Wildlife News

The spring hunt application deadline is Oct. 14
Black-tailed prairie dogs return to historical site in Arizona
Hunters can assist CWD monitoring
Wildlife calendar photo contest winners announced
New laws affecting off-highway vehicle use to take effect Jan. 1
Flashes of angling gold return to Silver Creek
Safety tips you should know for boating in cold water this season
Trapper education classes offered
Winter hours at Ben Avery Shooting Facility begin Oct. 15
Game and Fish to host tortoise adoption workshop
Arizona’s liberal 100-day duck season has some restrictions
Mesa office to host public meeting on elk and antelope management
High-power rifle competition sets sights for Ben Avery Shooting Facility
Commission to consider fish regulation changes at October meeting
Comments sought on proposed rulemaking affecting off-highway vehicles

The spring hunt application deadline is Oct. 14
It’s best to hand-deliver your application

Hunters getting ready to mail their spring hunt-permit application might want to save the stamp and deliver it themselves – the hunt application deadline day is Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. Postmarks don’t count.

Don’t forget that Monday, Oct. 13 is a state holiday, Columbus Day, so the Game and Fish offices will be closed.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said the spring hunt application process is for javelina, bearded turkey, bear and buffalo. Don’t forget, there is something new this coming spring – there are over-the-counter non-permit turkey tags for youth.

Department officials pointed out that it is once again a manual application process for the spring hunts – there is NO online application process available.

Spring hunt regulations should be available at all license dealers statewide, or stop by any of the seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices in the state. The applications and regulations can also be downloaded from the Game and Fish Department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/draw. Don’t miss out!

By the way, department biologists said the terrific green up last spring coupled with the abundant rainfall this summer should equate to a good year for javelina. The excellent mast crop in the high country this year bodes well for turkey populations.

Black-tailed prairie dogs return to historical site in Arizona

Nearly 50 years ago, they vanished from Arizona’s landscape, but thanks to a multi-partner reintroduction effort, black-tailed prairie dogs are making a comeback.

Seventy-four black-tailed prairie dogs captured at the Ladder Ranch in New Mexico were released yesterday into the wild in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area near Sonoita. The reintroduction aims to repopulate these animals to where they once existed in Arizona.

"Black-tailed prairie dogs are a critical keystone species in Arizona, maintaining grasslands for other animals to forage and serving as important prey for eagles and hawks,” said Bill Van Pelt, the program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Because of the far-reaching effect they have on other species, successful re-establishment would benefit the whole ecosystem by maintaining species diversity.”

The animals used to re-establish black-tailed prairie dogs in Arizona were chosen based on their similar genetics to the population that previously existed in the state.

Acclimation cages were used to prevent the animals from dispersing too quickly upon release and to allow them to adjust to their new environment. In time, the animals will burrow themselves out of the acclimation cages and be free to establish an underground network of tunnels.

This initial reintroduction site will be used to evaluate and modify the methods employed to reintroduce prairie dogs. Once the population is stable, Game and Fish plans to re-establish the species in up to five additional sites in southern Arizona to contribute towards the national and international conservation effort and preclude the need for listing as part of the Endangered Species Act.

The black-tailed prairie dog reintroduction is a collaborative effort between Game and Fish and the State Land Department. Volunteer support for the site preparation was provided by Sky Island Alliance, Animal Defense League and the Sierra Club.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are one of Arizona's two native prairie dog species. The other species, which is found in northern Arizona, is the Gunnison’s prairie dog. Historically, the black-tailed prairie dog was the most widely distributed of the five prairie dog species and was commonly found in southeastern Arizona. Human-related factors, including poisoning and habitat fragmentation, greatly reduced their numbers range-wide over the last 150 years.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are approximately 15 inches long and weigh 2-3 pounds. These tan animals with black-tipped tails are highly social, living in coteries or family units. Family groups live close together to form larger colonies or towns.

Hunters can assist CWD monitoring

Deer and elk hunters: Your assistance is needed again this season to continue the monitoring efforts in Arizona for chronic wasting disease (CWD), a wildlife disease that is fatal to deer and elk. Currently, there is no evidence that CWD poses a risk for humans.

