Public Input Important For Game Management

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 recommendations for deer, bighorn sheep, turkey, javelina, buffalo, bear, mountain lion, and small game animals.

The final meeting of this series will be Tuesday, March 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road.

Constituents who are interested in specific game management units within those regions have had the opportunity to discuss management direction.

Regional Open Houses In April

After the last of the public forums has been completed, the final proposed draft hunt recommendations will be made available for public review at several regional open houses and posted on the department's Web site at http://www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines by March 29.

The open houses will be held at Game and Fish regional offices as follows:

• Thursday, April 3, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road

• Tuesday, April 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road

• Tuesday, April 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road

• Wednesday, April 9, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.

• Wednesday, April 9, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th Street

• Wednesday, April 9, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive

Final Recommendations

The final fall hunt recommendations will be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during its April 12 meeting in Phoenix.

To learn more about the hunt recommendations and hunt guidelines processes, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.