Game and Fish seeks input on draft hunt guidelines

PHOENIX – Based on public input received this year, the Arizona Game And Fish Department has developed a first-draft revision of the hunt guidelines and wants to hear more about how this revision might be improved.

The hunt guidelines provide the biological and social parameters used by wildlife managers to formulate the annual hunt recommendations (season structures, season lengths, season dates, permits allocated, etc.) These recommendations result in the hunts in which licensed hunters may participate. While hunting opportunity is important, wildlife is held in the public trust; therefore, using science-based principles to shape the guidelines process remains paramount to ensure healthy, sustainable and diverse wildlife populations in perpetuity.

Draft hunt guidelines will be made available May 20, 2015, on the department’s website at http://www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.Comments on the draft hunt guidelines may be submitted through June 10, 2015, by e-mail to azgamebranch@azgfd.gov, or by mail to Hunt Guidelines, Arizona Game And Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.

“We all have views on how to improve our hunting opportunities,” said Amber Munig, big game management supervisor. “Please take a moment to provide your ideas, concerns or observations on how to meet the many demands of our varied hunting public. Fostering new ideas and opportunities is key to continuing our hunting heritage for future generations.

“With comments running from one end of the spectrum to the other, the department attempts to balance the hunting opportunity and experience, while maintaining healthy and sustainable game populations. This is your opportunity to get involved in this bi-annual process.”

The department will host 10 public meetings throughout the state to present the draft hunt guidelines, answer questions, and collect further public input. The draft hunt guidelines, public meeting input and all public comments will be shared with the Arizona Game and Fish Commission at its next meeting June 12-13 in Payson. Final proposed hunt guidelines then will be prepared and posted on the department’s website prior to being presented to the Commission at its Sept. 4-5 meeting in Springerville.

The public meetings are from 6 to 8 p.m., per the following schedule:

May 26, Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th Street

May 27, Sierra Vista, Sierra Vista Police Department, 911 N Coronado Drive

May 28, Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road

May 29, Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive

June 1, Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.

June 2, Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road

June 3, Page, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area office, National Park Service, Highway 89, Page, AZ

June 4, Kingman, Mohave County Library-Kingman, 3269 N. Burbank Street, Kingman, AZ

June 5, Prescott, Prescott Valley Public Library, 7401 E. Civic Circle, Prescott Valley, AZ

June 8, Payson, Payson Public Library, 328 N. McLane Road, Payson, AZ

For a copy of the current hunt guidelines, details about the guidelines review process, and meeting addresses, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

The Arizona Game And Fish Department does not receive general funds from the State of Arizona. The conservation and management of the state’s game animals is made possible by funding generated from the sale of hunting licenses, permit-tags, and matching funds from the Wildlife Restoration Act, a federal excise tax that hunters and manufacturers pay on guns, ammunition and other hunting/shooting-related equipment.