Although CWD has not yet been found in Arizona through testing since 1998, it is present in three neighboring states: Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

“To remain vigilant, we will increase our sampling efforts in the Game Management Units (GMUs) closest to these bordering states,” says Clint Luedtke, department research specialist on CWD. “Assistance from elk and deer hunters in GMU 12B, which borders Utah, as well as GMUs 1 and 27, which border New Mexico, are crucial in assuring CWD is not in Arizona in these potential corridors. However, samples from all regions of the state are still needed.”

A check station at Jacob Lake on the Kaibab Plateau will be operational from Oct. 31-Nov. 9, Nov. 14-17 and Nov. 21-30. The department will conduct sampling on the weekends of Oct. 31 - Nov. 3, Nov. 8-10, and Nov. 14-17. Additional sampling will be available throughout the week. A check station will be in place (location yet to be determined) in Unit 27 on Nov. 7-10.

Hunters can assist the monitoring effort by bringing in the head of their recently harvested deer or elk to any Game and Fish Department office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Place the head in a heavy plastic garbage bag for delivery, and keep it cool and out of the sun. If the weather is warm, it is best to either bring in the head within a day of harvest or keep it on ice in a cooler before delivery.

To better assist the surveillance efforts, people will be asked to fill out a form with their drop-off. Please include the following information: county, game management unit in which the animal was harvested, hunt and permit number, and a contact address and phone number. If this information is not provided, the department will be unable to test the head.

Test results will be sent by postcard within six to eight weeks. There is no charge for the testing and notification.

The non-hunting public can also help prevent the potential spread of CWD. If you come across any deer fawn or elk calf in the wild, it should be left alone. Don’t assume it has been abandoned by the parent; in all likelihood, it hasn’t. Being a “good Samaritan” and bringing these wild animals into captivity poses a risk to the state’s wildlife resources.

CWD is a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to cervids, which include deer, elk and moose. Clinical symptoms include loss of body weight or emaciation, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, stumbling, trembling, and behavioral changes such as listlessness, lowering of the head, and repetitive walking in set patterns.

No evidence has been found to indicate that CWD affects humans, according to both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

The department also has had rules in place since 2002 restricting the movement of captive deer and elk into or within the state, and subjecting those animals to marking and reporting requirements.

Here are some guidelines for hunters when out in the field:

Don’t harvest any animal that appears to be sick or behaves oddly. Call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 1-800-352-0700 if you see an animal that is very thin, has a rough coat, drooping ears and is unafraid of humans.
When field-dressing game, wear rubber gloves and minimize the use of a bone saw to cut through the brain or spinal cord (backbone). Bone out the meat. Minimize contact with and do not consume brain or spinal cord tissues, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes.
Always wash hands thoroughly after dressing and processing game meat.
If you hunt in another state, don’t bring back the brain, intact skull or spinal column.
It’s OK to bring back hides and skull plates that have been cleaned of all tissue and washed in bleach. Taxidermied heads, sawed-off antlers and ivory teeth are also OK to bring home.
If you intend to hunt out of state, contact the wildlife agency in the area you intend to hunt. Several states have regulations on carcass movement.

For more information about the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s program on CWD, visit www.azgfd.gov/cwd.

Wildlife calendar photo contest winners announced

A whisker-perfect bobcat, adorable twin speckled deer fawns, and a fascinating gilded flicker caught in mid-flight are just some of the award-winning wildlife photographs that can intrigue every month of the year.

So be sure to get the ever-affordable ($3) Arizona Game and Fish Department calendar for 2009 – for quality, there’s no contest. Or actually, there was one, but it was for the photographs themselves.

Once again, this year the Game and Fish Department conducted a wildlife photo contest that attracted more than 1,200 submissions from 250 entrants. You can see the pick of the litter in the 2009 Arizona Wildlife Calendar.

