Make sure enough life jackets are on board the boat for everyone. The jackets need to be U.S. Coast Guard-approved, the correct size for the user, and in good working order.

Know the “rules of the road.” The correct direction of travel on Arizona lakes is counterclockwise (shoreline would be off your right shoulder).

Assure that your boat’s motor or propulsion system is in correct working order.

Alcohol limits (OUI Laws) for boat operators are the same as those for motor vehicle drivers. You could be arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol if you exceed those limits. Remember, “Buzzed” is considered drunk driving.

Don’t crowd other boaters, remember to maintain a safe distance when passing others.

Know the passenger and weight limits for your boat. Overloading could lead to your boat sinking or capsizing.

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher onboard and that it works if needed.

Don’t forget to put drain plugs back in. Sinking boats aren’t very fun.

Before you leave, check out www.azgfd.gov/boating to find all the boating regulations you need to know.

“The week of May 22 - 31, is National Safe Boating Week, but boating safety is really important every day,” said Ed Huntsman, boating safety education coordinator. “Wearing a life jacket could save more than 400 lives a year in Arizona.”

“Statistics show knowledgeable boaters are safer boaters so the Arizona Game and Fish Department recommends taking a boating education class," said Huntsman, “Do yourself, your friends, and your family a favor and remember to boat safe, boat smart, and boat sober.”

To learn more about boating education call: (623) 236-7235 or go online to www.azgfd.gov/boat-ed.

Remember: Don’t Move a Mussel is now the law in Arizona

With the prime boating season hitting full sail, Arizona Game and Fish Department officials are reminding everyone that “Don’t Move a Mussel” is now the law for boaters at waters infested with invasive quagga mussels.

Regulations implemented this year require day-use boaters to follow four simple steps. Before leaving the vicinity of a water officially listed as having quagga and/or zebra mussels:

1. Remove any clinging material such as plants, animals and mud from the anchor, boat, motor and trailer (CLEAN).

2. Remove the plug (if applicable) and drain the water from the bilge, live-well, and any other compartments that could hold water. Drain water from the engine and engine cooling systems (DRAIN).

3. Ensure your watercraft, vehicle, equipment, or conveyance are allowed to dry completely (DRY).

4. Before launching your watercraft someplace else, wait five days – this waiting period is essential to kill residual larvae not eradicated by the above three steps. If you use a boat again in less than five days from the previous use, replace the bilge drain plug, and disinfect the bilge by pouring in not less than one gallon of vinegar; the vinegar can be drained from the bilge upon arrival at home (vinegar can be reused several times).

Waters in Arizona officially designated as having aquatic invasive quagga/zebra mussels include:

• Lake Pleasant
• Lake Mead
• Lake Mohave
• Lake Havasu
• Lower Colorado River below Havasu to the boundary with Mexico.

There are also regulations for long-term users (includes moored boats). These are boats that have been in the water for more than five days and are at the highest risk of harboring attached invasive mussels.

Watercraft, boats, vehicles, equipment or conveyances that have been moored for five days or longer in waters that are infested with quagga mussels will likely be heavily contaminated with larval and adult mussels. Watercraft moored longer than a few weeks or months in those waters will most certainly be contaminated with adult mussels.

There are mandatory decontamination procedures for the long-term moored boats that include:

1. Remove any clinging material such as plants, animals and mud from the anchor, boat, motor, equipment and trailer.

2. Remove the plug (if applicable) and drain the water from the bilge, live-well, and any other compartments that could hold water. Drain water from the engine and engine cooling systems.

3. Physically remove all visible attached mussels from boat surfaces, motors, impellers, outdrives, rudders, anchors and through-hull fittings.

4. Flush engine and cooling system and any other through-hull fittings with hot water that is exiting those areas at 140 F for 10 to 30 seconds.

5. Keep the boat out of water and ensure all areas of the boat are dry, including bilge, through-hull fittings and engine, for a minimum of eighteen (18) consecutive days during the months of November through April and seven (7) consecutive days from May through October.

Quagga mussels were first discovered in Lake Mead in January of 2007. A single adult quagga mussel can produce a half-million larvae in a single year. Since being introduced, likely accidentally on a boat at Lake Mead, these prolific invaders have spread rapidly. Boaters can help fight the spread of invasive mussels to other Arizona waters by following the steps above.

States throughout the West have been gearing up to combat the quagga and zebra mussels. Arizona boaters taking their boats to other states will want to first explore what those states are currently requiring – some even have mandatory boat inspections. A good starting point is the 100th Meridian organization at http://100thmeridian.org/Video/DMAM2008_WM.asp.

