• Game and Fish Commission sets remaining 2008 fall hunts
• Tri-State Safety Fair brings multitude of agencies together, focuses on boating safety
• Arizona’s bald eagle management wins national conservation award
• Arizona crowns youth skeet champions
• Kaibab National Forest seeks comment on proposed travel management plan
• Snow conditions, access have improved for spring turkey hunters
• Patti Ho Memorial Estate Auction to benefit wildlife
• Final round of U.S. Olympic archery trials to be held at Ben Avery
• Win a special hunt, help wildlife by entering the Big Game Super Raffle
• Do you appreciate great wildlife photography?
• Learn how to navigate the big game draw at Tucson seminar
• Congressional candidates to discuss natural resource issues

Game and Fish Commission sets remaining 2008 fall hunts
Creates over-the-counter turkey tags for young hunters

Initiating the first-ever over-the-counter turkey tags for youth in designated units and approving the first-ever permitted archery deer hunts in specific units based on a harvest apportioning formula were two of the changes approved by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission during its April 19 meeting at the new Game and Fish headquarters building on Carefree Highway.

Another new opportunity for young hunters being offered in this year’s fall hunt regulation package is that all the fall javelina hunts are juniors-only. In addition, those youth javelina hunts coincide with juniors-only antlered deer hunts in the respective units.

This is the first year the Game and Fish Commission is implementing the new hunt guidelines it adopted last August. Those hunt guidelines will be in place for two years and constitute evolutionary steps to improve the Arizona hunt scene. These guidelines reflect an over-arching desire to increase the hunting prospects for everyone while also standardizing hunts where feasible.

“The department’s overriding goal is to ensure wildlife populations and hunting are sustainable way into the future,” said Game Chief Leonard Ordway. “Another major thrust is to standardize and simplify the regulations – we still have a ways to go, it’s an evolving process.”

As usual at its April meeting, the commission approved the various commission orders setting hunting seasons for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, buffalo, bear and mountain lions, and established season dates, bag and possession limits, permit numbers and open areas for the remaining 2008-09 seasons not previously addressed (elk and antelope have already been drawn).

The commission also set the various small game hunts for a two-year period. There is also a longer tree squirrel season – it was increased five weeks – and it now closes on Dec. 31.  In the past, the squirrel season has traditionally closed at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday. This new season gives everyone, especially youth, an opportunity to hunt squirrels during the holidays, especially the winter school break time.

Yet another regulation improvement is the Gambel’s and scaled quail season opener will now be the first Friday in October each year. Mearns’ remains unchanged, with a season opener of Nov. 28 this year. “We are expecting good Gambel’s quail reproduction this year, which should improve hunting prospects for this fall. The weekend opener gives everyone a chance to go after birds,” Ordway said.

These newly-adopted fall regulations are expected to be posted online on April 30 at www.azgfd.gov. The printed regulation booklets should be available at license dealers around the third week of May.

The deadline to apply for the remaining permitted hunts (elk and antelope were already drawn) is June 10 (the second Tuesday in June) at 7 p.m. MST – postmarks do not count. Also keep in mind that there is no online application process available right now – it is a manual paper-permit process.

Be sure to write down this date – May 29 – which is the end of the application grace period. During the grace period, if you apply for one of the remaining fall hunts and make a mistake on the application, we will attempt to call you three times in a 24-hour period and allow you the opportunity to correct the mistake. After that date, mistakes can cause your application to be rejected.

Those who are interested in the hunt guidelines or the packet the commission considered can view them online. Please keep in mind that the commission did make some changes to the hunt recommendation packet as submitted, so you cannot use that proposed packet to apply. However, it will give you an excellent idea of what hunts are when, and what the level of permits will be.

For the fall turkey season, it is now relegated to shotgun shooting-shot-only and there are 6,100 permits, which is a 230-permit increase over 2007. Plus there are six units (Hunt Unit 1, 6A, 8, 10, 12A, 23, and 27) with juniors-only seasons where over-the-counter nonpermit tags are being offered – for the first time ever.

Another plus for young hunters is the fall javelina seasons which are now exclusively for juniors only. The commission also approved a youth-only 600-permit antlerless deer season for Unit 12AW in response to continued high-fawn production on the Kaibab Plateau.

A significant change this year is the permitting of specific archery hunts based on a harvest apportioning formula. In units where archery season structure was down to a single early season and harvest exceeded 20 percent of the overall harvest, the commission established the first-ever archery draw permits.

