Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Outdoor recreationists, pilots and drone operators asked to avoid bald eagle nest areas. Arizona's bald eagle breeding season is on the horizon and multiple public land and water areas will be closed to protect the majestic animals and ensure even more young eagles take to the skies this spring. Highly Successful Program Each year as part of its highly successful program to conserve and protect bald eagles in the state, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) asks outdoor recreationists, ai... Full story
Sandhill cranes have returned to southeastern Arizona and the Arizona Game and Fish Department's live-streaming camera is again trained on their wintering grounds at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area. Viewers this year can now watch thousands of the large migrating birds in high-definition after the department recently upgraded its live-streaming camera. Exciting Time Of Year "This is truly an exciting time of year at Whitewater Draw," AZGFD Watchable Wildlife Program Manager Randy Babb said,... Full story
Arizona dove hunters will be able to double their wing-shooting pleasure through the first week of January 2019. Unlike the 15-day season that begins Sept. 1, the late season lasts 45 days and runs through Jan. 6, 2019. There still is a 15-bird daily bag limit, all of which must be mourning doves. The possession limit remains 45 mourning doves after opening day, of which no more than 15 may be taken in any one day. As always, there is an unlimited daily bag and possession limit for the invasive... Full story
More Than 7,000 Permit-Tags Remain For Spring JavelinaHunts Leftovers also available for general, youth-only turkey hunts. Arizona hunters who were unsuccessful in the recent 2019 spring draw still have an opportunity to receive a hunt permit-tag for javelina or turkey. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted a list of leftover hunt permit-tags on its website at www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Draw/. As of Monday, there were 7,671 leftover hunt permit-tags for the following hunts: • 2,627 g... Full story
Sixty of Arizona's bighorn sheep were relocated in Nov. 2018 to their historical ranges as part of two translocations from robust populations of desert bighorns in the Silver Bell Mountains northwest of Tucson and Rocky Mountain bighorns near Morenci. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep are released to establish a population in East Clear Creek/Leonard Canyon north of Payson.... Full story
The annual Arizona Game and Fish Commission Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Point Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, 11111 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85020. The event will honor the recipients of the 2018 Commission Awards who were selected this fall. The purpose of these awards is to recognize Arizonans who have contributed significantly to the conservation of the state's wildlife, its outdoor heritage, and the mission of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The... Full story
11-19 Waterfowl, Snipe Hunting Regulations Available Online The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2018-2019 Arizona Waterfowl and Snipe Regulations at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/. The general waterfowl season in the "Mountain Zone" (Game Management Units 1-5, 7, 9, 11M, 12A, and those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County) begins Oct. 5, 2018, and runs through Jan. 13, 2019. The general waterfowl season in the "Desert Zone" (Game Management Units 10 and... Full story
AZGFD invests in retention programs for new hunters, anglers. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has awarded $75,000 in grant funding for local sportsmen's organizations to provide public, hands-on, mentored projects focused on the retention of new hunters and anglers. Of the 26 proposals that were submitted in this latest grant cycle and rated by a three-member panel, 17 were approved and awarded through a competitive application process that closed Aug. 15. Next Generation Is Focus... Full story
KINGMAN, Ariz. — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will be conducting an off-highway vehicle (OHV) sobriety checkpoint from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 13 along Castle Hot Springs Road north of Lake Pleasant. The purpose of the checkpoint is to detect and deter violations of Arizona’s laws regarding the operation of OHVs while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A few OHV safety tips: Never operate an OHV while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Helmets are required by law for riders und... Full story
Ever wondered what happens to the thousands of trout that the Arizona Game and Fish Department stocks into streams all around the state every year? You’re not alone. We just completed a 4-year study (beginning in 2013) to investigate the fate of rainbow trout and Apache trout stocked into several of Arizona’s popular stream trout fisheries. As part of this project, AZGFD biologists conducted nearly 5,000 angler interviews on six different streams (Canyon Creek, East Fork Black River, East Verde... Full story
COOLER SPOT -- The Autumn Equinox, or first day of fall in the northern hemisphere, was September 22, and yet, 100-plus degree air temperatures were still predicted to continue in the desert regions. Anglers can enjoy cool, high-country spots such as Kinnikinick Lake southeast of Flagstaff (shown here), where Arizona Game & Fish recently stocked about 2,700 nice-sized brown trout. See more Arizona fishing locations at https://www.azbw.com/arizona-lakes/ and https://www.azbw.com/arizona-rivers/... Full story
Arizona remains CWD-free due to surveillance efforts. 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... Full story
