Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 1101 - 1125 of 2432
Ahhh...spring is in the air and the wildflowers are blooming! Along with the warm temperatures comes the chance to view Mother Nature at her finest as she carpets the desert floor with an array of beautiful colors. While some may curse the allergies the wildflowers bring, others are gleefully grabbing their cameras and rushing outside to capture photos before they disappear. "We encourage everyone to visit our County parks during this spectacular wildflower season," said Maricopa County... 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
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), is encouraging the state's boating and watercraft users to Spring Aboard and prepare for the boating season by enrolling in a safety education course. Spring Aboard is a national campaign that runs from March 19 to 25 and encourages boaters to protect themselves and their passengers by taking a safety course before stepping onto a boat or watercraft. This... Full story
Give your kids the adventure of a lifetime this summer! The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Wildlife For Tomorrow are once again hosting a wildlife and outdoor recreation summer camp for children ages 8-13. Registration is now open for camp sessions being held June 12-15 and June 19-22. The camp will be held at the department's Hirsch Conservation Area located on the grounds of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (northwest corner of Carefree Highway and I-17). Camp hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:15... Full story
Coconino County Parks and Recreation and Navajo Parks and Recreation Department hosted a dedication ceremony of the new Antelope Canyon Interpretive Site at Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park in early March. The interpretive site was constructed in collaboration with Coconino County Parks and Recreation, Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department, the LeChee Chapter House of the Navajo Nation, and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. The new site features two ramadas (one at Upper Antelope... Full story
WIDE WORLD MAPS & MORE! Has moved its Phoenix store and offices from west Indian School Rd., where it has been for more than three decades. The new location opened March 1st and is still on Indian School Rd. but about 4.5 miles east. The new location is 2133 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. The change is part of restructuring and improvement designed to provide a more positive retail environment and better serve customers. The new location is easy to get to east of SR 51 (halfway... Full story
Arizona Boating & Watersports / Western Outdoor Times publications have won four awards. 2008 - Arizona Game & Fish Commission Media of The Year Award 2010 - National Water Safety Congress Award of Merit 2013 - Arizona Game & Fish Commission Media of The Year Award 2016 - Arizona Game & Fish Commission Outdoor Writer of The Year Award Arizona Boating & Watersports / Western Outdoor Times publications include - Arizona Boating & Watersports / Western Outdoor Tim... Full story
Lake Paddlemore returns for free with a 90,000-gallon pond offering a tranquil respite and water safety lessons. PHOENIX – Hit the water and take a short paddle around the 90,000-gallon kayaking pond at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Outdoor Expo, presented by Shikar Safari Club International. Admission and parking are free for the family-friendly, hands-on event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 25 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at the Ben Avery Shooting Fac... Full story
As temperatures begin to warm up, locals and tourists alike have begun flocking to valley lakes in hopes of securing a space along the shoreline to camp, fish, swim, or simply dip their toes in the water. This year, those visiting Lake Pleasant Regional Park are encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot. "The water levels at Lake Pleasant Regional Park are unusually high this year, and high water levels impact the amount of shoreline we have available for day-use and camping opportunities,"... Full story
While shore and motorboat fishing still lead the way, kayak fishing is rapidly growing in popularity as more and more anglers make the shift to the "Tupperware Navy". The most recent national data suggest close to 2 million anglers go out on kayaks each year, as more kayak brands introduce wider, more-stable platforms from which anglers can test their skill against even large ocean-based fish, such as marlin, tuna and grouper. Growth Attributable To Several Factors According to Dallas... Full story
There are changes: a new date, new race courses, and new events, but the same fun and hospitality in the most beautiful setting for winter sailing in the desert - Lake Pleasant, Ariz. The Arizona Yacht Club's "First in the Nation" Leukemia Cup and Birthday Regatta will be held on President's Day Weekend, Friday to Sunday, Feb. 17-19. The new date will eliminate conflicts with multiple other events that take place on the Martin Luther King weekend in January, while increasing the likelihood of... Full story
