Category Archives: Arizona Game and Fish

AZGFD relocates Prescott Valley bear

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PHOENIX — Arizona’s bears are on the move in search for an easy meal, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds everyone to be safe by being Bear Aware

The warning comes as department officials tranquilized and safely relocated a sub-adult male bear on Sunday, April 21 in Prescott Valley. AZGFD was contacted by local police who reported that around 8 p.m. a bear was spotted in the Prescott Valley Old Town Plaza parking lot.

Two Prescott Valley officers responded and located the bear, which ran up a tree at a nearby residence. The bear remained in the tree until AZGFD wildlife managers could respond, tranquilize the bear and safely relocate it to an undisclosed location.

“It’s that time of year when bears have awoken hungry and are in search of easy food and water,” said Regional Supervisor Larry Phoenix, of AZGFD’s Kingman office. “Thankfully we were able to safely return this bear to the wild. However, that isn’t always the case as bears can become dangerous after they’ve been habituated to human sources of food and denied their next meal.”

Under department policy, wildlife officers consider the bear’s behavior, age, sex and whether it’s a threat to human safety when determining what action to take on when to relocate or lethally remove a bear.

The department spends considerable time and resources each year to remove or relocate habituated bears to minimize the risk to people. However, removing a bear does not always solve the problem as approximately half of all bears that are relocated travel great distances and return to where they were captured.

Garbage stored outside is often the most common bear attractant. A study conducted by the town of Pinetop-Lakeside in the 1990s found that homeowners that left their garbage outside had a 70-percent chance of being visited by a bear. If the residence was near a thickly wooded area or at the edge of a housing development, the chances were even higher.

Do your part to keep bears from posing a threat and needing to be removed:

  • Keep all trash inside a secured area until collection day. If that’s not possible, keep food waste in a bag in the freezer and place those in the trash as close to collection time as possible.
  • If you’ll be out of town or are a weekend visitor, ask a neighbor to place your trash out on collection day.
  • Take bird feeders down at night.
  • Keep pet food inside or remove all uneaten food.

Call 911 if you’re in a life-threatening situation with a bear. To report a bear sighting in an urban area or neighborhood, please contact your local AZGFD office or the department’s Radio Room at (623) 236-7201.
For more information, visit www.azgfd.com/Wildlife/LivingWith.

AZGFD Expo is 2 weeks away

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Arizona’s largest hands-on outdoor expo is less than 2 weeks away. And it’s FREE!
The Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo, presented by Shikar-Safari Club International, will be held on Saturday, March 30, and Sunday, March 31, at the world famous Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. The event offers loads of activities, presentations and exhibits for everyone from novices to seasoned outdoor recreationists.
The Expo has come a long way since its inception, growing from a small occurrence with a handful of attractions and exhibitors in 2004, to one of the north Valley’s biggest and best-attended annual events.
Some of the things attendees can do include:
  • View live wildlife (hawks, reptiles, small mammals, more) in the expanded amAZing Wildlife tent.
  • Give kayaking a try at the “Lake Paddlemore” kayaking pond.
  • Hike a field course and learn cool camping tips.
  • Take the kids to two huge catch-and-release fishing tanks.
  • Learn target archery.
  • Try out different firearms in a safe, controlled environment on the shooting range, or learn specialty shooting disciplines such as clay target, cowboy action, practical pistol, black powder, air gun, and more.
  • Learn from informative talks on topics on wildlife, conservation and outdoor recreation.
  • Attend exciting cowboy mounted shooting competition at the Royce W. Anderson Family Arena.
  • View off-highway vehicle exhibits, rock crawler demonstrations, and learn about responsible riding.
  • View boating exhibits and learn about watercraft safety.
  • Visit with more than 160 exhibitors, including outdoor organizations, government agencies, and commercial vendors of outdoor products and services.

The Title Sponsor for the event is Shikar-Safari Club International. Gold sponsors are OneAZ Credit Union and Sig Sauer.

Admission and parking are free, but people might want to bring a little cash for the variety of food and beverage concessionaires and other vendors. ATMs will be on-site.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 30. To get to the Expo, take I-17 to Carefree Highway, turn west, and watch for the signs.

See more information.

