Category Archives: Recreation

AZGFD to participate in multi-agency OUI checkpoint on Colorado River

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KINGMAN — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will participate in a multi-agency enforcement patrol this weekend on the Colorado River, pursuing those who are operating their boats and other watercraft while under the influence (OUI) of drugs or alcohol.

AZGFD, together with the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the National Park Service, will be enforcing Arizona’s OUI legal limit of a .08 blood-alcohol content.

Throughout the weekend, boaters may be required to pass through a checkpoint and be subject to a systematic safety inspection. Operators will be checked for any sign of impairment from alcohol or drugs, and to ensure the required safety equipment, such as proper life jackets and working fire extinguishers, are aboard.

“The responsibility for boating safety among watercraft users is critically important,” said Brandon Carley, law enforcement supervisor for the department’s regional office in Kingman. “The area is growing quickly, and we share these waterways with California and Nevada. It’s becoming very congested, which lends itself to more potential hazards.”

Carley advises boaters and watercraft users should review all regulations prior to launching. That includes having a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for every person on board and making sure that anyone 12 and under is wearing one at all times. Boats also must be equipped with a fire extinguisher and a Type IV throwable personal flotation device (PFD).

For more information on boating in Arizona, or to sign up for a free safety course, visit www.azgfd.gov/boating.

North Kaibab Ranger District to open campgrounds on May 15

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FREDONIA – Recreational campgrounds on the North Kaibab Ranger District will open May 15 and remain open until Oct. 15.

Both the Jacob Lake campground and the DeMotte campground will be open and available for public recreation and overnight camping. The Jacob Lake campground is located 30 miles southeast of Fredonia, Ariz. on U.S. Route 89A at roughly 7,900 feet. The DeMotte campground is located about 25 miles south of the Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center on Arizona Highway 67 at roughly 8,700 feet.

A complete list of amenities may be found at Recreation.gov by searching for the specific campground. Campers are reminded to be mindful of any rules associated with the campground and always maintain fire safety when making a campfire. To stay current with any fire restrictions in Arizona go to firerestrictions.us/az.

Additionally, the Kaibab Camper Village, which is privately owned and managed but surrounded by Kaibab National Forest, is also scheduled to be open from May 14 through Oct. 15. Kaibab Camper Village offers full RV hookups and tent sites, and is located just 40 miles from the Grand Canyon National Park North Rim. For more information on Kaibab Camper Village, please visit kaibabcampervillage.com or call 928-643-7804.

To make reservations at the Jacob Lake campground or the DeMotte campground, please visit Recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777. For additional information on all of the Kaibab National Forest recreational sites please visit fs.usda.gov/recmain/kaibab/recreation.

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.”

Homes for fish: habitat improvement project underway at Roosevelt Lake

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PHOENIX – They are manmade homes for fish, some made of concrete, others of PVC, and like building a neighborhood, provide the architecture for sustainable life.

The first step in placing fish habitat into the central Arizona reservoirs took place on Thursday, April 20 at Roosevelt Lake with Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists dropping Fishiding HighRise structures made of environmentally-safe PVC to the bottom of Roosevelt Lake. These recycled items, 8 feet tall and excellent habitat for crappie, became the first fish homes. AZGFD plans to expand them into fish cities.

For anglers, this Tonto National Forest Lakes Habitat Improvement Project will result in better fishing for generations to come in the region’s most popular fishing lakes.

Also in April, Roosevelt Lake was stocked with 12,000 pounds of crappie fingerlings, as well as 25,000 pounds of 4-inch Florida-strain largemouth bass for the third consecutive year. Roosevelt Lake also is above 70-percent full for the first time since October of 2011. The higher water level has flooded shoreline brush that provides more cover and habitat for spawning fish. The fish habitat improvement project includes placing multiple types of fish habitat around the lake at varied depths to ensure there is plenty of fish habitat available for when water level fluctuates.

Similar work is planned for other lakes along the Salt River chain and Bartlett Lake. The next planned step involves AZGFD biologists using a 36-foot pontoon boat to transport and lower heavier concrete fish habitat structures — critical to anglers’ fishing opportunities — into Roosevelt Lake.

This fish habitat project is a cooperative effort with numerous anglers, as well as volunteers from organizations such as Gila Basin Angler Roundtable and Midweek Bass Anglers. Supporting agency partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sport Fish Restoration Program, Tonto National Forest, and the National Fish Habitat Partnership-Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership. Volunteers have been helping build concrete fish balls and Georgia cubes for two years and have donated hundreds of hours to the project.

Natural and artificial habitat are critical for fish spawning, recruitment, and growth. The reservoirs of central Arizona lack sufficient hiding and ambush cover and habitat for growth and survival of young fish. The artificial structures provide a surface for microscopic animals to grow, which attracts bait fish and in turn the predatory fish for anglers to target.

Fishing is one of Arizona’s most popular outdoor activities. Providing good places for anglers to fish is one of AZGFD’s primary goals. Five of the biggest and most popular lakes to fish are located in central Arizona and are managed by Salt River Project for the valley’s water supply: Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake, Canyon Lake, Saguaro Lake, and Bartlett Lake.

