Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 851 - 875 of 1669
PHOENIX -- A peregrine falcon chick hatched in a nest box on a downtown Phoenix high-rise was seen struggling this weekend, causing the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) to take action. The wild peregrine chick, whose hatching was captured by a dedicated web-video camera, was having difficulty using its legs, causing it to fall and flail its wings.... 
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Globe, Arizona, May 19, 2016, —For Immediate Release. –Tonto National Forest officials issued a temporary closure at the Pioneer Pass Campground in the Pinal Mountains, because of repeated bear sightings. The area closure order is effective immediately. The purpose of this closure order is to protect visitors, employees and contractors while Arizona Game and Fish attempts to capture a bear that has become hanging around the area. The closed area includes the Pioneer Pass Recreation Area and all... Full story
Tip Of The Week At Lake Havasu, a.k.a. Arizona's West Coast, anglers can have banner days on the bedding smallmouth bass. Crappie and largemouth bass will follow with their egg protecting endeavors. (Did I say, "crappie"? Yep, and it looks like Alamo Lake is ripe to be targeted for this great-tasting fish. Just get some good advice from an area tackle shop – if you need it -- and mean business.) The Reel Deal Most bass are in pre-spawn mode in most of the desert lakes. Before recent storms, some... Full story
To: John ("JK") Koleszar & Western Outdoor Times, Arizona Boating and Watersports Re: "Western Wildlife" article in the February 2016 edition, "Wake Zone, What Price is Enough?" Challenge Accepted I would like to submit a response to the heavily opinionated piece that was published in the February 2016 "Western Wildlife" section of the Western Outdoor Times by John Koleszar. My response is that Mr. Koleszar seems to have written a biased piece without including many facts about wild horses and b... Full story
In 2006, I wrote a lengthy article about the inequities involved in the pay structure for the law enforcement personnel in the Arizona Game & Fish Department. The department was losing their personnel to competing agencies across the board. Some were leaving for DPS (Department of Public Safety) some were opting for local police departments and some were going to the local county sheriffs offices. At that time, the then director for the Arizona Game & Fish Department was Duane Schroufe. The... Full story
The Arizona Site Stewards Program was honored at the 4th Tri-National Sonoran Desert Symposium held in Ajo, Arizona on March 7-10. The International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA) presented the honor, which commemorates 30 years of volunteerism to preserve Arizona archaeological resources, and ongoing participation with the agencies and entities of the Sonoran Desert. Among those present included the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S... Full story
Two words that strike fear in many a shelter workers hearts -"kitten season". What is kitten season you ask? Kitten season is the time of year when cats give birth, flooding animal shelters across the nation with homeless litters. Kitten season is really three seasons in one, starting in spring, peaking in late spring or early summer, and ending in fall. It may begin sooner and last a little longer here in Arizona because of our nice warm weather (lucky us!) We are also in need of puppy... Full story
From The Great Folks At Fur & Feather Hello everybody and we hope this update finds you all doing well. It is a wonderful new year and spring is upon us! A lot has happened over the last few months. Tango, our special girl who has been with us six years, found a forever home. She chose her person. It is going well with Tango and her new family. We have had a few great adoptions, and many new dogs have come to us recently. New Team Members We have been moving forward as usual, and a lot has... Full story
A draft recreational boating Compatibility Determination for Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is now available for public review and comment. Due to an increase in safety concerns and the protection of wildlife habitat, the Service is in the process of reassessing all boating recreation activities taking place at the Refuge. The Refuge began reevaluating boating usage when the need arose to extend a 17-mile restricted boating area by ½ mile of No-Waterskiing for the safety of the visiting... Full story
Washington, D.C. - April 18, 2016 A coalition of recreational fishing and boating organizations praised the introduction of a bill, S.2807, that will safeguard the role of state fisheries management agencies and help prevent unwarranted fishing closures like what recently occurred at Biscayne National Park. Led by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the " http://act.keepameric... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted restrictions on the use of bait to hunt deer and elk, but made few significant changes in state hunting seasons at a public meeting April 8-9 in Olympia. The commission, a citizen panel appointed by the governor to set policy for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), agreed to set a 10-gallon limit on the amount of bait hunters can make available to attract deer and elk at any one time. The new rule, approved by a v... Full story
OLYMPIA–Trout fishing in Washington reaches full speed April 23, when several hundred lowland lakes – stocked with millions of fish – open for a six-month season. That date also marks the start of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) first lowland lake fishing derby, which runs through Sept. 6. To participate on opening weekend, Washington anglers must have an annual freshwater or combination fishing license valid through March 31, 2017. Licenses can be purchased online... Full story
OLYMPIA – The first phase of the popular sport fishery for spring chinook salmon on the lower Columbia River will close at the end of the day Friday, April 8, one day earlier than previously expected. Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon agreed to close the fishery based on projections that the catch of upriver chinook salmon will reach the initial 7,515-fish harvest guideline a day ahead of schedule. The closure includes fishing for salmon, steelhead and shad in the 145-mile section o... Full story
