Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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At its regular December meeting, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission passed a motion in opposition to a proposed ballot initiative that would ban the hunting of mountain lions and bobcats and restrict management of the state's wild cats by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The proposed initiative has not yet qualified for the ballot, but the Commission regularly takes positions on federal and state legislation with potential impact on the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the... Full story
Adapted From An Article By Judy Hedding Each spring the Arizona Game and Fish Department hosts the very popular outdoor experience called the "Outdoor Expo". The largest outdoor expo in the state, this interactive experience allows people of all ages to participate in activities, see exhibits, and attend educational presentations relating to Arizona's wildlife, nature, hunting, camping, boating, recreational target shooting, archery, off-roading, and fishing. Expo Dates Saturday, March 24, from... Full story
The importance of driving-best practices are underscored by these three actions that need to be avoided as they are major contributors to accidents. Following recent fatal off-highway vehicle (OHV) accidents, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reminds everyone about the importance of following best practices when driving on the state's trails and public land roads. In late September, a 58-year-old woman died in Cave Creek after being pinned underneath her utility-task vehicle (UTV). A week... Full story
After an absence of more than 70 years, the endangered Gila topminnow has reappeared in the Santa Cruz River in northwest Tucson, fish surveys conducted in November confirm. Scientists were hopeful native fish would return to the river near Tucson after the river's water quality significantly improved following upgrades to wastewater-treatment facilities releasing effluent (highly treated wastewater) into the river at Agua Nueva and Tres Rios treatment plants in 2013. The native Arizona... Full story
You can help sick or injured wildlife not only on a Giving Tuesday, but also on any day of the year. The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Wildlife Center treats sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. Some can be released to the wild, but those that can't require continued care, either as "wildlife ambassadors" for educational presentations at local schools and community events, or for placement in a zoo or wildlife sanctuary. The animals pictured with this story have all been rescued during the... Full story
Wear a life jacket when fishing from a boat in cold water - it could save your life, plus here are some good catching tips to snag a keeper this fall/winter. Nearly one-third of Arizona's boaters say fishing is their favorite activity to do while boating, and for many, fall is an ideal time of year to go out in search of that state record bass (or trout or catfish or ...). But, as the weather cools down, so does the water temperature. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that cold-water immersion and hy... Full story
The annual Arizona Game and Fish Commission Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, at the Point Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, 11111 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, Ariz. The event will honor the recipients of the 2017 Commission Awards that were selected at the Commission's Sept. 8 meeting. 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... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department manages more than 800 native species and the public had a chance to visit with come of them on Wildlife Day in November. This free family friendly event was designed to allow the public to meet their wildlife neighbors up close, while helping raise funds for the AZGFD Wildlife Center. "The Wildlife Center is often the first stop for many wildlife needing lifesaving care," said AZGFD Wildlife Education Program Manager Mike Demlong. "Wildlife Day helps us to...
It happens every year. As if on cue, they pick up and travel thousands of miles from places like Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, and some from as far away as Canada, Alaska and even Siberia. They are Arizona's true "snowbirds," content to spend winter days basking under mild, sunny skies before getting the itch to turn around and head back north sometime in March or early April. For the past few weeks, sandhill cranes by the thousands have been trumpeting their annual arrival in southeastern... Full story
An annual survey of the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel showed a significant decline due to the effects of the lightning-caused Frye Fire in the Pinaleño Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The annual survey, conducted jointly by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), Coronado National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Center for Nature Conservation-Phoenix Zoo, and the University of Arizona, resulted in an estimate of only 35 squirrels. This is a significant decrease... Full story
Chiricahua leopard frogs received extra help getting the hop on avoiding extinction after 454 of the threatened species were recently released into restored habitat on the Clifton Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. The young frogs were released under a partnership between the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), Arizona Center for Nature Conservation (ACNC) – Phoenix Zoo, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management New Mexico (BLM), U.S. Forest Se... Full story
PHOENIX - When hunting for big game, off-highway vehicles (OHVs) can be a key part of how hunters retrieve downed animals. In fact, sometimes it's the only way to retrieve a harvested elk or bison. As hunters hit the trails on OHVs like side-by-sides, it's important to buckle up if the vehicle is equipped with seatbelts. Numerous fatal accidents this year have involved utility task vehicles (UTVs) that roll over and pin the operator underneath. Wearing a seatbelt is critical because it will... Full story