Ann Beisser of Scottsdale took top honors with her photograph of a bobcat. Beisser’s photo of a family of great horned owls was also one of the 12 monthly winners. The other 11 winning photographs are:

Speckled fawn look-alikes, Ron Watkins, New River.
Wild turkeys on parade, Shane Farmer, Mesa.
Antelope ground squirrel eating a cactus flower, Patrick M. Collins, Manassas, Va.
Great blue heron reflections, Ed Taube, Phoenix.
Air flicking flicker, Bruce Taubert, Glendale.
Osprey soaring, Chris Darakis, Prescott Valley.
Vermillion flycatcher on a limb, Ed Bustya, Clarkdale.
Pronghorn eyeing the distance, Bob McBride, Scottsdale.
Arizona treefrog walking the leaves, Jeff Servoss, Phoenix.
Desert tortoise walking and rocking, William Wells, Surprise.
All-ears Allen’s lappet-browed bat, J.C. Amberlyn, Kingman

In addition to high-quality wildlife photography, the calendar provides handy reminders of important dates in a convenient wall-hanging format.

Calendars are on sale now at all offices of the Arizona Game and Fish Department and at the Wildlife Building at the Arizona State Fair. People also may download an order form from www.azgfd.gov/photocontest, print it out and mail it to the department. It is available for $3 (while supplies last).

New laws affecting off-highway vehicle use to take effect Jan. 1

Thanks in large part to a joint effort between Arizona sportsmen and off-highway vehicle (OHV) user groups, new regulations to help better manage off-highway vehicle use and protect natural resources will go into effect Jan. 1, 2009. New requirements include:

Staying on roads and trails. Travel by motorized vehicles that causes damage to wildlife habitat, riparian areas, cultural or natural resources, or property or improvements is prohibited.
Travel is limited to roads, trails and areas that are designated open by the land management agency for motorized vehicle use.
Purchase of an annual sticker through the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) validating use of the OHV in Arizona. This will be a flat fee that is yet to be determined and will be applied to those OHVs primarily designed by the manufacturer for off-highway use and weighing 1,800 pounds or less. This includes all-terrain vehicles, side-by-sides (utility vehicles), dirt bikes, and sand rails. Trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), cars, and other recreational vehicles (motor homes) will not be affected.
Sound restrictions for OHVs generating sound greater than 96 decibels.
Anyone under the age of 18 will be required to wear a USDOT approved helmet when riding any OHV.

The goal of the new regulations is to provide better OHV management and protection of natural resources while maintaining access. Funds generated from this program will be used to help ensure sustainable opportunities by bolstering grant programs that pay for maintenance, signage, mitigation, education, and enforcement. Remember to leave no trace and that Nature Rules! Stay on Roads and Trails.

Further information on the new regulations will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/ohv when it becomes available.

Flashes of angling gold return to Silver Creek

Flashes of golden Apache trout returning to Silver Creek near Show Low in the White Mountains was a recent harbinger of the great fall-winter trout fishing opportunities anglers can experience in Arizona this year.

“The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s catch-and-release Apache trout fishery along Silver Creek near Show Low is certainly a one-of-a-kind winter fishing opportunity you can’t find anywhere else. The opening of this fishery each Oct. 1 has become a holiday-like event for dedicated Apache trout anglers,” said Fisheries Chief Kirk Young.

However, Young added that most anglers are often amazed at the plethora of unique winter trout fishing opportunities Arizona offers, from an improbable desert river fishery near Phoenix and gas-tank-friendly urban waters to a renowned tail-water trout fishery that draws anglers from around the world. There is even a lesser-known fun stretch of river within casting distance from major gambling casinos.

“We even stock winter trout in two popular warm water fisheries – Saguaro and Canyon lakes,” Young pointed out. “Do you want a fairly solitary winter hiking adventure where you can fish shaded canyon pools for feisty rainbow trout? Just try Beaver Creek or West Clear Creek in the Verde Valley.”

But it’s tough to top the artificial lure and fly, catch-and-release-only golden trout experience at Silver Creek (barbless hooks only please).

This year, the hard-working Silver Creek Hatchery crew outdid themselves – prior to opening day they stocked a couple of dozen Apache trout tipping the scales at around 3 pounds or so. It was line-stripping fun for anglers on opening morning even before the annual stocking took place later that day.

“It felt like Christmas morning when I was a kid,” said one beaming fly angler who had the pleasure of fighting and then landing at least two of the trophy-sized golden beauties.

