If you’re a dove hunter who’s counting down the days (28) until the Sept. 1 opener, the Arizona Game and Fish Department will be rolling out a different video each week that is sure to whet your wing-shooting appetite.
Just keep checking your email each week, and enjoy what our professionals in the audio-visual department have produced about hunting doves, Arizona-style.
This week: Yuma: A Dove Hunter’s Paradise
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has released the draw results for 2022 fall hunts.
Customers must have an AZGFD portal account to view draw results and bonus points. Draw results no longer are made available through an automated phone system.
A free AZGFD portal account (dependent account features are available) can be created by visiting accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register. A portal account allows customers to create a secure account where they can view and manage their contact information, as well as their licenses, draw results history and bonus points in their personal “My AZGFD Dashboard” section.
For questions about creating a portal account, call the department at 602-942-3000 and press “7.”
By the numbers:
All hunt permit-tags are expected to be mailed by Aug. 5.
| The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) invites anglers to fish Arizona waters for free Saturday, June 4. It’s an ideal time to take the family out for some fun and relaxing outdoor recreation.
Fishing is already a bargain. Arizona fishing licenses start at just $37 for residents 18 and older. A combination hunt and fish license for youths (10-17) are only $5. Arizona’s Free Fishing Day is celebrated as part of National Fishing and Boating Week. As an incentive, a fishing license is not required Saturday for persons fishing any public waters in Arizona. “Whether you’re a seasoned angler who wants to introduce a newcomer to the sport, or someone who’s always been interested but never took that next step, this is the perfect time to get outdoors and experience what fishing in Arizona is all about,” said Julie Carter, aquatic wildlife branch chief. While a fishing license is not needed Saturday, bag limits and other fishing regulations still apply and must be observed on Free Fishing Day. Children under 10 can fish for free all year long in Arizona, so this special fishing license exemption means that older kids and parents get a free pass for the day, as well. Not sure how to fish and want to learn? Check out AZGFD’s learn to fish video series. Then, once you’re hooked, remember to purchase a fishing license. The purchase of a fishing license directly contributes to state conservation programs, including fisheries management, habitat protection and fishing education. A portion of all fishing and boating supplies, as well as license and registration sales, fund the conservation and preservation of our nation’s waterways through a program called the Sport Fish Restoration Program. This means every time an angler purchases a fishing license, fishing tackle, boat supplies, or registers a boat, that person is helping to improve the natural places that he or she cherishes. Anglers can also share their fishing success stories and photos to the AZGFD FishAZ Facebook group, as well as connect with other anglers around the state. |
 All of us know what it feels like to deal with the frustration and disappointment of an unforeseen event. After all, life happens.
That’s why the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is introducing “PointGuard Plus,” an innovative new product that will be available just in time for hunters who will be applying for 2022 hunt permit-tags for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and sandhill crane. Whether an applicant purchases PointGuard Plus, or the standard PointGuard, he or she will have peace of mind in knowing they can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason, and the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated (see details below). A bonus point is an accumulated credit that authorizes the department to issue an applicant additional computer-generated random numbers during a draw. An applicant accumulates a bonus point each year in which he or she submits a valid application and does not draw a hunt permit-tag. So, what are the advantages of PointGuard Plus?
And PointGuard?
So, which tier of PointGuard service is the way to go? It really comes down to how many species an applicant chooses to hunt and, if successful in the draw, their willingness to risk losing their bonus points in the event they’re unable to participate in that hunt. For example, an applicant who only applies once a year to hunt deer might choose PointGuard for $10 per species. On the other hand, if an applicant applies for multiple species in any of the fall, spring, or pronghorn and elk draws — or all three — being covered for three consecutive draw cycles from the date of purchase for $25 makes PointGuard Plus a tremendous value. In either case, PointGuard Plus and PointGuard both provide the same opportunity for an applicant to surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason and retain their coveted bonus points. Here is the process to surrender a hunt permit-tag:
A person who donates, or transfers, his or her hunt permit-tag to a qualified nonprofit organization, also can participate in tag surrender, provided the requirements listed above are fulfilled. An acceptable proof of the transfer must be provided to the department through a qualified nonprofit organization. According to rule (R12-4-118), the department has several options for the reissuance of a surrendered hunt permit-tag. The proximity to the start of a particular hunt, the type of hunt permit-tag, and demand for that hunt permit-tag will factor into how it will be reissued. For more information, call 602-942-3000. |
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has announced it will no longer offer Community Fishing licenses for sale beginning Jan. 1, 2022.
Over roughly the last eight years, the hugely popular Community Fishing Program (CFP) has expanded from 21 waters to 49 waters, which are located in 23 communities throughout the state. All CFP waters are stocked by AZGFD with trout, catfish, or a few other species, depending on time of year.