Nominations sought for Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame

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Deadline to submit nominations is April 30

PHOENIX — The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation is soliciting nominations for this year’s inductees into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame.

The Outdoor Hall of Fame annually recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant and lasting contributions toward Arizona’s wildlife, the welfare of its natural resources, and the state’s outdoor heritage.

Nominations will be accepted through April 30, 2019. To submit a nomination, download a form (also found on the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame web page), complete it and return a scanned copy along with all supplemental materials to Rebecca Bouquot, wildlifefortomorrow@gmail.com

Or, you can mail the completed form and materials to:

Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation
c/o Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attn: Rebecca Bouquot, Outdoor Hall of Fame Nominations
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086

This year’s inductees will be honored in August at the annual Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet.

Past Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees have been individuals with backgrounds in wildlife volunteerism, corporate leadership, politics, wildlife and the media, including Ben Avery, Barry Goldwater, Morris Udall, John McCain, Bill Quimby, Tom Woods, Steve Hirsch, as well as groups and organizations such as Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center Volunteers, Arizona Antelope Foundation, Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club, Arizona Deer Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Safari Club International, Audubon Arizona, Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project.

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. For more information, visit www.wildlifefortomorrow.org.

Volunteers needed to spotlight endangered black-footed ferrets

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SELIGMAN — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking volunteers to assist with spotlighting efforts to help document the population of endangered black-footed ferrets in Aubrey Valley and on the Double O Ranch near Seligman.

As part of the recovery effort, the department has scheduled two spring spotlighting projects – March 21 to 25 and April 18 to 21 (the department also conducts two spotlighting projects in the fall). The spotlighting method involves using high-powered lights to locate and identify black-footed ferrets. Their eyeshine is reflected by the spotlight and helps surveyors with identifying and locating these elusive, nocturnal carnivores.

Volunteers must have the ability to stay attentive from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. while spotlighting for black-footed ferrets and use, or learn how to use, a Global Positioning System (GPS). Volunteers can sign up by e-mailing azferret@azgfd.gov — with “spring spotlighting” in the subject line — by March 15 for this month’s project and by April 12 for the later opportunity.

Volunteers are reminded to include their full name, a contact phone number, month(s) and night(s) available to spotlight, and full names of others who also will be attending (a parent or guardian must accompany any youth under 18). Volunteers also should note any equipment they can bring, such as GPS, clipboard, headlamp, pen, binoculars, walkie-talkies, compass, cordless rechargeable spotlight, backpack or 4X4 vehicle.

A total of nine individual black-footed ferrets were captured in 2018, down from 19 in 2017. Of those nine, eight were captured in Aubrey Valley and one on the Double O Ranch. Almost 140 volunteers totaled 1,500 spotlighting hours over the course of the spring and fall projects.

Visit www.azgfd.gov/wildlife and click on “Nongame Species” for more information about the black-footed ferret recovery effort.

Visiting winter boaters: Schedule your free watercraft inspections

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PHOENIX — Visiting winter boaters: It’s time to schedule your free watercraft inspections and decontaminations before heading home. In order to avoid fines, quarantines and even impoundments when traveling across state lines, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has authorized providers to perform inspections and decontaminations for boats traveling from waters designated as having aquatic invasive species (AIS).

“Watercraft inspection and decontamination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of AIS and we are asking the boating public to do their part in calling and scheduling a no-cost inspection and decontamination,” AZGFD Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Erin Raney said. “It is absolutely essential to have your boat inspected and if necessary, decontaminated, to prevent the spread of mussels and AIS into other waterbodies.”

Aquatic Invasive Species are non-native species that are often unintentionally introduced by human movement. They do not have predators outside of their native range, and are able to outcompete native species.

They can be animals, plants and even pathogens that cause disease in native wildlife. They can often be invisible to the naked eye, making them even more difficult to control. Once introduced, they can alter ecosystems by interrupting food chains, cause damage to boats and other recreational gear, clog up water and power infrastructure and pose safety hazards.

Appointments fill up fast, so be sure to call the Arizona Game and Fish AIS Program (623) 236-7608 with plenty of time ahead of departure.