Eighty others are waiting to be adopted. After being hit by a car near Wickenburg, causing irreparable damage to a hind leg that needed to be amputated, one could say he's earned it. No longer able to survive in the wild, he found his way into the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Desert Tortoise Adoption program and recently into his forever home at Cibola Vista Resort and Spa in Peoria. "It was great to partner with Cibola Vista Resort, where Cisco not only has a permanent home, he now serves... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has confirmed a disease event affecting some mule deer in the Yavapai Hills community and surrounding areas near Prescott. After receiving reports in recent weeks from residents who observed deer that appeared to be lethargic, blind, walking in circles and unaware of their surroundings, AZGFD biologists collected tissue samples from three animals and sent them to a laboratory for testing. The results confirmed the presence of epizootic hemorrhagic... Full story
This introduction to outdoors skills focuses on fun, education. For women who just want to find out what the outdoors experience is all about, signing up for a Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop is a great place to start. The Arizona Wildlife Federation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will conduct its next BOW workshop Sept. 7-9 at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott. The workshop introduces like-minded women (18 and older) to outdoor skills in an enjoyable,... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is still seeking ideas for establishing and maintaining a discretionary, dedicated funding source for outreach, education and public awareness efforts. To view ideas received to date, or to submit ideas throughout the 30-day public input period that ends Sept. 8, visit https://www.azgfd.com/agency/dedicated-funding-source/. Ideas also can be emailed to: ideas@azgfd.gov. Alternatives To Be Presented Draft funding alternatives, based on this public inpu... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department's award-winning television show, Arizona Wildlife Views, has received five regional Emmy® nominations from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The nominations are the following: Category: Environment Program Special • Arizona Wildlife Views Show 3: https://youtu.be/ek0aaAo__Bw, David Majure, producer; Ben Avechuco, editor • Arizona Wildlife Views Show 1 (Eagle Conservation): https://youtu.be/FITV_o... Full story
Prizes included 10 permit-tags, Swarovski optics package, N.M. elk hunt. The prizes won during the Super Raffle 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... Full story
Operate Responsibly; Don't Go Mudding On Your OHV While it may be tempting to go out on an off-highway vehicle (OHV) after a rainstorm when the temperature is cooler and the ground is fresh, doing so can cause long-lasting damage to the habitat. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) advises that OHV operators turn around if they encounter wet and muddy roads. While the practice of "mudding" - purposefully driving through wet areas, whether it's a meadow, lakeshore or water tank for... Full story
Arizona's first known streaming bat roost cam goes live. They're the chattery, fuzzy, winged creatures of the night and now they're the star attractions of Arizona Game and Fish Department's latest live-streaming wildlife camera. AZGFD recently installed what is believed to be the first live-streaming wild bat roost camera in Arizona. Viewers tuning in to the "bat cam" can watch as migratory Yuma myotis bats, and other bat species, roost at the Cluff Ranch Wildlife Area near Safford in... Full story
Weather forecasts show that a resurgence of Arizona’s monsoon is on the horizon and while badly needed moisture may be on the increase, so will the possibility of insect-borne diseases that can impact people, pets and wildlife. Earlier this month a dead prairie dog tested positive for plague in Coconino County and Maricopa County Vector Control officials detected West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis viruses in mosquito pools. Another disease not uncommon during summer months is tularemia, a i... Full story
It's expected that many Arizonans will include outdoor recreation as part of their summer plans. If operating an off-highway vehicle (OHV) on your agenda, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) urges everyone to put safety first. David Rigo, OHV coordinator for AZGFD says, "We want everyone who spends time on their OHV to have a fun outing and more importantly, return home safely." Click here ( http://www.westernoutdoortimes.com/search/ohv ) for more stories on OHVs. There are many... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department's proposed recommendations for the 2019 spring javelina, bison and bear hunts, and 2019 and 2020 spring turkey hunts are available for review at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines. The hunt structures and recommendations were formulated based on the hunt guidelines approved by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in September 2017. All questions or comments about a particular game management unit or hunt are welcome by emailing at AZHuntGuidelines@azgfd.gov, or by... Full story
At the beginning of June, officials at the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) predicted the state would see a lot of nuisance bears entering populated areas in search of easy food. That forecast proved accurate, as the state wildlife agency dealt with more than 200 reports of bear activity from more than 50 Arizona communities between June 1-30. Remove Bear Attracters While bear calls also were received by County Sheriff's offices, state and local police, and Tribal law enforcement and... Full story
Water is the essence of life and it's just as precious for Arizona's wildlife. During extreme crought AZGFD assists thirsty wildlife. For that reason, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has trucked or airlifted about 600,000 gallons of precious water to catchments throughout the state since January. And trail cameras tell the tale of this important work with footage of elk, deer, bighorn sheep and countless other species leaning over for a refreshing drink at one of 3,000 catchments... Full story