Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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The Arizona Game and Fish Department, together with boating professionals and enthusiasts nationwide, demonstrated the importance of remaining safe on the water by participating in Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day on May 19. The annual event, hosted by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) serves as a fun, educational element ahead of National Safe Boating Week, which ran this year from May 20 to May 26. The event helps to raise awareness of different life jacket types, while demonstrating... Full story
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. To Submit A Nomination To submit a nomination, download and complete the form, and return it along with all supplemental materials by Satur... Full story
After a wet winter and mild spring, Arizona has seen an increase in many wildlife populations. As summer approaches and dry conditions return statewide, several animals are instinctively moving closer to easy sources of food and water - wherever humans can be found. This has led to increased reports of bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats and other wildlife in populated areas across the state, where lawns are watered, swimming pools are full, garbage cans are overflowing and dishes of pet foo... Full story
Free fishing clinics will be held June 3 through 11 during National Fishing and Boating Week. (These give people the opportunity to try out this fun, family oriented pastime. Loaner fishing rods, bait and instruction are provided for free at most venues. Bait is provided and loaner rods are availablr for fishing events. On June 3, fishing events are at Lake Peasant Regional Park, Woodland Lake near Pinetop, Goldwater Lake near Prescott, Dead Horse Ranch State Park lagoons near Cottonwood,... Full story
Tours will be on July 1 and 2 and will include Friday's history lesson and Saturday's morning viewing cruise MESA, Ariz. — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering two unique opportunities to view one of Arizona’s most iconic arid land animals, the desert bighorn sheep, in an intimate, small-group setting July 1 and 2 on Canyon Lake. Participants ages 10 and older will board department work boats to explore the canyons and bluffs of this scenic lake in search of these spectacular ani... Full story
The official start of the boating season is nearly upon us and many Arizonans are getting ready to pull their favorite watercraft out from storage in preparation for more fun on the water. To ensure the season is hiccup-free, the Arizona Game and Fish Department recommends that all watercraft owners thoroughly inspect their vessel to help prevent problems that could keep them off the water. To ensure you encounter only smooth sailing, watercraft owners should conduct the following inspections:... Full story
Following the recent interception and impoundment (out of state) 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.... Full story
A three-week-old bobcat kitten snatched from the wild. An abandoned baby otter found hungry and dehydrated in an East Valley canal.And a malnourished, sickly "kidnapped" deer fawn. It's not another day at the local zoo. It's a typical day at the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center, where wildlife experts work daily to rehabilitate and save some of the state's 800-plus native wildlife species. It's often a thankful, albeit costly, job. To help defray rising costs of... Full story
Expect to find bass in the spawn and post-spawn modes. Just pick your favorite lake and go. Top picks are Roosevelt, Bartlett and Alamo lakes for largemouth bass.For places like Roosevelt and Alamo, flipping and pitching is a great technique, especially around submerged trees. The Reel Deal The transition to spring fishing conditions is finally setting in -- time to get out and fish! Let's get to some highlights: • Striped bass catch rates are picking up at Lake Pleasant. Check out a... Full story
They are man-made 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... Full story
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.... Full story
PHOENIX - The world-class Ben Avery Shooting Facility will be the place to be Wednesday, April 19, a day when recreational shooters can join together to symbolize the first shot fired in 1775 to mark the beginning of the American Revolution, while enjoying a fun shooting event. It will be 242 years to the day when the Shot Heard 'Round the World was fired in the pre-dawn light in Lexington, Mass., between the colonial militia and British army, regarded as the start of the American Revolutionary... Full story
A giant fish tail, dark and maybe two feet in length, curled beneath the surface of the water. Carson Pete, shore-fishing about 50 yards away, hiked to where he spotted the tail Sunday at Upper Lake Mary near Flagstaff. He happened to have brought a heavy spinning rod with 50-pound braided line, a 60-pound fluorocarbon leader, and a 7/0 Gamakatsu circle hook. Just before the sun crawled beneath a horizon of pine trees, Pete grabbed a few frozen anchovies he'd dipped in a homemade fish... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) will enhance its efforts to target removal of impaired watercraft and off-highway vehicle (OHV) operators from Arizona's recreation areas through a partnership with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety. AGFD was awarded nearly $46,000 in grant funding for officers to target DUI/OUI offenders on the state's waterways and those riding OHVs. In addition to funding overtime for increased DUI/OUI patrols, officers will also target helmet, seat belt and... Full story
The success of Mexican wolf recovery across Arizona and New Mexico hinges more immediately on maintaining social tolerance than on genetic diversity, according to a recently published peer-reviewed study. The study was published in Biological Conservation, a leading international conservation science journal. In it, the authors, which include Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists, conclude that maximizing genetic diversity in Mexican wolf recovery must be strategically balanced against imp... Full story
Motorized access to the upper arm of the Agua Fria River at Lake Pleasant will again be available thanks to a special development project of the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Boating Access Program. Through the cooperative efforts of the Department, the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department (MCPRD) http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/ and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, this unique boating and fishing opportunity will be available each Friday through Sunday throughout the spring.... Full story
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 Bo... Full story
In first phase of long-term project on Tonto National Forest lakes, AZGFD biologists sink fish habitat structures. 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 o... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public comments on multiple proposed boating and water sports rule changes. In mid-January, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission approved a draft notice of proposed rulemaking, amending Article 5, which outlines boating and water sports regulations and fees. The deadline to submit comments on the proposed rule changes is Sunday, March 5. The following are among the proposed changes: • Requiring a signature be notarized/witnessed when the... Full story
Tip Of The Week Three years ago, the world record redear sunfish was taken out of Lake Havasu. Hector Brito caught a 5.80-pound redear sunfish on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014. Redear sunfish have grown to trophy size in Lake Havasu. Many are in the 2-pound range and larger are regularly caught at this 19,300-acre impoundment on the Colorado River, formed by Parker Dam. Bluegill and redear can be caught around structure such as docks, vegetation, or artificial structure using mealworms, nightcrawlers,... Full story
The popularity of off-highway vehicles (OHV) has exploded throughout the state and, Arizona State Parks and Trails and the Arizona Game and Fish Department are turning to OHV enthusiasts to help shape the future of the activity statewide. With 365 riding days per year, scenic trails and great weather, Arizona continues to draw OHV enthusiasts from across the country to access our motorized trails. To better plan for the future of the activity statewide, Arizona State Parks and Trails partnered... Full story
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 9-12 and April 6-9 (the department also conducts two spotlighting projects in the fall). The spotlighting method involves using high-powered lights to locate and identify... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is estimating there are more than 25,000 sandhill cranes in the Sulphur Springs Valley in southeastern Arizona, with the largest concentration of 15,343 at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area in McNeal. The Willcox Playa area has 8,291 cranes, the Safford Valley/Duncan area 846, Bonita 775, and there are less than 100 at Crane Lake and elsewhere in the area. Game and Fish conducted its annual crane count in the valley Jan. 6. Whitewater Draw usually has the... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has announced that Arizona continues to be clear of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to deer and elk. Department officials did not find any cases of CWD in the 750-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... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department invites you to subscribe to our newest e-News product, Wild+Life. The free monthly newsletter includes information on wildlife-watching activities, places to go, fun wildlife facts, citizen science opportunities/experiences, and links to great videos and photos. It's easy to subscribe - just visit our signup page and select Wild+Life or any of our other electronic newsletters.... Full story