Improve your odds of drawing a hunting tag
2010 Hunt Arizona is perfect companion in shaping hunt choices

Do you want to find the hunts with the best chances of putting a tag in your pocket. Or, are you more interested in which hunts have the best harvest success? You can find that information and much more in the 2010 edition of Hunt Arizona.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s annual collection of survey, harvest and hunt data for big and small game has the latest 5-year data as well as historical data that you are bound to find of interest, some of it dating back to 1930s.

“From this one book, you have access to how many people apply, what kind of hunt success they have, and if permits are increasing, decreasing or static,” said Game Branch Chief, Brian Wakeling. “This is an incredible resource that can help a hunter, new or experienced, balance the odds for getting drawn with the odds for successfully harvesting wildlife.”

What does an incredible resource like this cost? Nothing, it is free and available for downloading at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

Beginning this year, the resource is no longer available in a printed book format due to the popularity of the online version. The online PDF format (192 pages, 9.5Mb) allows for conveniences not afforded by the printed format, including keyword searching, copy and paste for creating your own custom comparisons, and the ability to zoom the text to any size to aid in reading.

With the application deadline approaching, Hunt Arizona is out just in time for applying for the upcoming fall hunts.

Hunters interested in a permit-tag for fall deer, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo, fall turkey, juniors-only fall javelina, or pheasant (antelope and elk took place in February) should note that the deadline to apply is Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 7 p.m. MST.

The 2010-11 Arizona Hunting and Trapping Regulations and application forms are now available in department offices and license dealers statewide, and they can be downloaded at the department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

If you submit your application early (received by the department before May 27 at 5 p.m.) you can still take advantage of the correction period, where the department will attempt to call you three times in a 24-hour period to correct the mistake. After that date, mistakes can cause your application to be rejected.

Applications may be hand delivered to any of the seven department offices or sent by U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, PO Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052 before the deadline. Postmarks do not count. There is no online application process available.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds to operate. Wildlife conservation and management of the state’s game animals, which also benefits many non-game species, is made possible through a user-pay, user-benefit system. Funding from the direct sale of hunting and fishing licenses, big game tags, and matching funds from the Pittman-Robertson Act, a federal excise tax that sportsmen pay on guns, ammunition and related equipment, remain the backbone of wildlife conservation in North America.

Navajo County adopts ordinance to remove attractants for dangerous wildlife

In the interests of public safety and minimizing contact between humans and potentially dangerous wildlife species, Arizona Game and Fish Department officials recently worked with Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon to draft an ordinance aimed at protecting both wildlife and humans.

The ordinance makes it unlawful for anyone to fail to secure food or other attractants likely to lure bears, coyotes or javelina into close proximity with people after being notified by any peace officer or county official that remedial action needs to be taken.

At its May 11 meeting, the Navajo County Board of Supervisors enacted the new law – Ordinance No. 04-10. Gila County has a similar ordinance, and Arizona Revised Statutes 13-2927 prohibits unlawful feeding of wildlife in Maricopa and Pima Counties.

“The department has worked diligently for years to educate White Mountain and Mogollon Rim country residents and visitors on the potential consequences resulting from careless placement or storage of trash, food and other items that tend to attract wildlife,” says Bruce Sitko, spokesman in the department’s Pinetop regional office. “However, despite repeated contacts and warnings, some people continue to make some type of food source, whether intentionally or unintentionally, available to dangerous wildlife, including bears.”

There is significant history across Arizona and the nation where this practice has turned dangerous. Some situations have led to attacks on people, and even deaths of adults and children.

Urban wildlife is with us daily. Human-wildlife interactions routinely occur due to an expanding human population and increased encroachment into wildlife habitats, especially urban fringe areas.

“Keep in mind that the root of most human-wildlife conflicts is food,” says Sitko. “In my years of working on these types of situations, the question isn’t about if another feeding-related injury or death will occur, but when. Right now, this ordinance gives department officers additional leverage to reduce human-wildlife interactions and conflicts.”

For more information or questions on reducing wildlife conflicts at your home or property, contact the Pinetop regional office at (928) 367-4281, or log onto the department website at www.azgfd.gov and click on the “Living with Urban Wildlife” subpage.

Remind your parents:
Arizona has double free fishing days – June 5 and 12

Hey kids, be sure to remind your parents that Arizona has double free fishing days on June 5 and 12 this year. Adults can fish without a fishing license on those two days.