“This step was taken to create fairness based on demand,” said Ordway. “It was not done to reduce hunting opportunity for archery hunters, but rather to regulate it like other methods of take in these units.”

This new apportioning formula as established will help alleviate a growing trend – unrestricted hunting seasons impinging upon hunt opportunity for others, especially generally firearm hunters, who might or might not get to hunt each year depending on their luck in the draw. Good examples are the much sought after premier deer hunts north of the Colorado River.

Ordway explained that archery hunters still have a guaranteed opportunity to go deer hunting each and every year if they so desire, and they get to pretty much choose where in the state they go with only few restrictions.

 “In reality, we are leveling the playing field some, but archers continue to enjoy the most unrestricted ability to hunt deer of any of the methods of take.  We do not want to eliminate the ability for general hunters who are unsuccessful in the draw to then go out and archery hunt, as this a vital hunter retention tool,” Ordway said.

However, he said, archers also gained a hunting prospect they haven’t had in the past – a permitted archery hunt was created in the very popular Hunt Unit 13B, which has not had an archery season in past years. In addition, the season length for some archery hunts in specific units was also increased.


Tri-State Safety Fair brings multitude of agencies together, focuses on boating safety

A consortium of state, local and federal boating agencies is hosting the fifth annual Tri-State Boating Safety Fair at Lake Havasu State Park to educate boaters about boating safety May 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The theme of this year’s safety fair will encourage boaters to take a boating education class, focus on the effects of operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol, and convey the importance of wearing life jackets.

A team of safety professionals from Arizona, California and Nevada will come together to conduct boating safety demonstrations on the river and encourage everyone to wear life jackets. 

“We want to reach as many people from both sides of the river as possible before this year’s boating season, reminding them of how important it is to exercise safe and responsible behavior when on the water” said Kevin Bergersen, Arizona’s boating law administrator.

Visitors at the event and along the river will receive a “boating safety bag” full of small gifts and educational materials about boating laws in the three states through which the Colorado River runs.

“Boating officials and law enforcement officers from each state will hand out boating safety bags and answer questions at 27 different boat launch ramps along the Colorado River,” said Bergersen.

Raynor Tsuneyoshi, California’s boating law administrator agrees, saying, “Outreach is the key to getting these important safety messages conveyed to the public, since mandatory education is not a prerequisite for owning a boat.”

Navigation rules, boating laws, the consequences of carbon monoxide poisoning and operating under the influence of alcohol are just some of the topics that a boat owner should know.

“Encouraging boaters to take a boating education class and our interaction with them is a positive method for conveying information that could save someone’s life,” said Tsuneyoshi.

The Tri-State Boating Safety Fair will include public safety information booths, a demonstration of a water rescue, free vessel safety checks, and a drawing conducted by California’s boating safety campaign for a chance to win a personal watercraft and a seven-day house boating trip. Safety Fair participants can register to be in the drawing by taking the Tri-State Boating Safety Quiz at the event. Winners will be notified at the end of the summer boating season.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and state boating safety agencies will be conducting free vessel safety checks to ensure that a boater has all legal requirements and safety gear aboard the boat.

In addition, corporate sponsors, such as Kawasaki, will be giving families a chance to bring in one outgrown or unsafe life jacket to trade in for a brand new one from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., while supplies last. Newer self-inflatable flotation devices are more comfortable, affordable and durable than ever. New styles will be on display.

Several different states, and local and boating safety organizations, will host events and demonstrations throughout the day. The California boating safety team will demonstrate "hooked goggles" that simulate the debilitating effects of alcohol, and water rescue demonstrations will be performed with the cooperation of various law enforcement agencies, utilizing devices that detect and measure carbon monoxide poisoning.
 
Boating officials will also take time to educate boaters on the recent discovery of quagga mussels at lakes Mead, Mohave and Havasu, reminding them to clean their boats and trailers thoroughly to prevent the spread of the destructive species on the Colorado River system.

“Quagga mussels are a nasty invasive species that should be taken seriously because they do tremendous damage to boats, infrastructure and ecosystems,” said Fred Messmann, Nevada’s boating law administrator. He said experts will be on hand to demonstrate cleaning techniques, explain the issue and provide clarification to boaters with questions.

Day-use entry fee at the park will be waived, however, the boat launching fee of $9 will still be charged. The public is encouraged to stay the entire day to picnic, swim, fish and watch the events. For more information about the boating safety fair, call Lake Havasu State Park at (928) 855-9394 or go to www.BoatColoradoRiver.com.