Anglers who want to fish CFP waters in 2022 will either need to have a General Fishing license or Combination Hunt/Fish license, or purchase one once their Community Fishing license expires in 2022.
“General Fishing and Combination Hunt/Fish licenses offer greater value than the Community Fishing license alone,” said Aquatic Wildlife Branch Chief Julie Carter. “Anglers not only get the increased opportunities of the expanded CFP, but also the opportunity to fish nearly 80 other public waters in Arizona that are regularly stocked by AZGFD as well as the other streams and lakes throughout the state with self-sustaining sport fish populations.”
Community Fishing licenses can still be purchased through Dec. 31, 2021 and are valid for one year from date of purchase at designated CFP waters.
Anglers who had typically purchased Community Fishing licenses have been moving over to General or Combo licenses in recent years. Since 2014, Community Fishing license sales have declined by over 80%.
Residents pay only $37 for a General Fishing license ($55 for nonresidents) as opposed to $24 for the Community Fishing license, and have fishing privileges at all public waters in Arizona, including CFP waters. Combination Hunt/Fish licenses are $57 for residents and $160 for nonresidents.
Fishing is a great way to spend time outdoors with family and friends and can also help reduce a family’s food costs, especially now that the prices for food and other goods have increased. A $37 fishing license that is valid for 365 days costs roughly the same as 5 pounds of store-bought catfish fillets ($7.49/lb), or 3.5 pounds of trout fillets ($10.99/lb). It could easily pay for itself with a single day of fishing.
For more information about the Community Fishing Program, visit https://www.azgfd.com/fishing/community/.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has released the draw results for 2022 spring hunts for turkey, javelina, bison and bear, and raptor capture.
AZGFD portal accounts now are the sole source for finding out draw results and viewing bonus points. Customers can create a free portal account (family account features are now available) at accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register. Draw results no longer will be provided through the automated phone system.
A portal account allows customers to create a secure account where they can view and manage their contact information, as well as their licenses, draw results history and bonus points in their personal “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. For questions about creating a portal account, call the department at 602-942-3000 and press “7.”
By the numbers:
All hunt permit-tags are expected to be mailed by December 3.
PHOENIX — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) as part of the Environmental Assessment (EA) of its proposal to continue to fund, in part, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s (AZGFD) sport fish stocking program over the next 10 years.
The FONSI decision means that FWS can continue funding to support AZGFD’s hatchery operations and fish stocking activities that provide recreational opportunities for anglers.
As part of the Proposed Action, conservation measures were incorporated that will offset or reduce the effects of the stocking action to the level that is not significant to the human environment and ultimately contribute to conservation and recovery of native species. The conservation measures were developed as a coordinated effort between the FWS’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), FWS Arizona Ecological Services Office, and AZGFD.
The FONSI decision followed an EA process that analyzed two alternatives, the Proposed Action and the No Action alternative. After review of public and agency comments received on the Draft EA, WSFR and the Arizona Ecological Services Office and AZGFD revised the conservation measures to provide additional detail and clarification. The final EA reflects these modifications, provides corrections to the document where warranted, and adds clarification as requested in public and agency comments.
Under the Proposed Action, funding will support stocking of sport fish at 186 individual sites in selected rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, ponds and tanks in the state. It will also support continued operations and maintenance of five AZGFD hatcheries that rear sport fish (primarily trout) for stocking. The actions in this alternative are the most comparable to the stocking program that has been in place since 2011.
Hundreds of thousands of Arizona residents and nonresidents take advantage of the state’s recreational fishing opportunities each year. There were 6,009,716 angler use days (AUDs) of fishing in Arizona, with a total annual economic impact of $1.47 billion based on 2013 numbers (Duda 2014; Fedler 2014). The demand for angling opportunities in Arizona is anticipated to further increase given current trends and projected models of population growth, especially in close proximity to urban areas.
Under the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act of 1950, FWS has the authority to provide federal funding to state wildlife agencies for management and restoration of sport fish, as well as public use and benefit from those resources. Funding is provided on a match basis through the WSFR program. Sport Fish Restoration funds through that program come from a federal excise tax on certain fishing equipment and a portion of motorboat fuel tax revenues. In July 2021, Arizona received about $8 million in Sport Fish Restoration Act funds.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has announced that Arizona continues to be clear of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal wildlife disease that affects the nervous system of deer and elk.
Department officials did not find any cases of CWD in the 1,589 deer (mule and white-tailed) and elk that were sampled in 2020 — the most in more than a decade. AZGFD collected 519 samples from animals that were harvested and voluntarily submitted by hunters, and another 1,070 samples through partnerships with game processors and taxidermists.
