Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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We hope all is well with you and your family. We wanted to remind you of a hunting opportunity that you might be interested in because it is perfect for continuing to develop your hunting skills and requires minimal resources and equipment. • Quail season (Gambel's and scaled) is open through Feb. 8, 2015. The bag limit is 15 birds, and they can be found in most desert areas. All you need is a general hunting license (youth or adult), which many of you have if you attended one of our hunting eve... Full story
Dove hunters are advised that the printed copies of the 2014-15 Arizona Dove Regulations have a misprint regarding the starting and ending dates of the late dove season (they are off by a day). The correct dates for the late dove season are Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. The amended regulations with the correct dates have been posted on the Arizona Game and Fish Department website at www.azgfd.gov/dove and www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hunting_rules.shtml.... Full story
Arizona's endangered black-footed ferret population accomplished several steps towards recovery today with the release of 25 animals on the private Espee Ranch, a working, northern Arizona cattle ranch owned by Babbitt Ranches. Officials from a variety of partner organizations including Babbitt Ranches, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture (APHIS Wildlife Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture), Natural... Full story
Cooler temperatures signal the arrival of fall, and Oct. 3 marked the season opener for many of Arizona's wild pursuits. From quail and rabbit in the desert to squirrels and ducks in the high country, fall hunting represents outdoor recreation at its best. Quail and rabbit can be hunted in the open spaces of the lower desert up to the rolling hills of scrub oaks and manzanita bush of the mid-level desert. Squirrel hunting provides the perfect reason to escape to the crisp air of the ponderosa... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is advising migratory waterfowl hunters that access at Berry Road, on the southeast end of Mormon Lake off FH 3 or Lake Mary Road, will be open for this year's waterfowl hunting season. Although the road is open for this year's hunting season, its seasonal use in the future will be under review by the Forest Service. To gain access to Berry Road, hunters must first contact, by phone or in person, the Flagstaff Game and Fish office or the department's... Full story
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), the professional association that serves as the collective voice of North America's state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife agencies, is proud to announce that Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Larry D. Voyles has been selected as the organization's incoming President for 2014-2015. Voyles has served in other posts within AFWA, including a term as the Association's Vice President. Outgoing President Dan Forster, director... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host three remaining public forums to meet with constituents about developing the 2015 hunt recommendations for pronghorn antelope, elk, and population management seasons. (The first forum was held Oct. 16 in the Flagstaff regional office.) The remaining meetings will be held at these Game and Fish regional offices: • Monday, Oct. 20, from 6-8 p.m. at the Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, • Thursday, Oct. 23, from 6-8 p.m. at the Mes... Full story
Tip Of The Week Fishing for largemouth bass is excellent at Bartlett Lake. Crankbaits are hot, and here's a tried-and-true bass-snatcher: the Rapala Shad Rap. Get a 3-inch version. Then tie it to 8-pound test line, fish islands, points and rocky shorelines, and if conditions are favorable, anglers could have a good shot at some bass strikes. Have fun! The Reel Deal In the desert impoundments, predatory fish have become more active. Crankbaits and buzzbaits and jigs are drawing increasingly more... Full story
The Community Fishing Program resumed stocking catfish in the core waters in mid-September. Two trucks serviced the Phoenix and Tucson areas from two separate ponds in Arkansas. Unfortunately, one of those ponds had weaker-than-normal fish, and following the stocking, we had reports of mortalities from almost all of the Phoenix-area waters at various levels. Rest assured we're working with our municipal partners to remove the dead fish and get them replaced as we continue October catfish... Full story
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. –– Trout stocking south of Davis Dam has been on hiatus for nearly a year, but that changed on Oct. 1. Trout from Arizona Game and Fish hatcheries, and raised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery, comprised the first stocking south of Davis Dam since late 2013. Great News "This is great news and a fantastic opportunity for anglers on the Colorado River," said Matt Chmiel, the Fisheries Program manager for the Game and Fish Reg... Full story
The successful summer Hunting and Angling Heritage Workgroup event drew 51 stakeholders, representing 28 unique organizations (both national and local), a cross section of work units from the department, three commissioners and a panel of event participants. The educational summit focused on the state of hunting and angling recruitment and improving collaboration, communication and cooperation across many different stakeholders for on-the-ground events and activities that teach the public how... Full story
California condors will be released to the wild in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. The public is invited to observe the release from a viewing area where spotting scopes will be set up and project personnel will be available to answer questions. This will be the 18th annual public release of condors in Arizona since the condor recovery program began in 1996. Condors are hatched and reared in captivity at The Peregrine Fund's World Center... Full story
The Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center Open House is your opportunity to learn more about wildlife native to Arizona and other education programs the Department offers. The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center was founded in 1983. Although the Department manages the facility, most of the daily operations are carried out by a small group of dedicated volunteers. The primary objectives of the Wildlife Center are to - • provide immediate care for sick, injured, c... Full story