Arizona’s bald eagle management wins national conservation award

The Department of the Interior recognized the Southwest Bald Eagle Management Committee (SWBEMC) this week for its implementation of the Arizona bald eagle nestwatch program. Secretary Dirk Kempthorne presented the Cooperative Conservation Award to members of the SWBEMC at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The SWBEMC is a broad coalition of 23 government agencies, private organizations and Native American tribes that oversees a comprehensive management plan to help ensure the continued success of the bald eagle population in Arizona. The plan includes regular monitoring and survey flights; banding and visual identification; contaminants analysis; cooperative partnerships with the other committee partners; and the nestwatch program to protect breeding activities.

“This is a fitting start to a week of Earth Day activities,” said Secretary Dirk Kempthorne during the recognition event. “If anyone were to ask me why America is the world leader in conservation of natural resources, I would simply point to the people in this auditorium. Groups like the Southwest Bald Eagle Management Committee are the spirit and the hands of cooperative conservation.”

The Department of the Interior’s Cooperative Conservation Award recognizes conservation achievements resulting from the collaboration of individual landowners, citizen groups, private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and federal, state, local, and/or tribal governments.

Executed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the nestwatch program monitors bald eagle breeding areas in Arizona to minimize pressure from human recreational activities to protect the birds’ reproduction efforts. The program began as a weekend volunteer effort to help ensure the continued success of bald eagle breeding, and it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Nestwatchers typically begin their four-month tour of duty in early February. In 2008, they are monitoring 11 breeding areas, most along the Salt and Verde rivers in national forests, on Native American lands, and in Maricopa County parks. The contractors observe from dawn to dusk, collect data about the eagles’ behavior, educate the public, and notify rescuers of any life-threatening situations for the birds. The program has been credited with saving the lives of over 50 eagle nestlings, which is equal to 10 percent of all the eagles that have lived to fly on their own in Arizona since the program started.

“Arizona Game and Fish is proud to be a member of the Southwest Bald Eagle Management Committee,” said Eric Gardner, nongame branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “The committee has made significant strides towards bald eagle conservation through the dedication and commitment of all of the partner organizations.”

Recent surveys and monitoring show at least 39 pairs of bald eagles have laid eggs for the year and 47 nestlings have hatched. Biologists expect as many as 48 pairs of bald eagles to breed in Arizona this year.

Arizona crowns youth skeet champions

Young skeet shooters from across Arizona earned state titles – with many qualifying to represent Arizona at upcoming national championships – at the Scholastic Clay Target Program’s (SCTP) Commissioners’ Cup State Skeet Championships on April 12.

The competition was held at the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club and featured some of Arizona’s top young shooters in five divisions: varsity, junior varsity, intermediate advanced, intermediate entry and rookie.

Squads from the Ben Avery Clay Crushers (Phoenix area), Red Mountain Target Terminators (East Valley), Huachuca Hot Shots (Sierra Vista) and the Tucson SCTP Shooting Stars (Tucson area) finished in the top three in the various divisions.

For a complete list of results, visit www.azgfd.gov/sctp and click on the link for the Commissioners’ Cup skeet results.

SCTP, for youths in grades 12 and under, is a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation managed in partnership with the national governing bodies for shooting sports: USA Shooting, Amateur Trapshooting Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association. In Arizona, the program is administered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

With remarkable growth over the past eight years, the program is considered “the Little League of shooting sports.” Some 8,000 to 9,000 students from more than 45 states are expected to compete this year. Arizona teams participating in the state title shoot qualified for the SCTP National Championships July 31-Aug. 5 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill.

The best of these young shooters could be selected to attend an Olympic development camp in Colorado Springs, and some will go on to compete at the collegiate level. For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov/sctp or www.nssf.org/sctp.

Kaibab National Forest seeks comment on proposed travel management plan

The Kaibab National Forest is seeking comment on its proposal for managing off-highway vehicles and other motor vehicles on the Williams Ranger District in northern Arizona.

The Proposed Action document and accompanying maps are posted on the Kaibab National Forest Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/travelmanagement. The Proposed Action focuses on changes to the existing motorized transportation system on the district.

Comments should be submitted by May 9. Written or oral comments may be submitted to: TMR, Williams Ranger District, 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046; telephone (928) 635-5614; FAX (928) 635-5680. Hand-delivered comments may be submitted to the Williams Ranger District office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, excluding holidays. Comments may also be submitted electronically on the Kaibab National Forest Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/travelmanagement.

