Arizona Big Game Super Raffle Nets Record $598,400 For Wildlife

PHOENIX – Winners of the 10th annual “Arizona Big Game Super Raffle” were announced Thursday night during a Sportsmen’s Open Forum at Arizona Game And Fish Department headquarters.

The prizes included a total of 10 Special Big Game Tags, one for each of the state’s big game species – bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, buffalo, turkey, bear, javelina and mountain lion. The permit-tags were awarded by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Raffle tickets ranged from $5 to $25, depending on the species. A New Mexico elk hunt and Swarovski optics package also were raffled.

In the 10-year history of the raffle, almost $5 million has been raised for wildlife and wildlife management in Arizona. This year’s event generated a record $598,400, topping $557,320 in 2007.

The 2015 winners:

Bighorn sheep: Frank Aego, Princeton, Calif.

Black bear: Alan Lewis, Mesa, Ariz.

Buffalo: Harold Fahrenbrook, Golden, Colo.

Elk: Steve Holten, Pelican Rapids, Minn.

Javelina: Shane Dale, North Manchester, Ind.

Mountain lion: McCalvin Freeman, Airmont, N. Y.

Mule deer: William Penn, Deming, N.M.

Pronghorn antelope: Levi Van Buggenum, Story, Wyo.

Turkey: Scott Travis, Bath, N.Y.

White-tailed deer: William Davis, Sarasota, Fla.

New Mexico elk hunt: Ed Shippen, Yuma, Ariz.

Swarovski optics package: Jerry Hayden, Scottsdale, Ariz.

The raffle is conducted by a nonprofit entity to raise money for wildlife conservation efforts. A volunteer board of directors, comprised of representatives from sponsoring organizations, oversees the operation of the raffle.

Every dollar raised for each species through the raffle is returned to the department and managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee (AHPC) for that particular species. With input from local habitat partners across the state and sponsoring organizations involved in the fundraising, project priorities are determined that will provide the most benefit to each species.

For more information, visit http://www.arizonabiggamesuperraffle.com.

Did you know?

The Arizona Game And Fish Department has trust responsibility for managing more than 800 native wildlife species – the most of any inland state – for current and future generations of Arizona citizens. https://azgfdportal.az.gov/Hunting/NAM