The early-bird anglers even got another treat at first light – a majestic bull elk was waiting for them as an unofficial greeter at the end of their hike through the dewy grass to the upper pool on the Game and Fish Department’s Silver Creek property.

But it wasn’t all pure action, fun and golden adventure. A hard-working crew from Cabela’s in Phoenix plunged into the hatchery ponds and helped to net, load, and then distribute the Apache trout and rainbows along this meandering creek barely one puddle-jump away from the Show Low Airport.

“There’s no fishery quite like this,” said Tim McGough, a Phoenix architect who comes to help out and fish on opening day each year. “This spring-fed creek is fishable all winter long. It’s an amazing place to fish.”

For those who aren’t aware, the native Apache trout is Arizona’s state fish. Although it is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, anglers can fish for it in certain areas, such as Silver Creek, the Little Colorado River in the Greer Valley, plus the East and West Forks of Black River.

In fact, the White Mountains of Arizona is the only place on this blue planet where you can readily angle for pure-strain Apache trout.

Apache trout are also on the brink of making history – they may become the first native fish in the United States to come off the endangered species list, thanks to a model cooperative recovery effort involving the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a long list of dedicated angling groups.

History notes notwithstanding, the anglers present on opening morning at Silver Creek did have one request – don’t tell anyone. Oops, the trout’s out of the stocking net as it were. So go catch some golden memories at Silver Creek, Greer or the East and West Forks. Don’t forget about the classic Apache trout fisheries on the White Mountain Apache Reservation.

But as the season progresses, snow storms visit and higher elevation lakes ice-up, the spring-fed waters of Silver Creek will still be a viable Apache trout fishery worth experiencing.

This is also the leading edge of the Game and Fish Department’s ambitious winter trout stocking program. For a list of what water is stocked when, visit www.azgfd.gov/fish and click on the “Stocking Schedule” link.

Other winter trout fisheries (most are stocked, some are not) include:

The Lower Salt River near Phoenix (start stocking the first week of November);
Saguaro Lake (scheduled for the second week of November);
Canyon Lake (scheduled for the third week of November);
Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley (being stocked this week);
West Clear Creek in the Verde Valley (being stocked this week);
Verde River between Camp Verde and Cottonwood (starting the first week of November);
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood (the first week of November);
Goldwater Lake, Lynx Lake and Fain Lake near Prescott (have already been stocked);
Tempe Town Lake (first stocking the Tuesday before Thanksgiving);
Lees Ferry in northern Arizona (the wild trout spawn typically starts in January);
Bullhead area of the Colorado River along Casino Row (already being stocked);
Willow Beach, the tail-water fishery in Arizona between Hoover Dam and Lake Mohave (already being stocked);
Oak Creek Canyon (already being stocked);
Urban Program lakes in greater Phoenix and Tucson areas (start stocking with trout the second week in November);
Green Valley Lake (an Urban Program water) in Payson, first trout stocking the second week of October;
Cluff Pond, Dankworth Pond, Frye Mesa, and Kearny Lake in southeastern Arizona (stockings start in November);
Patagonia, Parker Canyon and Roper Lake in southern Arizona (stockings mostly start in November);
Fortuna Pond in Yuma (stockings start in mid December);

“Those anglers who hang up their trout fishing gear in winter are missing some of the most unique and exciting fishing adventures of the year,” Young said. “Don’t miss out on Arizona’s winter trout.”

Safety tips you should know for boating in cold water this season

Don’t let the temperature outside fool you: Cold water immersion and hypothermia can occur in water as cool as 70 degrees at any time of the year, even on a warm and sunny day.

Arizona winters are mild, and recreational boating and fishing are popular year-round, but an unexpected immersion into cold water can cause hypothermia and even lead to a life-threatening situation.

Entering extremely cold water causes an immediate gasp reflex that can fill the lungs with water.

