Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 851 - 875 of 1087
The Arizona Game and Fish Department's 2014 Outdoor Expo and Friday Youth Day drew a combined 48,000 attendees, the highest three-day total in the event's history. The weekend Outdoor Expo, held March 29-30 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, was visited by 41,000 people. Sunday's attendance of 20,700 was a record for an Expo Sunday. The Friday Youth Day, geared toward school children, teachers and chaperones who preregistered, was attended by 7,000, another record. The Youth Day was... Full story
The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation is soliciting nominations for this year's inductees into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame. Every year the Outdoor Hall of Fame 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, download a nomination form (PDF and MS Word versions of this form can also be downloaded from www.a...
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – On March 16th, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Nevada Department of Wildlife, BIO-WEST, Inc., and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Park Service (NPS) biologists successfully released nine adult endangered razorback suckers (Xyrauchen texanus) in the Colorado River downstream of Lava Falls (River Mile 180). A native fish found only in the Colorado River basin, the razorback sucker was previously believed to have been extirpated from Grand Can... Full story
Anglers who love to fish Roosevelt Lake located in central Arizona's Tonto National Forest have a future hope for the fishery -- monster bass. To help boost fishing opportunities at the 13,000-acre lake, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through April to stock up to 500,000 fry of Florida-strain largemouth bass, which have been known to eventually attain sizes up to 20 pounds. The FWC will be donating the bass fry...
Now is the time to get the tackle box ready, grab the fishing rods, and explore northern Arizona for some spring fishing! A particularly warm and dry spring has arrived, and unfortunately it followed a mild winter. What does this mean for the fishing? It means that the Arizona Game and Fish Department is stocking northern Arizona lakes and anticipates that by late May or early June, as temperatures warm up and lake levels drop, water quality will diminish and conditions will be unsuitable for... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is implanting radio tags into a small percentage of hatchery-raised trout that will be stocked into the East Verde River in order to examine stocked trout movement and fate. These stockings are in April and coincide with the summer trout-stocking schedule. If you catch a trout with external tags (as pictured) you may keep or release the fish. These fish are safe for human consumption. If you catch a tagged fish, please call the number on the colored tag...
It's getting nicer outside every day and boating season is upon us. Many of you in the marine industry and boating world know me; my name is David Esparza, and I have been a member of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for 19 years and a volunteer with the Arizona Game and Fish Department as boating safety instructor for 20 years. I have now worked at West Marine in Tempe for almost three years. One of the first things that I wanted to talk to you about is National Safe Boating Week May 17-... Full story
Residents of the desert should always remember one simple rule when the weather begins to warm: know where you are placing your hands and feet. "That one rule can help people avoid the majority of potentially dangerous encounters," said Tom Jones, amphibians and reptiles program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "People shouldn't fear snakes and other reptiles, and only need to use caution and common sense to coexist with them." Critters such as snakes, scorpions, spiders, and... Full story
Rising temperatures and longer days mean spring is here and newborn wildlife will become increasingly visible. The Arizona Game and Fish Department understands people's desire to help seemingly abandoned animals such as baby birds and bunnies, but reminds the public that "helping" or "rescuing" baby wildlife can have unintended negative consequences. "The public's intentions to care for wildlife are admirable, but removing baby wildlife from the wild often results in their death," said Mike... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department and its partners of the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee have lifted the closure put into place annually to help bald eagles during the breeding season at Lake Pleasant. The closure was removed at noon on April 1 because the bald eagles in the area failed to produce young and will not breed this late in the spring. Most other previously announced closures remain in effect because bald eagle breeding activities are still continuing in those areas.... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions at all department wildlife areas on Friday, April 18. The restrictions are part of the restrictions issued by the Arizona State Forestry Division on state-owned and state-managed lands outside incorporated municipalities due to the increased risk of wildfire in the state. Stage 1 restrictions mean that no open fires are allowed -- including campfires and wood or charcoal-burning stoves and barbecues. Smoking is...
