Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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As spring temperatures continue to warm in our state, the Arizona Game and Fish Department advises people who camp, recreate or live in bear habitat to be “bear aware,” as bears are coming out of their winter dens and becoming more active. Consecutive dry winters and intermittent seasonal rains, coupled with the impacts from last year’s large fires, suggest there may be more cases of bears visiting residential areas this year in some parts of the state. Bears in search of food are often attra... Full story
Editor’s Note: Eric Dennison is an aspiring freelance writer who lives in Hatfield, Pa., a small suburb just outside Philadelphia. Dennison is an outdoor enthusiast who loves to fish and chronicle his experiences in print. We at Western Outdoor Times/Arizona Boating & Watersports thank him for his insightful and moving recollections inspired by his visit to our state. Wander the worlds suspended between this one and the next long enough and you are bound to see ghosts. One second they are s... Full story
Arizona’s mild winter and exceptionally low rainfall have wildlife on the move, especially in urban areas that are on the fringe of natural habitat. Greenbelts, yards and golf courses are particularly attractive as they provide an easier meal and shelter areas. “Green areas bring in the small mammals like rabbits, which, in turn, attract coyotes and javelina when the desert is dry and lacks adequate food resources,” said Darren Julian, an urban wildlife specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish... Full story
There’s no denying the fact that some wildlife might appear to make for a nice pet, especially the youngsters one might believe can be domesticated. But, Arizona Game and Fish officials advise otherwise. “There’s no such thing,” said Zen Mocarski, public information officer for the Game and Fish Region 3 office in Kingman. “Yes, wild animals may sometimes appear comfortable around people and some have been taught tricks, but they are never domesticated.” Where Do You Draw The Line? In a recent... Full story
Did you know that your state taxes do not support the conservation of Arizona's wildlife, but your donations do? Taxpayers can help the state's wildlife at tax time by "making a mark" on their state income tax form. The Arizona Wildlife Fund is a voluntary program that allows Arizona taxpayers to make a donation to help imperiled and endangered wildlife, including majestic bald eagles, black-footed ferrets, California condors, Apache trout, Mexican wolves and desert tortoises, among other non-ga... Full story
For birdwatchers everywhere, the sharp weeep call of a Nutting's Flycatcher makes the heart skip a beat, especially for so-called "listers" who try to see as many of the world's 10,000 species as they can in one year. It's a passion popularized in the recent Hollywood movie The Big Year. News that a Nutting's was spotted early in 2012 near Lake Havasu City in the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge has spread worldwide. Since then, flocks of birders descended upon this Colorado River... Full story
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Arizona Game and Fish Department and other partners in the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project announced earlier today that the endangered Mexican wolf population count increased to a minimum of 58 wolves compared to last year’s count of 50. The increase is encouraging news for the multi-agency program, especially considering that the state’s largest wildfire, the Wallow, burned through three packs’ denning areas within weeks of pups being born. The w... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department recently served as host agency for the prestigious Quail 7 National Symposium in Tucson. The symposium, which is the largest periodic meeting of quail scientists and managers in the country, marked the seventh gathering of experts who convene every five years to deliver and discuss findings on biology, ecology, conservation, genetics, economics, hunting, and social science. The symposium involved two days of educational and informative presentations on Jan.... Full story
Endangered California Condors Celebrate 15th Anniversary PHOENIX — The endangered California condor population that now spans Arizona and Utah is celebrating a significant milestone this month: the 15th anniversary of the first release of the birds into Arizona after being gone from the area for nearly 100 years. In December 1996, six condors were released from an acclimation pen atop the Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona. Today, the population consists of more than 70 birds that now also u... Full story
Sonoran Pronghorn Return To King Valley YUMA, Ariz. — For the first time in over 100 years, Sonoran pronghorn are residing in King Valley on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona. The Sonoran pronghorn have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1967, and the United States population was on the brink of extinction in 2002 due to habitat fragmentation, human disturbance, loss of forage and perennial rivers, and periods of extreme drought. In early 2011, c... Full story
Peoples Canyon Receives Influx Of Bighorn Sheep Translocation to provide data, increase diversity KINGMAN, Ariz. — Arizona Game and Fish biologists and several volunteers waited patiently as the doors to a bighorn sheep transport were pulled open. At first the bighorn sheep were a bit reluctant, but after the first one took off in a gallop to begin exploring its new home, the others were quick to follow, leaping from the transport and bolting for the hillside. Such was the scene during the m... Full story