“With the paralyzing effects of cold water, wearing a life jacket is the only precaution that will bring a person to the water’s surface and help keep the head above water preventing immediate drowning,” says Kevin Bergersen, boating law administrator for the state of Arizona.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department wants to provide everyone with safety tips about cold water immersion and hypothermia:

When entering the water, it is important to wear a life jacket, move slowly and stay calm.
Wearing a life jacket at other times will also help keep your head above water. This is especially important after falling overboard, when a life jacket can help bring your body to the surface.
If your boat capsizes, stay with it. More than likely, it will not sink. It can be used as a platform to maneuver, so stay on top of it as much as possible, getting yourself out of the water and maintaining stability.
Don’t try to take off clothing in the water. A common misconception is that heavy clothing or waders weigh down your body, when in fact, they can trap air and help keep the body afloat.

“Don’t try and remove clothing. It will only make you tired, and you’ll lose more body heat,” Bergersen says. “Bring your knees to your chest and fold your arms or float on your back and slowly paddle to safety, if necessary.”

Of course, alcohol consumption can result in irrational behavior, only complicating matters for your survival. Bergersen says it is important not to drink alcohol near cold water or while operating motorized vehicles, including boats. For more boating safety facts or to take a boating education class, go online to: www.azgfd.gov/boat-ed.

Trapper education classes offered

Trapper education classes are being offered by the Arizona Trappers Association at Arizona Game and Fish Department regional offices, the Phoenix headquarters of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and in southern Arizona.

In addition, classes are available on a request basis in Pima, Safford and the surrounding areas, as well as in the Willcox area.

The schedule of upcoming classes is listed at www.azgfd.gov/education (click on the “Trapper Education” link). Please contact the instructor for the class you would like to take and sign up prior to the date of the class.

Winter hours at Ben Avery Shooting Facility begin Oct. 15

The Ben Avery Shooting Facility main range, archery ranges, and the Ben Avery Clay Target Center will change to winter hours of operation for the public beginning Wednesday, Oct. 15. The new hours will be:

Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“This is a great time of the year to get out to the range and sharpen your skills for hunting season,” said Marty Hererra range manager for the facility. “Whether you’re sighting in your .22 for small game season or making sure you’re on target for that late season elk hunt, the main range offers the accommodations to set your sights.”

For shotgun shooters, Hererra adds, “Upland hunters can hone their wingshooting skills at the Clay Target Center on the sporting clays course or try our newest game: 5-stand. It’s fantastic.”

For more information on the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, visit www.azgfd.gov/basf or contact (623) 582-8313. For more information on the Ben Avery Clay Target Center, visit www.azgfd.gov/ctc or contact (623) 434-8119.

Game and Fish to host tortoise adoption workshop in Yuma
Volunteers available to help applicants build an enclosure and den

Having trouble with Fido running away? Is it hard to find the time to care for a dog or cat when you are tied up with work and family all day? If so, consider adopting a desert tortoise. Come learn about these fascinating animals at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s tortoise adoption workshop in Yuma on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Desert tortoises offer a unique alternative to more traditional family pets, but can teach many of the same life lessons to children, including responsibility, compassion and commitment. Tortoises also make a great teaching tool for educators that have an outdoor habitat at their school.

“The department is pleased to be able to offer interested applicants expert volunteers to help them construct a proper enclosure and den,” says Catherine Pederson of the Game and Fish’s Yuma office. “People frequently express an interest in adopting a tortoise, but sometimes they don’t know how to get started. For the first time, volunteers will help make the process easier.”

The adoption fair will be held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife building at 9300 E. 28th St. in Yuma from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tortoise experts will be on hand to answer questions about care, and examples of proper outdoor enclosures will be displayed.

The department encourages those interested in sharing their yard with a tortoise to bring a completed application form and photos of their enclosure to the workshop. Enclosure specifications and application forms can be downloaded at www.azgfd.gov/tortoise. Prospective adopters can also start the application process at the workshop if their application requirements are not yet complete.

Desert tortoises can live as long as 50 to 100 years. They grow to be about 15 pounds and hibernate in the winter months. They eat plant material, including grasses, wildflowers and native cactus fruits. Once captive, desert tortoises cannot be released back into the wild. Captive animals can pass a dangerous upper respiratory disease to wild tortoise populations.