Snow conditions, access have improved for spring turkey hunters

Forest road conditions have improved in many high country areas over the past couple of weeks, but spring turkey hunters and other outdoor recreationists may still find impassible snowpack or muddy conditions on some side roads at higher elevations.

The main forest roads are open in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, but some of the side roads above 9,000 feet may still have snow, particularly on the shady sides of hills. Be advised that Forest Road 587 near Stray Horse Campground off Highway 191 (about 35 miles south of Alpine) was closed this week due to the Eagle Wildfire. Some trails in that area may be closed as well.  

On the North Kaibab, forest roads are generally open in pinyon-juniper terrain, but some will still have some impassable snow in ponderosa pine country, particularly above 8,500 feet. Highway 67 from Jacob Lake to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed until May 15.

In the Coconino, most forest roads south of Flagstaff through the Lake Mary and Mormon Lake corridor are open, but there are a couple of closures due to snowy, wet or muddy conditions.

Please exercise safe, responsible practices when out in the field under these conditions. Drive carefully and observe closures and locked gates—driving on wet, muddy roads or detouring off-road to avoid mud puddles creates costly and sometimes irreversible damage to the natural resources. Camp in dry areas and make sure all campfires are completely out when you leave.

Because of the potential for getting stuck, leave a detailed itinerary with a family member or friend, including specific hunting and camping sites and an arrival time back home. Cell phone coverage can be spotty in remote areas

Check for the current closures before heading out. Contacts for the latest updates on road closures and conditions are:

Arizona Department of Transportation, 5-1-1 or (602) 712-7355
www.az511.com/hcrsweb/hcrsweb.jsp?eventFilter=all&timeFilter=beyond&menuName=az

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, (928) 333-4301
www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf/contact/

Coconino National Forest, (928) 527-3600
www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/conditions/index.shtml#districts

Kaibab National Forest, (928) 635-8200
www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/contact/

Patti Ho Memorial Estate Auction to benefit wildlife

The Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF), in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will host an estate auction to sell items that were willed to the organizations upon the death of Patti Ho, a life-long supporter of wildlife in Arizona.

The event is set for this Saturday, April 26, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility Activity Center, 4044 W. Black Canyon Blvd., Phoenix. The auction preview and Dutch-oven meal provided by Cowgirls Forever will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The estate and tag auction will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The auction items include: guns, trophy mounts and hides, a full-size truck and horse trailer, Western memorabilia, and much more. Two very unique items for auction include one javelina and one bear special season big-game tag.

A limited number of tickets are available for this very special auction at $10 per adult, $6 per child. Your ticket includes dinner, a bidding number, and live entertainment from cowboy poets and western singers. A portion of the proceeds will go to both the AWF and the department. The department potion will help support habitat and general programs.

To get to the Ben Avery Shooting Facility, take I-17 to the Carefree Highway exit (Exit 223) and go west 1/4 mile on Carefree Highway to the Ben Avery entrance. Follow the road into the range area until you reach the Activity Center.

To download a registration form, visit www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/auction.pdf or www.azwildlife.org/SPECIAL_FUNDRAISING_EVENT.pdf.

For more information about the Patti Ho Memorial Estate Auction, contact the Arizona Wildlife Federation at (480) 644-0077 or e-mail awf@azwildlife.org.

Final round of U.S. Olympic archery trials to be held at Ben Avery

The nation’s finest archers will take center stage when the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona State Archery Association host the third (and final) selection round for the U.S. Olympic Archery Team on May 1-4 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.

Eight male and eight female archers will vie for the three remaining men’s spots and two women’s spots on the U.S. team that will compete at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China this summer. The competitors will register and practice on May 1. The 70-meter ranking rounds will be held on May 2, single-elimination match play on May 3, and round-robin competition on May 4. Scores will be tabulated and team selection announced on May 4.

Previous selection rounds were held in September 2007 in Conyers, Ga., and last month in Chula Vista, Calif. The combined ranking points from all three events will determine the final standings for the U.S. Olympic Team.

The public is invited to visit the Ben Avery Shooting Facility FITA range to watch this amazing event. Spectators are advised to bring their optics and to check-in at the information booth for an event program. Souvenir team photos will be available for children. 

The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is located at the northwest corner of I-17 and Carefree Highway. To get to the FITA archery range, take I-17 to the Carefree Highway exit (Exit 223) and go 1.5 miles west on Carefree Highway to the stoplight at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s headquarters building. Turn right and follow the signs to the archery event.