Lake levels at the Salt River chain lakes did not rise as much as some anglers might expect, but there was enough rain to cool the water temperatures. Many anglers are reporting the bite at desert lakes had been slowing considerably after the sun comes up -- get out early. If you do brave the high sun, find the depth the fish are at, then see what color is hot. Be persistent when finding the right color - a simple change from a morning dawn Powerworm to a red crawler, for example, can make a... Full story
PHOENIX (September 18, 2014) – Tonto National Forest officials are seeking public comments on proposed changes to recreation fees. In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), which allows the Forest Service to retain 95 percent of fees collected at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate, maintain and enhance these sites. To see what fees have been collected and how the fees have been spent, go to the Annual Fee Program Accomplishment R... Full story
Arizona Game & Fish offers many boating safety classes. You may see these on page three of our print version each month. Arizona Game and Fish officers stopped a personal watercraft rider on Lake Pleasant last weekend for not wearing his life jacket, and that may have saved his father's life. On the morning of July 4, Game and Fish Officers Bryan Marshall and David Mayer saw 19-year-old Hoy Lam on a red Sea Doo personal watercraft (PWC) leaving the Lake Pleasant boat launch area without a life... Full story
PAYSON, Ariz. -- Call them robot fish, mechanical fish, even Frankenfish. In the tiny Payson community of Beaver Valley, hatchery-raised rainbow trout hover in pools of the East Verde River, or perhaps enjoy the shade of a shoreline undercut. Then there's a different sort of rainbow trout in these waters – ones that mill around with a pair of protruding, lightweight tags. These fish have undergone surgery. Since April, Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists at the Tonto Creek Hatchery h... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is investigating the poaching of an antelope buck that was left to waste in a field, and the Department needs assistance in finding the individuals responsible. On July 2, at around 4:30 a.m., gun shots were heard near the Windmill Ranch off Forest Service Road 231, known as Woody Mountain Rd. Also that morning, a person reported seeing two antelope bucks off the road. In that same area, but not at the same time, the reporting party also saw two people... Full story
Did you know that Arizona is home to over 60 species of scorpions, including the most dangerous species in the United States, the bark scorpion? Join Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists for an easy evening hike to explore the hidden lives of nocturnal animals at the Hirsch Conservation Education Area, located at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility. The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is home to a variety of wildlife including coyotes, bobcats, mule deer, owls, mice, snakes, scorpions, and an... Full story
Tip Of The Week Try Apache Lake for something different. Here, crappie and walleye are other tasty options. Fish some of Apache's heavy breaks where shallow water quickly becomes deep. It has really become a tremendous largemouth bass fishery. There are also plentiful yellow bass, which are a lot of fun to catch on light tackle. Apache Lake also has a healthy herd of bighorns. So be sure to take a camera - this is one of our most photogenic lakes. The Reel Deal Summer is hot and sticky and... Full story
Whether you won or lost when you bought a lottery ticket last year, some of your money benefits Arizona's wildlife and students. [So, overall, you won!] That's because the Arizona Game and Fish Department uses some of its Heritage Fund monies that come from Arizona Lottery ticket sales to provide grants for wildlife education and research. This year, more than $410,000 is being awarded to 27 grant projects across Arizona. When combined with matching money from other sources, the projects being... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department disagrees with a recent appeal filed by environmental litigants to regulate lead ammunition on the Kaibab National Forest as the solution to lead poisoning in endangered California condors. Three groups that want the U.S. Forest Service to place a mandatory ban on hunting with lead ammunition in northern Arizona lost their original lawsuit against the Kaibab National Forest filed in 2012. Game and Fish intervened in the original lawsuit by the Sierra Club,... Full story
Whether we enjoy the water from a boat, on skis or boards, or as swimmers, there are three major organizations that deserve our appreciation and respect. They ensure that we have the information needed for safety in and around the water, and they are there in emergencies when and if we get into trouble. (There are others as well, but these three are the focus of this article.) We at Western Outdoor Times/Arizona Boating & Watersports toast them all. Arizona Game & Fish Department The Arizona... Full story
Arizona Game and Fish reminds OHV riders to stay safe on the trail. Although "National ATV Safety Week" was held in early June, its lessons are year-round. and the Arizona Game and Fish Department is partnering with the ATV Safety Institute to remind all off-highway vehicle (OHV) and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) owners and riders to practice safe riding habits. According to Game and Fish's OHV Safety Education Coordinator Matt Eberhart, OHVs can be a great, safe way to enjoy Arizona, as long as... Full story
Are catfish limits too liberal at Arizona Lakes? Would you like to see more opportunity to catch Arizona’s native trout species? In order to best manage fish populations, simplify and streamline regulations, and incorporate public request, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is evaluating these fishing regulation changes. The department is conducting a series of public meetings during July to provide information on the proposed fishing regulation changes and solicit comment. The meeting s... Full story