Stop the spread of AIS and keep our waters clean and beautiful for ourselves and future generations. Regardless of where you boat, always remember to:

Clean boats, waders, anchors, equipment and gear by removing mud, plants, attached animals such as snails.
Drain all residual water from engines and motors, ballast tanks, live wells and bait wells. Pull your bilge plug and leave out during transport. Store with boat keys or in a location where you will remember before launch.
Dry all equipment that comes in contact with water, such as life jackets, ropes, buoys, tubes, etc.

Many states require that watercraft must stop for inspection, which includes both motorized and non-motorized boats. If you see signs that indicate that an inspection station is open, please stop and have your watercraft inspected by the state in which you are traveling.

Quagga mussels are extremely small and are excellent at hiding in places that are hard to inspect. So the more eyes looking over your watercraft, the better chance of preventing these hitchhikers from entering a new waterbody.

Boaters are required to comply with all AIS regulations of the respective states where they are traveling, as well as those of their final destination. Be sure to contact your local state AIS authorities for any additional questions on local regulation compliance.

OHV riders: Protect habitat, stay on trails and avoid wet, muddy areas

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PHOENIX — While it’s tempting to head out on an off-highway vehicle (OHV) following rain or a snowstorm, soggy trails quickly turn muddy, and riding on them can create long-lasting damage that negatively impacts wildlife habitat.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department advises OHV riders that come upon wet and muddy roads to resist the urge to hit the gas and instead turn around or avoid the area. Splashing or mudding straight through can tear up roads and trails, making them impassable for others and causing serious damage to meadows, streams and other areas important to wildlife and Arizona’s water supply.

Even a lighter-weight OHV with low-pressure tires can do lasting damage.
While the practice of “mudding” — purposefully driving through wet areas, whether it’s a meadow, lakeshore or water tank for wildlife or ranchers’ animals — may be touted as fun on places like social media, it can cause long-lasting damage to the habitat and forest roads.

OHV riders can be issued citations and be held liable to fix the damage caused. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair an area and an untold amount of time for a habitat to recover.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, mudding has many negative impacts, including:

  • Rips up native plants — when plants are gone soil washes into nearby streams and lakes, and it creates the opportunity for noxious weeds to move in.
  • Compacts soil — tire tracks create hard soil that keeps water from moving into the ground and they make it difficult for plants to grow.
  • Harms wildlife — when vehicles tear up meadows and wetlands, it removes nesting and hiding cover, interferes with feeding, and may push animals out into areas where they may not survive.
  • Smothers fish — many species of fish and amphibians use gravel to build nests and bury their eggs. Driving through streams destroys these gravel areas.

It’s also a safety issue for riders. OHVs handle differently on wet roads than they do on dry ground, so use caution and drive at slower speeds when roads and trails are wet.

OHV riders are also reminded to wear a helmet at all times while on the trails.

If you see someone mudding, call 1-800-VANDALS. It’s helpful if you can get a license plate number and description of both the OHV and the operator as well as a location of the activity so law enforcement personnel can follow up on the information.

2019 pronghorn, elk hunt draw results now available

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has completed its random draw for 2019 pronghorn and elk hunts.

The results are now available for those who have a free AZGFD portal account, or by calling the department at (602) 942-3000, pressing “2” and following the prompts. Be prepared to provide a Social Security or Department ID number, and date of birth. This service is free of charge.

To open a portal account, visit https://accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register and complete the required fields. 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:

26,168: The total number of hunt permit-tags issued.
186,683: The total number of those who applied for hunts or bonus points (99 percent of all applicants applied online).
144,455: The total number of applications submitted (paper and online).

All hunt permit-tags for successful applicants, along with refund warrants for those who were unsuccessful in the random draw, are expected to be mailed by April 5.

Mark your calendars: AZGFD Expo is March 30-31

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PHOENIX — The largest hands-on outdoor recreation expo in Arizona is coming soon! Dates are set for the Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo presented by Shikar Safari Club International. Come out Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31 to the world famous Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Admission and parking are free!

Check out our amAZing wildlife tent, which has been a huge attraction the past few years. You’ll have the opportunity to see live “ambassador animals” from the department’s Wildlife Center and learn fun facts.