In 2014 the Department embarked on a program to improve fisheries habitat in the reservoirs of central Arizona and restore the fisheries to their former glory days. All five of these lakes are more than 70 years old, and Roosevelt Lake is more than 100 years old. Over time, reservoirs lose quality fish habitat through decomposition of the natural vegetation that was flooded, particularly where water levels fluctuate wildly, such as at Roosevelt.

Similarly, one of the largest and most successful fish habitat projects in the nation, the Lake Havasu Fishery Improvement Program, has been ongoing since 1993 and is credited with improving sport fish habitat in this Colorado River reservoir.

The Tonto National Forest is the land management agency for five of the biggest and busiest fishing lakes in Arizona. In 2013, the economic value to the state of Arizona associated with these five lakes was estimated to be more than $318 million.

AZGF Commission approves proposed boating and water sport rules, fees

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Commission recently approved several boating and watercraft regulation changes aimed at increasing customer service and public safety on Arizona’s waterways.

The commission approved the changes at its April 7 meeting, amending the state’s Article 5 rules, which outline boating and water sports regulations and fees. The proposed changes will now be considered by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council on June 6 and, if approved, will become effective Aug. 5.

The proposed changes were recommended as part of a legally required five-year review of the department’s administrative rules. For more information or to view the complete list of proposed Article 5 changes, visit www.azgfd.com/agency and click on “Rulemaking.”

The following are among the proposed changes:

Requiring a signature be notarized/witnessed when the seller is not listed as the owner on the current registration or the signature of the buyer or seller is in question.
Allowing owners to obtain a duplicate watercraft registration/decal at www.azgfd.gov/boating.
Increasing the valid timeframe for a temporary certificate from 30 to 45 days and allowing a watercraft agent to issue a temporary certificate with the sale of a used watercraft.
Requiring liveries to affix a placard on the watercraft indicating the business name and phone number, and requiring a person who rents, leases or offers a watercraft for hire to register as a livery.
Requiring a wake surfer to wear a personal floatation device and that an operator ensure an observer is watching if a person is being towed behind the watercraft and/or surfing a wake created by the watercraft.
Prohibiting teak surfing, which is pulling a person from a vessel’s swim platform.
Requiring towing companies to notify the owner/lienholder that they have taken possession of a vessel within 15 days of obtaining the information from the department.
Authorizing a third-party vendor to process new watercraft registrations, transfers, renewals and duplicate registrations.

The following fee changes are also proposed:

Watercraft transfer fee to $13
Duplicate decal and certificate number fee to $8
Dealer certificate of number fee to $20
Establish an abandoned/unreleased watercraft application fee of $100
Transfer of ownership of a towed watercraft application fee to $100

For more information on boating in Arizona or to sign up for a safety course, visit www.azgfd.gov/boating.

Multiple quagga mussel-fouled watercraft from Arizona intercepted out of state

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PHOENIX — Following the recent interception and impoundment of multiple quagga mussel-fouled watercraft that had been in Lake Powell or Lake Havasu for extended periods, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds boaters to “clean, drain and dry” – and especially decontaminate — their watercraft and equipment before exiting waters designated as having aquatic invasive species.

Five vessels from Arizona waters have been impounded during the past month — three in Idaho and two in Colorado.

“There is absolutely no reason why boaters are not decontaminating moored boats before leaving a quagga mussel-infected water,” said Chris Cantrell, AZGFD’s Aquatic Wildlife Branch Chief.

AZGFD recently contracted with a local business to provide free decontaminations for those with boats that have been on a quagga mussel-infected water for more than five consecutive days.

If a boater plans on selling or moving a boat from one of the infected waters, please call AZGFD at (623) 236-7608 or Woods to Water Wildlife Solutions, LLC at (602) 920-4891.

“This way, we can help assist you with the required decontamination to ensure you stay compliant with multiple state and federal laws,” Cantrell said.

Quagga mussels colonize rapidly on hard surfaces and can ruin recreational watercraft motors, alter water quality for aquatic wildlife, and clog water intake structures such as pipes and screens, thereby impacting pumping capabilities for power and water treatment plants.

Under Arizona law, boaters and all recreationists who take watercraft and other equipment out of waters designated as having aquatic invasive species must use the following steps when leaving that listed water:

  • CLEAN. Clean/remove any clinging material from the anchor, boat, motor and hull, trailer (all plants, animals and mud).
  • DRAIN. Remove all water drainage plugs (and keep them out during transport). Drain the water from the bilge, live-well and any other compartments that holds water. Drain the water from the engine and engine cooling system(s). You can do this by lowering the outboard, while on the ramp, until the water is removed.
  • DRY. Ensure the watercraft, vehicle, equipment, or conveyance is allowed to dry completely before placing in another water in Arizona. Leaving your plugs out during transport will assist in ventilating and speeding the drying time of those difficult-to-dry areas of your boat.

See a flyer of how to clean, drain and dry.