“Get them in the habit now and maybe they will go fishing with you the rest of the year. Remember, kids under age 14 fish free 365 days a year,” advised Rory Aikens, the weekly fishing report editor for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Want tips on where to go fishing? Just visit the Game and Fish Department’s weekly fishing report at www.azgfd.gov. You can even submit your own fishing report and pictures.

“Get your parents away from in front of those video games and HD TV sets and give them a taste of some fun outdoor adventures. Send me a picture of them fishing at raikens@azgfd.gov and I’ll put it in the fishing report,” Aikens said.
 
Be sure to remind your parents that the Game and Fish Department also offers lots of fishing clinics, and those signed up for a clinic do not need a fishing license to participate. Check out the clinics at www.azgfd.gov.

“The near-record snow pack and runoff means this is a great year to fish in our large desert lakes and our beautiful high mountain lakes,” Aikens said.

Here are some super-fun fishin’ holes to take your parents:

• Woods Canyon Lake and Willow Springs Lake on the Mogollon Rim have been providing terrific trout fishing this spring. You can even rent a boat for your parents at the Woods Canyon store.
• Big Lake in the White Mountains is providing superb fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and brook trout. You might even catch a native Apache trout. The Big Lake store also has boat rentals.
• The Papago Ponds provide superb fishing for bass, bluegill and catfish. They are right next door to the Phoenix Zoo, so you can treat your parents to all kinds of wild animals afterward.
• The streams just below the Mogollon Rim, including Christopher, Tonto, and Haigler, all offer some fun fishing adventures. Show your parents how to dig up some worms in the backyard to catch feisty rainbows.
• Saguaro and Canyon lakes both have fishing piers where you can use some night crawlers or meal worms to catch everything from bass and catfish to sunfish and carp. It’s so easy even a parent can do it. You might even get a bucket of live wiggling minnows for your parents to use.
• Casino Row along the Colorado River is a great place to catch some rainbow trout or striped bass, then maybe treat your parents to a room in one of the towering hotels at the water’s edge where there are all-you-can-eat buffets and terrific stage shows. It’s okay to spoil your parents once in awhile.
• Dad will especially like Tempe Town Lake, which is an inflatable engineering marvel in the Salt River where your family can fish for bass, catfish and sunfish. You can even treat your parents to some shopping and maybe eat at one of the restaurants close by. Be sure to have your parents take along their bicycles – there are miles of trails to ride.

Don’t let your parents off the hook – take them fishing for free on June 5 and 12.

Fish stocking procedures altered at Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside lakes
More fish will be stocked earlier in the fishing season

In an effort to improve angler satisfaction and fish catch rates, Arizona Game and Fish Department fisheries biologists are taking a different approach this year to stocking trout and channel catfish in Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside area lakes from April through June. The affected waters include Fool Hollow, Show Low, Scott, Rainbow and Woodland Lakes.

“Basically, there will be more fish stocked earlier in the fishing season,” says Kelly Meyer, fisheries specialist in the department’s Pinetop regional office. “Through our creel surveys, we have found that trout stocked in July or later in the summer are not caught.  Each of these lakes will still receive the same amount of trout as in the past; they just will all be stocked earlier.”

Another change occurring is 3,000 larger-sized trout, in the 11- to 15-inch range, will be stocked in Fool Hollow Lake and another 3,000 in Rainbow Lake.

“These two lakes contain northern pike, put there illegally, that eat the smaller-sized trout stockers,” explains Meyer. “Our past surveys have found that for every 3 trout planted in Rainbow Lake, pike eat 2, while anglers may catch 1. By stocking with larger fish, we expect to have better trout survival for improved angler success and satisfaction.”

The final stocking modification the department made is to place channel catfish averaging 2 pounds in some of these lakes. On May 19, Woodland Lake received 600 catfish. Scott Reservoir received 1,000, and Fool Hollow Lake received 3,000 catfish.

“Biologists will be regularly talking to anglers at these lakes this year. We will be measuring angler catch rate and angler satisfaction to determine if these changes are making fishing better,” says Meyer.

“With our high moisture levels this winter, coupled with opportunities for more and larger fish, now is a great time to purchase your Arizona fishing license and trout stamp and sample the local waters,” notes Meyer. “And don’t forget to take a youngster with you to pass on our fishing heritage to the next generation.”

Learn about the outdoors at Mormon Lake festival

Outdoor enthusiasts of all ages will want to visit the free Spring Outdoor Festival at the Mormon Lake Lodge from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, May 22.

The lodge is located on Main Street at Mormon Lake, about 30 miles southeast of Flagstaff off Lake Mary Road.