As always, there will be plenty of hands-on fun for all ages like family fishing tanks, archery with a twist, and other shooting sports in a safe, supervised, controlled environment on the range. Get a feel for specialty shooting disciplines like clay target, cowboy action, practical pistol, black powder, and air gun. Check out the many firearms manufacturers, including some new brands this year.

Don’t miss the always popular cowboy mounted shooting competition. See OHV and ATV exhibits. Give kayaking a try at the “Lake Paddlemore” kayaking pond.

Hike a field course and learn cool camping tips. Learn about boating and how to stay safe on the water. Talk to experts about Arizona’s wildlife, fishing, hunting and more. Visit with more than 160 exhibitors, including outdoor recreation and conservation groups, government agencies, and commercial vendors of outdoor products and services.

The department will auction off its annual collection of wildlife assets at the Expo. Sets of antlers, hides, skulls and head mounts, as well as wildlife artwork and taxidermy – all seized during law enforcement investigations, obtained from animals killed in vehicle collisions, or acquired through donations – will be put on the auction block both days. Funds generated from the auction are used to purchase equipment and technology used in the investigation of wildlife crimes and to protect the state’s wildlife resources.

Concessionaires will have food and beverages available for purchase, and many accept only cash — ATMs will be on site. There is a nominal charge for ammunition at some of the target shooting venues.

Expo hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 31. The Outdoor Expo is easy to find, located on Carefree Highway, about 1/2 mile west of I-17 in Phoenix.

See more information about the 2019 Expo.

Mystery of world record solved?

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PHOENIX — Have the redear sunfish at Lake Havasu really gone quagga crazy? Have these panfish that really can fill a pan, and are widely regarded as one of the better fish species to eat, found a surplus of invasive quagga mussels to munch?

A mystery remains: Redear sunfish at Havasu have been reaching world record sizes. But why, exactly? Let’s dive into this piscatory puzzle.

Five years ago, “panfish” took on a new meaning.

We’re at the time of year when Lake Havasu tacked its world-record pin on the fishing map. On February 16, 2014, Hector Brito caught a 17-inch, 5.78-pound world-record redear sunfish on a dropshot-rigged nightcrawler.

“I didn’t expect the record to last this long,” Brito said. “It’s amazing.”

This 45-mile fishing wonderland created by the Colorado River on the western-most strip of Arizona, adorned like a leather belt by the regal London Bridge, allows an angler to fish from the beach on the Arizona side and see the California mountains on the other. Some of those anglers said they witnessed a dramatic increase in the sizes of redear sunfish from 2009-2014 that — coincidence or not — occurred after invasive quagga mussels were first discovered in 2007 at Havasu.

In 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) did a study about the effects of redear and bluegill on quagga populations and found these sunfish do consume quaggas. Even more, the redear reduced quagga numbers by as much as 25 percent. The experiments of the study were conducted in field enclosures of Lake Havasu, as well as in the BOR’s Boulder City, Nevada Fish Lab. See the updated report.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department can’t verify that redear sunfish, also known as “shellcrackers” because of their pharyngeal teeth (teeth in their throat) that allow them to crush crustaceans such as snails, are reaching unprecedented sizes due solely to quaggas as an additional food source. Other biological factors include Havasu’s food base of grass shrimp and redswamp crawdads.

Regardless, Havasu is home to some of the biggest shellcrackers on the globe.

Online applications for 2019 pronghorn, elk hunts due soon

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds hunters that time is running out to apply online for 2019 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for pronghorn and elk.

All online applications must be received by AZGFD no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019.

To apply online, visit www.azgfd.gov and click on “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 “2019 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information” booklet. Printed booklets are available at all department offices and license dealers statewide.

A benefit of the online application process is the opportunity to purchase PointGuard, which provides hunters with peace of mind in knowing they can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason without losing their coveted bonus points. For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov/pointguard.

AZGFD encourages all applicants to sign up for a free portal account when they apply online. The portal allows customers to create a secure account where they can manage and view their draw applications, license history, bonus points, gain access to their Conservation Membership package and more in the “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. A portal account also provides convenient access to the online license purchase and draw application systems. Draw results will be posted to portal accounts.

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

AZGFD is dedicated to assisting applicants with the online process. All department offices are equipped with customer computers that can be accessed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Customer service representatives can be reached by calling (602) 942-3000.