OLYMPIA – Black bears are beginning to emerge from winter dens across the state, prompting state wildlife managers to remind residents how to avoid possible conflicts with hungry animals looking to scavenge an easy meal. Reports of black bear activity have increased in recent weeks, many involving reports of bears getting into dog food, garbage cans, and bird feeders, said Rich Beausoleil, bear and cougar specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “Black bears are hun... Full story
Starting this month, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) hopes to conduct controlled burns on parts of the Sinlahekin, Scotch Creek, and Sherman Creek wildlife areas in northeast Washington to reduce wildfire risks and enhance wildlife habitat. Depending on weather conditions and approval from the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), controlled burns could start as early as April 12 on a total of 27 acres of the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area in Okanogan County. Also... Full story
OLYMPIA – State wildlife managers are seeking public input on their recommendations to keep Columbian white-tailed deer and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies on Washington’s endangered species list. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) periodically reviews the status of protected species in the state. The public can comment through July 9 on the listing recommendations and recently updated status reports for Columbian white-tailed deer and Taylor’s checkerspots. The draft r... Full story
April is the month of Arbor Day and Earth Day, and this year both are promoting something we advocate for wildlife habitat -- tree planting. Arbor Day has always been about planting trees, starting in 1872 in Nebraska and officially celebrated nationwide on the last Friday of April. Washington state traditionally celebrates Arbor Day the second Wednesday of the month, April 13 this year. Earth Day began on April 22, 1970 at the start of the movement when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)... Full story
OLYMPIA – State shellfish managers today approved nine days of razor clam digging beginning April 20 on the first of three ocean beaches. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the digs after marine toxin tests showed the clams on those beaches are safe to eat. Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager, said the department added two days of digging at Copalis, which was not originally included in the list of tentative digs previously announced by the agency. The dig w... Full story
OLYMPIA – Anglers will have opportunities to fish for salmon in the ocean and Columbia River this year, although recreational and non-tribal commercial salmon fisheries in Puget Sound may be closed through much of the season. After lengthy negotiations, state and tribal fishery managers could not reach an agreement on salmon-fishing seasons in Puget Sound. An agreement must be reached in the next few weeks or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribes in western W... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers have begun releasing more than 500,000 juvenile steelhead from five state fish hatcheries into Puget Sound rivers after receiving word from NOAA-Fisheries that those facilities meet federal environmental standards. For the past two years, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has released steelhead from those five hatcheries into area lakes to ensure they wouldn’t interfere with wild steelhead protected by the federal Endangered Species Act (ES... Full story
YAKIMA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will hold public meetings this month to discuss target shooting options for the Wenas Wildlife Area located between Ellensburg and Yakima. The meetings will focus on the department’s plans to develop designated shooting areas to improve public safety and reduce fire risk while preserving target shooting opportunities at the wildlife area. The meetings are scheduled for: 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, at the Hal Holmes Center, 209 N. Rub... Full story
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers have decided to separately secure the federal permit required to hold salmon fisheries this season in Puget Sound. The decision was made Tuesday after negotiations over salmon seasons with tribal leaders again came to an impasse. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the tribes last week could not reach an agreement during the annual season-setting process. “We had hoped additional conversations with the tribes would result in fisheries tha... Full story
OLYMPIA – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has closed public access to the Fir Island Farms Reserve, where work has begun to restore 131 acres of tidal marsh in the Skagit River Delta. Trucks and heavy equipment are scheduled to begin work next week in the second year of a two-year project to replace the existing mile-long dike with one designed to improve habitat for fish and wildlife, said Belinda Rotton, Skagit Wildlife Area manager. Rotton said the popular birding area, p... Full story
Bill Luke Bass Days is "Making Bass Fishing Great Again!" The 18th annual event at Pleasant Harbor RV Resort and Marina is handing out over $50,000 in cash prizes over the course of the three-days bass fishing tournament. The bass fishing tournament has six daily hourly weigh-ins; every hour first place pays $300, second through tenth place pay $100. Top Overall Big Bass this year wins $10,000! The Biggest Bass of The Day, each day, will win $2,000. And, Bill Luke will pay a $1,000 cash award... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo is all set for Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Admission and parking are free! From Wildlife To Fish To Targets Last year's Expo and Youth Day drew a total of 39,000 attendees, and again this year, there will be plenty of hands-on fun for all ages. Check out the huge kids fishing tanks and take home a free photo. See all sorts of live wildlife. Learn target archery and try other shooting... Full story