Co-hosted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Mormon Lake Lodge, the event will be filled with fun activities, including archery, fishing and self-guided hikes, as well as hourly talks on topics such as Arizona trails, wildlife photography, Hopi wildlife and traditions, bighorn sheep in Arizona, and a fun topic from the Willowbend Environmental Center.

Visitors can stop by booths from a variety of exhibitors. There will be live wildlife from the Game and Fish Department’s Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center, information from the department’s off-highway vehicle program, and more.

“This event is for anyone interested in the outdoors, whether you hunt, fish, enjoy wildlife watching, or are interested in conservation,” says Shelly Shepherd, information and education program manager for the Game and Fish Flagstaff region. “You’ll have fun and come away with some great information.”

For more information about the festival, contact the Arizona Game and Fish office in Flagstaff at (928) 774-5045. For information about Mormon Lake Lodge, call (928) 354-2227.

Shooting range program aims to meet growing demand
Public shooting ranges provide safe shooting environment, positive impact on local economies, and major funding source for wildlife conservation

The demand for public shooting ranges in Arizona continues to increase at a pace to match recreational shooting demand and gun ownership, based on a March poll and recent report issued by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

The report identifies that in 2009, Arizona businesses related to the firearms and ammunition industry provided 5,234 jobs, up 25 percent from 2008; paid $51 million in state taxes, up 221 percent; and contributed more than $738 million into the state’s economy, up 59 percent.

A March 2010 NSSF/Harris poll further supports the need for shooting ranges, identifying that 2.5 million more Americans nationally are target shooting now than were six months earlier. Additionally, 43 percent polled (representing nearly 98 million people) had some interest in trying shooting sports or hunting.

“When the firearm industry and firearm ownership grows, so does the demand for a place to shoot, and that’s where we come in,” said Jay Cook, shooting ranges branch chief of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Our shooting range program is committed to assuring that the public has a safe, controlled, and convenient place to shoot their firearms.”

Public shooting ranges provide more than a safe place to shoot; many of them are destinations and economic contributors to local communities.

“Recreational shooting has a positive impact on local communities in our state. In addition to buying firearms and ammunition, shooters spend their hard-earned dollars at local businesses buying gas, food, refreshments, shooting supplies, lodging, dining and much more,” added Cook. “Recreational shooting is good for business in Arizona.”

Shooters fund wildlife and shooting programs

The report also points out the industry paid $450 million in federal excise taxes through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, compared to $327 million in 2008. These dollars collected through the purchases of certain equipment by sportsmen and women are appropriated back to state wildlife agencies for wildlife conservation, hunter education, and shooting programs.

In 2009, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s apportionment of these federal dollars was $11 million.

Cook continued, “As an agency that doesn’t receive any funding from the state’s general tax fund, but rather operates on a user-pay, user-benefit business model, our primary sources of revenue are from license and tag sales, some range fees, and these federal appropriations.”

In keeping with that entrepreneurial model, those revenues and others are used to continue to grow the department’s customer base by offering expanded programs and services – including shooting range development and outreach recruitment programs.

In addition to providing a place to shoot, the Arizona Game and Fish Department knows education is key and offers an extensive lineup of programs for beginning shooters as well as those looking to become more proficient, including:

• Hunter education and firearm safety training – For more than 50 years the department has been teaching how to be safe with firearms, hunting and the outdoors.
• Shooting range development – The Arizona Game and Fish Commission owns six shooting ranges and continues to identify areas that need a local range.
• Grants to local ranges – Grants are made available to not-for-profit, public ranges for improvements, expansions, and developments.
• Introductory shooting programs – Many shooting programs are available for air guns, archery, pistol, rifle and shotgun. There are programs for kids, women and families.
• Team-sport-based programs – Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Archery in the Schools (AIS) are both national programs that have a strong presence in Arizona.
• Shooting leagues and clinics – There are a number of shooting leagues to help shooters to hone their skills and move to the next level of competitive shooting.
• Olympic training – The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Ben Avery Shooting Facility has hosted the USA Archery Olympic Team Trials, and the facility’s Clay Target Center is a certified USA Shooting Regional Training Center for Olympic shotgun shooting.

For a listing of public shooting ranges in Arizona and shooting programs offered by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, visit www.azgfd.gov/shootingsports.

“However, as our state grows, and new developments encroach further into our public lands, it is paramount that we protect, preserve, and expand public shooting ranges and shooting programs for Arizona’s citizens who enjoy this recreational activity,” Cook concluded.

2 Arizona youth will compete in national fish art contest

Jacob Metz of Scottsdale and Colton Starley of Gilbert have won the Wildlife Forever 2010 State-Fish Art contest for Arizona and will now compete for national honors.