(PHOENIX) – The future of recreational shooting in Arizona looks a little brighter after a successful fundraising event at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix on Saturday, April 12. The Arizona Game and Fish Department teamed up with TreadLightly! to sponsor the combination fun shoot and dinner party attended by nearly 200 people. Recreational shooting in Arizona came under increased scrutiny when the Sonoran Desert National Monument, one of the last parcels of public land open to r... Full story
The following is a summary of Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project (Project) activities in Arizona on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNF) and Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR) and in New Mexico on the Apache National Forest (ANF) and Gila National Forest (GNF). Non-tribal lands involved in this Project are collectively known as the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA). Additional Project information can be obtained by calling (928) 339-4329 or toll free at (888) 459-9653, or by...
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is making constituents aware of upcoming public input opportunities regarding bison management at Grand Canyon National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) has initiated a public scoping process for a bison management plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) for Grand Canyon National Park pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. The NPS is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department on this effort.... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2014-15 Arizona Hunting Regulations online at www.azgfd.gov/draw. Hunters may now apply for a 2014 hunt permit-tag issued through the drawing process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo and pheasant. (The drawing process for elk and pronghorn antelope occurred earlier this year.) At this point, paper applications may be submitted by U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Drawing Section, P.O. Box... Full story
Grand Canyon, AZ – The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce the latest step to manage the impacts of bison on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). After meeting with cooperators Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)--over the last several months, the NPS will initiate public scoping later this week for a bison management plan and environmental impact statement (EIS) to be prepared pursuant to t...
The 20th Annual Payson Wildlife Fair is happening on Saturday, May 10. This free event in the cool pines runs 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Green Valley Park, 1000 W. Country Club Dr. in Payson. Admission, parking and activities are free! The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be stocking 800 pounds of rainbow trout for this event; that’s more than 1,000 fish going into the lakes! There will be fishing poles and bait available to borrow for free. No fishing license is required during the event hours (... Full story
On March 4, 2014, the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) notified the public that the Service had designated 764,207 acres of land in southern Arizona as critical habitat for the rarely-present jaguar. This action completed the third review by the Service that examines the need for jaguar critical habitat in Arizona. The two prior reviews found that designation of critical habitat in Arizona-New Mexico was not warranted. The Arizona Game and Fish Department does... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo is all set for Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Admission and parking are free. There's plenty of hands-on fun for all ages. Check out the huge kids' fishing tanks and take home a free photo. Learn target archery and try 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... Full story
Tip Of The Week Spring bass fishing can be excellent, and there's one technique that can turn average bass days into exceptional ones. During the pre-spawn (generally water temperatures of less than 55 degrees), when targeting big, transitioning bass in the shallows, try dyeing your soft plastic bass lures orange. Water clarity is generally limited in our warm-water fisheries right now, and an orange tail can help trigger bass feeding on crawfish. During a spawn (when water temperatures are at... Full story
Each year the Arizona Game and Fish Department makes recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years. The department has hosted five of six public forums to meet with constituents about developing the 2014 fall hunt... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission today held a public meeting to discuss the strike-everything amendment to House Bill 2127, a proposal that would allow the Arizona Game and Fish Department to use Heritage Fund property acquisition funds to operate, maintain and protect Heritage Fund properties that the commission owns. The department recommended that the commission vote not to move the strike-everything amendment forward. The commission voted unanimously to approve the department’s r... Full story
Catfish stockings will be coming back to the core Community Fishing Program lakes and ponds in Tucson and Phoenix on Friday. Here are the core lakes and ponds: (Phoenix area) Surprise, Rio Vista Pond, Pioneer, Desert West, Alvord, Cortez, Steele I.S. Pond, Encanto, Papago Ponds, E. Hallman Pond, Riverview, Desert Breeze, Veterans Oasis; (Tucson area) Lakeside, Sahuarita, Kennedy, Silverbell, Copper Sky, Kiwanis, Water Ranch, Red Mountain, Chaparral. Channel catfish are best caught using a hook... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Tread Lightly! are hosting a Fun Shoot and Steak Dinner on Saturday, April 12, to raise funding to implement education/outreach and engagement strategies designed to save recreational shooting opportunities on public and private lands in Arizona. The Respected Access is Open Access campaign is aimed at protecting and enhancing access and opportunities by fostering an enhanced sense of resource stewardship and responsible recreation throughout the outdoor... Full story
Deadline to submit nominations is April 25 The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation is soliciting nominations for this year's inductees into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame. Every year the Outdoor Hall of Fame 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, download a nomination form (PDF and MS Word versions of this form can also... Full story