Arizona hunters know that timely rainfall is the elixir that gives the state's quail populations a much-needed boost. Good winter precipitation particularly benefitted Gambel's quail, the best-known and most widespread of the state's three main species. That led to spring call counts that were almost double what they were in 2016 and higher than the average of the last 10 years (2008-2017). Throw in statewide summer rains that sustained forage and habitat conditions, and it was a good year for... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has posted the 2017-18 Arizona Waterfowl and Snipe Regulations on 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) began Oct. 6 and runs through Jan. 14, 2018. The general waterfowl season in the "Desert Zone" (Game Management Units 10 and 12B through 46B, and those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Yavapai Coun... Full story
Evidence shows range includes southern parts of Ariz., N.M. and 90 percent in Mexico. A recent peer-reviewed scientific paper re-affirmed the historical range of the endangered Mexican wolf as being southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico. To Clarify Range The paper was the featured article published in the July issue of The Journal of Wildlife Management, a leading international wildlife science journal. The authors - each reputable experts in... Full story
The public also can enter a raffle for a 2017 Polaris Ranger Crew 570-4 donated by RideNow Powersports. Each year the State Employees Charitable Campaign (SECC) gives State of Arizona employees the opportunity to voluntarily contribute monetary donations to support nonprofit agencies. The funds raised by state employees support more than 400 charities. The campaign conducts events and promotions that are usually limited to state employees, but this year there is an opportunity for the public to... Full story
Arizona remains Chronic Wasting Disease-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... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has submitted its official comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) draft Mexican wolf recovery plan which, when finalized, will outline a science-based strategy for continuing the successful reintroduction of Mexican wolves in its historic range. The FWS developed the draft recovery plan to replace the outdated 1982 plan. The updated plan was done in collaboration with state wildlife agencies in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado;... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is accepting applications for more than $400,000 in Heritage Fund grants. The deadline to submit an application is Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 to be eligible for grant funding, which will be available through a competitive application process in the following categories: environmental education, outdoor education, schoolyard habitat, urban wildlife/habitat, public access; and Identification, Inventory, Acquisition, Protection and Management (IIAPM). In addition... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has awarded $68,357 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 20 proposals submitted in this latest grant cycle, 18 were rated by a three-member panel. The grants were approved and awarded through a competitive application process that closed July 30. "We continue to hone the Local Sportsmen's Group grant program using the latest science for... Full story
As you're gearing up to spend a weekend or a few days riding on forest roads and trails, we have one message for you: Head out, helmet on! Helmets are required for all off-highway vehicle (OHV) operators and passengers who are under 18 - but they are strongly recommended for everyone. A U.S. Department of Transportation-rated helmet is the most important piece of equipment you can wear. Case in point: In the event of an accident, a helmet is your only protection against head injuries. "Arizona... Full story
Arizona's bald eagle population continues to soar as the number of breeding areas expanded statewide and a record 82 young hatched during the 2017 breeding season, according to an annual Arizona Game and Fish Department survey. While the number of hatchlings rose from the previous high of 79 in 2016, the number of young that actually fledged dipped slightly to 63 birds that made the important milestone of their first flight. In Arizona, at least 95 eggs were laid, which was slightly less than... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking volunteers to assist with fall spotlighting efforts to help document the population of endangered black-footed ferrets in Aubrey Valley and on the Double O Ranch, both near Seligman. As part of the recovery effort, the department has scheduled one more five-night spotlighting event on Oct. 5-9 – and a three-night spotlighting event Nov. 9-11. The spotlighting method involves using high-powered lights to locate and identify black-footed ferrets. T... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department applauds the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee for approving a bi-partisan bill that will allow the Department to better manage and conserve the bison population within Grand Canyon National Park. The Committee passed the Grand Canyon Bison Management Act, attaching it as an amendment to the larger Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act. The Bison Management Act, introduced in June by U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, requires the U.S.... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) was awarded $12,440 in grant funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to help protect the state's 28 species of bats from white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease. Funds issued by the FWS were part of $1 million in grants to 37 states to help combat the disease that has killed millions of bats in recent years nationwide. In Arizona, the funding will be used to research whether the fungus is impacting our own bat populations. For more... Full story