Information on the event will be updated daily at: http://www.azgfd.gov/i_e/archery/OlympicArcheryTrials.shtml

For event information, please contact Denise Raum, Statewide Archery and Bow Hunting Coordinator, at draum@azgfd.gov or (623) 236-7567.

Win a special hunt, help wildlife by entering the Big Game Super Raffle

Give yourself a chance at a special hunt in Arizona.

The Arizona Big Game Super Raffle, launched in 2006, is used to raise funds for direct wildlife habitat work in Arizona. Every dollar raised through ticket sales of each species will go directly toward that species.

Raffle tickets range in price from $5 to $25, depending on the species (antelope, black bear, buffalo, Coues whitetail deer, desert bighorn sheep, elk, turkey, javelina and mule deer). The season dates for each hunt will be 365 days starting August 15, with very few limitations on hunting areas.

The Super Raffle also includes a chance at one incredible Swarovski optics package.

Purchase an “All Ten” raffle ticket package for $150 for a chance at all nine species plus the optics package. 

Visit www.arizonabiggamesuperraffle.com for more information and to download an order form. Ticket purchases can be made with check, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Mail orders must be received at the Big Game Super Raffle mailing address (P.O. Box 61713, Phoenix, AZ 85082) by June 27, 2008. Online sales will end July 13. The public drawing will take place July 19; exact time and place to be announced. 

Sponsors of the Arizona Big Game Super Raffle are the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, Arizona Antelope Foundation, Arizona Bowhunters Association, Arizona Chapter of Safari Club International, Arizona Deer Association, Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Arizona Elk Society, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, Mule Deer Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Arizona Chapters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Do you appreciate great wildlife photography?

If you enjoy wildlife photography, you must be familiar with the work of George Andrejko, our staff photographer at Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. The Western Publications Association recently selected Andrejko’s image of a regal horned lizard as a finalist in its magazine photo competition, placing it among the top five images published in a magazine in the Western states in 2007.

You can see Andrejko’s work and that of other top wildlife photographers in every issue of Arizona Wildlife Views. Subscribe for just $8.50 a year:

* Online: www.azgfd.gov/magazine
* By phone: (800) 777-0015

Articles in the May-June issue include:

    * Cross-border collaboration conserves wetlands for wildlife
    * Top ten causes of boating accidents
    * Ways to get your parents to take you fishing
    * Inside the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival
    * And much more!

The official magazine of the Arizona Game and Fish Department is published six times a year. Each 40-page issue offers stories about Arizona wildlife and outdoor recreation, illustrated with gorgeous full-color photography. Subscribe today!

Learn how to navigate the big game draw at Tucson seminar

Has it been years since you’ve been successful in Arizona’s big game draw? Have you not been drawn and not known why? Do you think the verbiage that explains the draw is written in esoteric code?

If so, come learn all about the draw at a free seminar on May 23 from 7-9 p.m. at the Tucson Sportsman’s Warehouse, 3945 W. Costco Drive. Experts from the Arizona Game and Fish Department will explain the workings of the draw and how you can maximize your chances of getting drawn. We won’t guarantee you’ll be drawn next time around, but you’ll have a better understanding of how to navigate the process.

For more information, contact Aninna Thornburg at athornburg@azgfd.gov or (520) 388-4445.

Congressional candidates to discuss natural resource issues at forum in Camp Verde

The public is invited to attend a forum to discuss the future of Arizona’s natural resources featuring candidates for Congressional District 1 on Sunday, June 8 in Camp Verde.

Sponsored by the Arizona Wildlife Federation, the forum will focus on what should be done to protect land, air, and water resources. Questions will be asked of candidates in order to draw critical attention to these issues and to help voters learn more about the candidates.

Candidates who have confirmed participation include Jeffrey Brown, Sydney Hay, Ann Kirkpatrick, Preston Korn, Brent Maupin, Jeff Riley, Howard Shanker and Mary Kim Titla.

The forum will be at the Camp Verde School District Multi-Use Complex, Camp Lincoln Road (Highway 17; 1.5 m. east from Exit 289) on Sunday, June 8 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Co-sponsors of the event include Arizona Conservation Partnership, Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited, Arizona Wilderness Coalition, Grand Canyon Trust, League of Conservation Voters, Verde Natural Resource Conservation District and Sedona-Verde Valley League of Women Voters (moderators).

For more information, please contact Trish Rensink (forum organizer) at trish@bellewethergroup.com or (928) 853-8206.