Game and Fish discourages tortoise custodians from allowing their animals to breed. Each year, there are more tortoises than there are homes for them.

Tortoises are microchipped and pass a health check before being made available for adoption. State law prohibits taking these creatures from the wild.

Arizona’s liberal 100-day duck season has some restrictions
Hunters are reminded that season is closed for canvasback ducks

Waterfowl season opened Friday, Oct. 3 in the mountain zone. The “liberal” season set by the federal framework and implemented by the Arizona Game and Fish Department is for a full 100 days, closing on Jan. 11 (in the mountain zone). However, duck hunters are reminded that the season is closed for canvasback ducks and there is a shorter season for scaup ducks for 2008-09.

Canvasbacks and redhead ducks are similar in appearance and are commonly misidentified in the field. To complicate the matter, both of these ducks inhabit the same habitats and hunting grounds.

Mike Rabe, waterfowl biologist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department explains, “In flight, canvasbacks and redheads are very difficult to tell apart. However, up close, the back on the canvasback is bright-white, where the redhead’s back is a dirty-grey.”

“Upon landing, the most notable difference is the shape of the head. The canvasback has a distinctively different head shape than any other duck. It has a dramatic pointy slant with a dark black bill; the redhead has a typical duck head and a grey-colored bill with a black tip.”

However, if you are uncertain, refrain from shooting either species. Hunters are encouraged to focus on pursuing more commonly identifiable ducks like teal, mallard, widgeon, and gadwall ducks to avoid accidently shooting a canvasback out of season.

In addition, there is a shortened season for scaup ducks. The season start date is delayed for both the mountain and desert zones, Oct. 18 and Nov. 1 respectively, with a bag limit of only two scaup permitted.

Regardless of zone, waterfowlers need to be aware of a duck that is slightly similar to scaups - the ring-necked duck. Their coloration is very similar, but there are a few noticeable differences, even in flight.

“Scaup have a solid colored bill, where a ring-neck has two rings around its bill, one at the tip and the other right at the base where it meets the feathers,” says Rabe. “The backs are different, too: the scaup is mostly black, while the ring-neck has a white back. The undersides, as shown in flight, are varied, with the scaup having white stripes at the back of the wing, while the ring-neck’s are almost completely dark.”

Hunters are reminded to be sure of their duck identification prior to shooting due to these conditions and to be familiar with the 2008-09 Arizona Waterfowl and Snipe Regulations for other seasons, bag and possession limits.

To improve your duck identification, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Web site on "Ducks at a Distance: A Waterfowl Identification Guide" by Bob Hines. The information can be viewed online at www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm, downloaded or ordered in a printed pocketbook version.

Mesa office to host public meeting on elk and antelope management

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will host a public meeting at its Mesa office, 7200 E. University Drive, from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23, to discuss the department’s hunt recommendations and planned management for elk and antelope in central Arizona (Region VI).

Topics will include elk and antelope population trends, sex ratios, hunting season and proposed management direction. The public will have the opportunity to provide comment for consideration in future management actions.

For more information, contact the department’s Region VI game specialist, Jon Hanna, at (480) 324-3555.

High-power rifle competition sets sights for Ben Avery Shooting Facility

Competitive marksmen using vintage military rifles with open sights will be shooting at long-range targets starting Saturday in two premier national competitions.

The 2008 Western Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches will take place at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix on Oct. 11-19.

The CMP Games begin on Saturday and continue through Tuesday, Oct. 14. A “new shooters” clinic will start off Saturday’s events. On Sunday, another new event is the Rimfire Sporter Match, which is designed to give recreational shooters in the Southwest a chance to try this growing shooting sport.

The Creedmoor Cup Matches begin with a high-power rifle clinic on Wednesday, Oct. 15, followed by four days of matches for service rifles and match rifles from Oct. 16-19. Members of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps Service Rifle Teams and Team Bushmaster will be on hand to assist with the clinic and subsequently compete in the matches.

To register online or for more event information, visit http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchInfo.cgi?matchID=3773.

Commission to consider fish regulation changes at October meeting

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is considering various changes to the 2009-10 fishing regulations during the Saturday portion of its Oct. 10-11 meeting in Phoenix at the department headquarters located at 5000 W. Carefree Highway (just west of I-17).

