisions that determine the most effective wildlife management practices. The stored data can include an animal’s behaviors, movement patterns and frequency, individual and group dynamics, home-range size and more.

The technology is costs money. A collar can range in cost up to several thousands of dollars. When factoring in additional costs of human resources, equipment and capture, the department is making a substantial investment in each collared animal. A portion of the funding comes from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program, a stalwart national funding source for state conservation and recreational opportunities.

It’s also helpful for hunters to report the date and location of their harvest when returning an undamaged collar to a department office. For more information, call (602) 942-3000.

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking hunters to continue doing their part to help keep Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to deer and elk, at bay.

All successful deer and elk hunters are encouraged to bring the head of their harvested animal, especially bucks and bulls, to any department office statewide between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The preferred method for delivery is to place the head in a heavy-duty plastic trash bag, and keep it cool and out of the sun.

The department also requests hunters to provide accurate hunter information (name, telephone number), as well as hunt information (hunt number, game management unit in which the animal was harvested, state and hunting license number). This information is crucial should a positive CWD sample occur.

Department officials did not find any cases of CWD in the 1,200-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. CWD has not been documented to cause disease in people.

CWD is transmitted and spread by animal movement and direct contact, which means the illegal importation of a cervid carcass or parts with brain or spinal column tissue of an infected animal could introduce the disease into Arizona. To that point, an individual is only allowed to possess, transport or import the following portions of cervids lawfully taken in another state or country:

• Boneless portions of meat, or meat that has been cut and packaged.
• Clean hides and capes with no skull or soft tissue attached.
• Antlers, clean skull plates or skulls with antlers attached with no meat or soft tissue remaining.
• Finished taxidermy mounts or products (hunters may ship their harvested animal to a taxidermist)
• Upper canine teeth with no meat or tissue attached.
• Do not bring the brain, intact skull or spinal column of a deer or elk harvested in another state back into Arizona.

It may take longer than a year before an infected animal develops symptoms of CWD, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness and other neurological symptoms. CWD can affect animals of all ages, although it’s most frequently noticed in older animals. CWD is fatal, and there are no treatments or vaccines.

All hunters are advised not to shoot, handle or consume any animal that is acting abnormally or appears to be sick. Wear latex or rubber gloves when field dressing deer or elk. All hunters are asked to contact the department at 1-(800)-352-0700 if they see or harvest an animal that appears to be sick.