Yes, it's true. You or your kids can learn to sail right here in the desert. The Arizona Sailing Foundation offers classes set up for fun-with maximum time on the water. A little classroom, a lot of boat. Soon you're scooting across Tempe Town Lake powered by nothing but the wind. What a kick! ASF is the educational subsidiary of the Arizona Yacht Club, a nonprofit run by AYC members who share their passion for sailing with others. The classes use our boats and are taught by instructors... Full story
PHOENIX - S.H. ("Sy") Sohmer has been named director of Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park (https://azstateparks.com/boyce-thompson/), effective Jan. 29, 2017. Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park is part of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, or CALS, and is managed in cooperation with Arizona State Parks and Trails and the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, Inc. Sohmer brings to CALS more than 40 years of experience as a research botanist, university... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo (https://www.azgfd.com/Expo) dates are set for Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Admission and parking are free. Once again, there will be plenty of hands-on fun for all ages. Check out the huge kids' fishing tanks. See all sorts of live wildlife. Learn target archery and try other shooting sports in a safe, supervised, controlled environment on the range. Get a feel for specialty shooting... Full story
Arizona's largest sportsmen, outdoor and boat show will again be at WestWorld of Scottsdale. ISE's Arizona show had great success at WestWorld of Scottsdale in 2016. The venue provides easy freeway access to the more populous eastern corridor and surrounding cities. The show was able to expand its outdoor exhibits to include more recreational vehicles, a wakeboarding feature and more. The inaugural year for ISE Scottsdale and Arizona Boat Show were a rousing success and we expect even more... Full story
I've known Matt Shura since he was just a kid, and he's been a heck of a stick all that time. He started out catching bluegills at a pond at Power and Guadalupe with his dad when he was about five or six years old. That first bluegill had him hooked for life. Going to the lake? Check out the lake level at http://data.hydrometdataservice.info/dwr/ Then he started watching bass fishing on television, and he was fascinated. By age ten he had his first boat - a ten-foot jon boat with a trolling... Full story
Some good lakes to try are Bartlett, Apache, Roosevelt and Canyon. Many anglers have reported spotting huge schools of black crappie on fish-finders at lakes such as Roosevelt and Canyon. Other good lakes to try are Apache and Bartlett. (Crappie fishing at Alamo Lake reportedly is poor.) With some stable winter weather, this can be an excellent time to fish for crappie and they head into deeper waters of our desert impoundments and form large schools. But some anglers will troll jigs with grubs,... Full story
So you've caught some line-ripping cats and taken advantage of bragging to some buddies about your Mr. Whisker's success; now try cooking for them with this great recipe. Here's an alcohol-infused creation to turn your catfish into some fine Southern dining. Fare Afield's Bourbon-Glazed Catfish By Johnathan O'Dell (https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnathan-o-dell-4372b677) Serves 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: Four 6-ounce catfish fillets 1/4 cup cornmeal ... Full story
If you have been reading my stories here on Arizona Boating & Watersports and Western Outdoor Times for long, you know that my husband John and I love to go outdoors adventuring with our granddaughters. We've been taking them fishing, hiking, shooting, exploring, and hunting almost since they could walk, but we had never been kayaking together until yesterday. I found a Groupon for the Clarkdale Kayak Company and it was such a bargain I signed up the four of us. First off, let me tell you that I... Full story
Many of you know Don McDowell as the host of the extraordinarily popular and award-winning radio show "Shake, Rattle, and Troll", which airs each Sunday on KFNX 1100 AM from 7 to 9 a.m. and on Internet Radio at www.shakerattleandtroll.com. McDowell is a professional bass angler, a saltwater charter master, a member of the United States Coast Guard, a hunting enthusiast, and, of course, a radio personality. He is a powerful advocate for fishing, hunting, conservation, and veterans as well as an... Full story
Don't miss Raucous Revelry at the Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival! The Arizona Renaissance Festival is a medieval amusement park, a 13-stage theater, a 30-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament and a feast -- all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure. You never know what you will find on or off the stage! 16th-Century European Village Market The Festival is an outdoor event that combines entertainment and wares reminiscent of what may have been found in a... Full story