The Game and Fish Department gathered public input on the proposals by conducting a series of public meetings across the state, meeting with anglers, and gathering input via mail and e-mail. Department staff is in the process of evaluating all those comments and recommendations before making a final recommendation to the commission.

A detailed explanation of the proposed regulation proposals, as they are currently drafted, is available online at www.azgfd.gov. The following is a synopsis of the proposed regulations changes for 2009-10:

Reduce the bag and possession limit for trout from six to four (from three to two for unlicensed anglers) at Woodland Lake.
Remove bag limits for bass and catfish at Willow Springs Lake, Woods Canyon Lake, Black Canyon Lake, Bear Canyon Lake, Chevelon Lake, CC Cragin Reservoir (Blue Ridge Reservoir), Knoll Lake, and Long Tom Lake.
Extend the fishing closures on the Apache trout recovery waters that include Bear Wallow Creek, Snake Creek, Fish Creek (including tributaries Double Cienega and Corduroy creeks but excluding Ackre Lake), upper East Fork Little Colorado River, Hayground Creek, Conklin Creek, South Fork Little Colorado River, and Stinky Creek to fishing. The closures would remain in effect until population criteria are met for recovering native Apache trout.
Establish a one-of-a-kind, catch-and-release only, artificial fly and lure-only fishing season for native roundtail chub on the recently renovated and re-established free-flowing Fossil Creek in the Verde Valley.
Allow take of one bass in the slot at Roosevelt Lake. The limit would be changed to six bass, of which no more than one bass between 13 and 16 inches (protected slot limit) in length may be in possession.
Allow harvest of striped bass at Lake Pleasant by means of spear fishing.
Implement restrictions (reduced bag limit, slot limit or minimum size limit) on harvest of bass at Saguaro, Canyon and/or Apache lakes to aid in the recovery of these lakes from golden alga impacts.

The two-day commission meeting will cover other items as well. Items on the Friday, Oct. 10 portion of the meeting are:

An update on progress toward the director’s goals and objectives for 2008.
Request for the commission to approve a Notice of Docket Opening and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend Article 6 rules, addressing rules of practice before the commission.
A department briefing to the commission on the department’s involvement in Mexican wolf reintroduction in Arizona and New Mexico and related Mexican wolf recovery and conservation issues.
Request for the commission to approve the Article 1 Five-Year Rule Review Report on definitions and general provisions for filing with the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council.
Hearings on license revocations for violation of Game and Fish codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife.

Items on the Saturday, Oct. 11 agenda (in addition to the fish orders) are:

Request for the commission to adopt the department’s proposal for commission orders 25 (raptors), 41 (amphibians), 42 (crustaceans and mollusks), and 43 (reptiles), establishing open areas, season dates, and bag and possession limits for 2009 and 2010.
A department briefing to the commission on the cost estimates to move the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center to the Deer Valley South property and the costs for individual animal enclosures.

The commission may vote to take action on, or provide the department direction on, the above items and other items on the agenda.

The public is invited to attend. For a complete meeting agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the “commission agenda” link.

Comments sought on proposed rulemaking affecting off-highway vehicles

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is accepting written public comments on proposed rulemaking for a new Article 10 dealing with off-highway vehicles in response to recent statutory changes approved by the legislature. Comments will be accepted from Oct. 3 through Nov. 2, 2008. The proposed rules are:

R12-4-1001. Minimum Standards for an Approved Educational Course
R12-4-1002. Course-approval Procedure
R12-4-1003. Fee for an Approved Course
R12-4-1004. Off-highway Vehicle Sound-level Requirements

To see the proposed rule language and other information, click here.

You may submit written comments for consideration to Rulemaking@azgfd.gov. Please indicate Art 10 in the subject line. To be placed in the rulemaking record, comments must be received by November 2, 2008 and should adhere to the criteria outlined in R12-4-602.

For further information regarding this rulemaking, contact Joe Sacco at jsacco@azgfd.gov or (623) 236-7931, or visit www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/rules/rulemaking_updates.shtml.