There are additional steps to complete for watercraft that have been on AIS-listed waters for six or more consecutive days. See more information on all statewide decontamination protocols, how to schedule a no-fee decontamination, an intro to invasive quagga mussels, and the Director’s Orders lists of aquatic invasive species and waters.

If you are in need of decontaminating your moored boat before transporting from an AIS-affected water, please contact AZGFD at (623) 236-7608.

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.

Arizona temperatures are warm, but the water’s still cold

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Dogtown Lake – NAG Photo

PHOENIX — Arizona’s rising temperatures are signaling that the summer heat isn’t far off and some residents are already eyeing area lakes, looking to hit the water. With that in mind, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds watercraft users that while temperatures may be warm, water temperatures remain between the 50s and 60s at many of Arizona’s boating havens.

“Undoubtedly, we have seen phenomenally beautiful weather lately, but that hasn’t done much to warm up our lakes,” said AZGFD Boating Safety Education coordinator Josh Hoffman. “The current lake temperatures would be quite a shock on the system if you were to fall overboard right now. Such a shock can lead to gasping for air, which if you aren’t wearing a life jacket could prove to be your last gasp.”

Even in a healthy person, cold-water immersion can impact muscle movement, breathing and a person’s heart rate. Prolonged exposure to the water can lead to hypothermia, cardiac arrest and death. If you fall overboard, climb back into or on top of the boat. If you cannot, stay near the vessel and use oars or anything floating nearby to help stay afloat.

“Area lakes offer year-round family fun even during winter months, but it’s critical for everyone to wear a life jacket,” Hoffman said. “Should someone fall or be thrown overboard, that life jacket – regardless of water temperature – could very well save your life.”

Life jackets aren’t just a good idea, they are required by state law for anybody 12 years old and younger when the boat is underway. There must also be at least one life jacket available for everyone aboard.

To ensure watercraft users have life jackets available, the department has installed 15 Life Jacket Loaner Stations at lakes across the state including Lake Pleasant, Lake Havasu, Lake Mohave, Saguaro Lake, Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, Bartlett Lake, and Patagonia Lake. Boaters needing a life jacket can borrow one, use it on the lake and return it once done.

Boaters are also encouraged to learn how to practice safe boating techniques and to respond in the event of an emergency by completing a boating safety course. To register for a free course or for more information on boating in Arizona, visit www.azgfd.gov/boating.

AZGFD applauds federal decision to withdraw proposed listing of two fish species under Endangered Species Act

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department applauds today’s decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to withdraw its proposal to list two minnows, the headwater chub and a distinct population segment (DPS) of the roundtail chub in the Lower Colorado River Basin (Arizona and New Mexico), as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Service’s decision came as a result of new scientific classification information that in 2016 led the American Fisheries Society and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Joint Committee on the Names of Fishes – the recognized authority on fish taxonomy – to consider the headwater chub and roundtail chub (and the Gila chub, which is currently listed as endangered), to be a single species: the roundtail chub.

Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists in 2015 conducted a complete review of all data and scientific literature available to determine if the available science supported the recognized taxonomic designations of the three species of chub. The department’s review found no justification to support the separation of chub into three separate species, and concluded they should be classified as a single species.

Subsequently, Game and Fish formally requested that the American Fisheries Society re-evaluate the recognized taxonomic designation of the three species.

The analysis was assigned to the Joint Committee, which conducted months of review and listened to presentations by fisheries scientists on the morphology and genetic status of chub. In September 2016, the Joint Committee concluded there is no morphological or genetic data that define populations of roundtail chub in the lower Colorado River basin as members of more than one species.

“The Joint Committee’s determination last year, along with today’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision, is a huge win for chub and for those who manage and conserve chub in the lower Colorado River basin,” said Chris Cantrell, aquatic wildlife chief for Arizona Game and Fish. “The taxonomic history of this species has been debated for decades, which has influenced our management strategies and our ability to implement conservation on a range-wide basis. The decision will open doors to more opportunities to protect and conserve chub in Arizona.”

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said: “I am pleased to see the USFWS is paying attention to Arizonans and deciding against adding to an already lengthy list of threatened and endangered species in Arizona.”

Added Steve Spangle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arizona Field Supervisor, in a news release: “Endangered Species Act determinations are founded on the best available science. When new science becomes available, especially midstream in a listing processes, we evaluate it and respond accordingly. Our withdrawal of the listing proposal for the former headwater chub and roundtail chub DPS reflects this new science indicating that these are no longer valid species.”

The Service, together with conservation partners, intends to conduct a species status assessment of the now-larger roundtail chub taxon. This includes the Gila chub, which has been protected under the ESA since 2005. The taxonomic revision of the chubs resulted in Gila chub being recognized as a part of the larger roundtail chub species, necessitating a re-evaluation of its ESA status. Pending this evaluation, the Gila chub will remain protected under the ESA. The Department encourages the Service to make swift resolution to remove the ESA status of Gila chub based on the findings of the Joint Committee and the best available science.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department looks forward to working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and all of its partners to ensure conservation of the roundtail chub throughout its expanded range.

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.”