AZGFD 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.
The department is grateful for the assistance of hunters who submit deer and elk heads for testing, as well as the cooperation of game processors and taxidermists. For more information about CWD, visit the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance website at http://cwd-info.org/. Also, check out a video that addresses 14 of the most commonly asked questions about CWD. The questions were submitted by hunters from across the nation, and the answers were provided by top CWD experts and researchers. The video was produced by the National Deer Alliance.
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), along with wildlife agencies across the country, are urging pet stores and aquarium owners to take action now to contain any “moss ball” plants designed for aquariums after invasive zebra mussels were found on these products in Arizona as well as other states. This is a national invasive species emergency and evolving situation.
Arizona officials were alerted about this situation after reports from the state of Washington indicated zebra mussels were discovered attached to a moss ball plant at a local Petco store. The moss balls are a species of algae that form green balls up to a few inches in diameter and are sold as an aquarium plant under names such as “Beta Buddy Marimo Balls,” “Mini Marimo Moss Balls,” and “Marimo Moss Ball Plant.” They may be sold separately or provided with the sale of Betta fish. These moss balls are believed to have been imported from the Ukraine, where the zebra mussels are a native species, and distributed across the U.S.
The concern is the zebra mussels that have been distributed with the moss balls can be easily overlooked. The larval life stage of the mussels (veligers) are microscopic. The water the moss balls are in can contain viable veligers and adult mussels, which if released into Arizona’s waters can have devastating consequences.
“Zebra mussels can pose a significant risk to Arizona’s waters, so we urge anyone who may have recently purchased these products to follow disposal directions and most importantly, not to release the plants, mussels, or contaminated water into any drain or water source including streams, canals, ponds, and lakes” said Julie Carter, AZGFD Aquatic Wildlife Branch Chief.
Guidelines for Consumers – DESTROY, DISPOSE, DRAIN
The Arizona Game and Fish Department urges anyone that purchased the moss balls from any retailer to Destroy! Don’t Dump!
DESTROY in one of three ways:
DISPOSE of the moss ball and any of its packaging in a sealed plastic bag in the trash. If vinegar, boiling water, or bleach was used, the liquid can be disposed of down a household drain—never down a storm drain, where it could enter and damage local waterways. Do not dispose of the moss balls in drains, waterways, or gardens.
DRAIN and clean the aquarium.
Collect any fish or other living organisms and place them in another container, with water from a separate, uncontaminated water source. Sterilize the contaminated aquarium water by adding ¼ teaspoon bleach for each gallon of water. Let the water sit for 10 minutes and then dispose of the sterilized water down a household drain.
Clean the aquarium and accessories using one of the following methods, ensuring that the disposal method you choose is in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations:
1. Hot Water Method:
– Use water that is 140 degrees F to flush and coat the tank and all accessory surfaces for at least one minute, OR
2. Disinfection Method:
– Submerge the moss ball in 1 cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water for 10 minutes or undiluted white vinegar for 20 minutes.
– Soak the aquarium, substrate, rocks, décor, and filter media in the bleach water solution for 10 minutes.
– Rinse off all items prior to setting up the aquarium.
– Dispose of the previously used filter media and replace with new media.
– Use a dechlorinating product to neutralize any residual chlorine prior to reintroducing aquatic life.
It is recommended that you do another water change within a week and continue to monitor the tank for any unusual or unexpected aquatic life.
For more detailed instructions, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website.
Guidelines for Pet Industry
Pet stores are urged to remove the product and any aquaria that have come into contact with the moss balls and quarantine them until further notice. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is working closely with other state agencies to remove the product from shelves until the best course of action can be taken. Guidance for the pet industry is in development and will be released soon.
What Risk Do Zebra Mussels Pose?
Zebra mussels are invasive freshwater mollusks. They are small, but very destructive. Although they have not yet been detected in Arizona waters, they are similar to invasive quagga mussels, which were first detected in Arizona in 2007. Both can quickly become established in a waterbody and cause millions of dollars in damage to boats and water intake pipes while creating significant ecological harm to native mussels, fishes, and other aquatic wildlife. As such, the help of the public is needed to maximize efforts to prevent the introduction and establishment of these destructive mussels in our state.
“Currently, there is not a known established population of zebra mussels in Arizona waters, and the public’s cooperation is necessary to keep it that way. These steps will help prevent invasive species from spreading and ensure we protect Arizona’s waters for ourselves and future generations ,” said Kate Dukette, AZGFD Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is working together with other state and federal agricultural and wildlife agencies to address this development. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
For more information on invasive mussels and other aquatic invasive species, visit www.azgfd.gov/AIS.