Metz won in the Grades 4­6 with a picture of an Apache trout and Starley won in the Grades 7­9 with a picture of a jumping bass.

 “Together, we are using art to empower a new generation of conservationists. By sharing their fish art with family, friends and the general public, our young people are becoming ambassadors for good stewardship of fish and wildlife habitat,” said Douglas H. Grann, president and CEO of Wildlife Forever

The winning entries from each state can be seen at: www.statefishart.com and also on Facebook.

Each state’s winners will have the opportunity to join talented young artists from across the country at the State­Fish Art Expo July 16 and 17 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas, which is about 75 miles southeast of Dallas.

All winning artwork will be on display and an awards ceremony will recognize the winners before a large crowd. Each winning artist who attends the expo will receive prizes, goodie bags, and fishing supplies from Rapala.

National awards to be announced at the State­Fish Art Expo include ‘Best of Show’ honors for the top three pieces of artwork in each grade category from across the United States.

The national “Best of Show” winner in Grades 10­12 will receive a $2,500 scholarship to The Art Institutes International Minnesota. The first runner­up in Grades 10­12 will also receive  a $1,000 scholarship to the college.

The People’s Choice Award will be determined by a world­wide public online vote at the State­Fish Art Contest fan page on Facebook. Online voting will begin on May 17 and conclude on July 5 with additional votes collected in person at the State­Fish Art Expo.

One outstanding piece of artwork will win the ‘Art of Conservation’ Stamp Award and be reproduced as a conservation stamp.

Proceeds from the stamp will be used to fund the State­Fish Art Contest and children’s outdoor education.

Capture wild Arizona in your digital camera
Your photo could end up in a wildlife calendar; entry deadline is July 9

Exploring Arizona over the Memorial Day weekend? If so, take along a digital camera to photograph the wildlife you see.

Your best images could win a coveted spot in the 2011 Arizona Wildlife Calendar that will be published by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

From the White Mountains to the banks of the Colorado River, Arizona boasts some of the nation’s best wildlife watching. You might see an elk standing ankle-deep in wildflowers, a herd of javelina hogging a mud hollow, or a red-winged blackbird greeting the first light of dawn with its burbling song.

This year, the contest is even easier to enter:

1. You are not required to submit 8x10 inch prints. Simply send us a CD or DVD with your three high-resolution entries.
2. Transparencies will not be accepted.

The deadline for submissions to this year's wildlife photo contest is July 9 at 5 p.m. MST (postmarks do not count). Download the contest rules and your entry form at www.azgfd.gov/photocontest.

Bighorn sheep take center stage at workshops
Free opportunity to learn about and view the animals

The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Region III office in Kingman will serve as host to the popular Desert Bighorn Sheep Workshops this summer.

There will be two separate, two-day workshops from July 30-31 and Aug. 6-7. The first night of the workshop is mandatory classroom education from 6-8 p.m. The second day provides the opportunity to view the bighorns in their native environment during a four-hour boat ride beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the Colorado River between Willow Beach and the Hoover Dam.

“That is the time of year the bighorns are coming to the river pretty regularly,” said Zen Mocarski, public information officer with the Kingman office. “The hotter it is, the better the opportunity to see the sheep along the river’s banks.”

These workshops are open to any member of the public 14-years-old and up. Nobody under 14 will be registered. Space, however, is limited to 40 people per session. Preference will be given to those who have not attended the workshop in at least two years. Applications should be limited to no more than four people.

Participants will be selected through a random draw process. Applications received on or before noon on June 18 are eligible for the initial draw. Following the draw, all applicants are contacted by mail, or e-mail. Applications received after the deadline, and individuals not drawn, are placed on the reserve list.

“Our goal is to reach as many people as possible, and that’s difficult with only 80 open spots over two weeks,” Mocarski said of giving preference to those who have not recently attended. “This is a great opportunity for people to learn about bighorn sheep, the department, and the conservation efforts of many different agencies in regards to bighorn sheep.”

The workshops include an optional tour of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery prior to the Colorado River field trip. The 45-minute tour will begin at 9 a.m. and will feature both sport fish and endangered native fish.

“Although the tour is not mandatory,” Mocarski said, “we’ve had many positive comments from those who made the trip. It offers people a chance to see the inner-workings of a hatchery.”

To reserve a spot, a $20 per person refundable deposit is required in the form of a check made out to the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation to help reduce the problem of no-shows. The money is refunded when a person either attends the workshop or calls to cancel at least 48 hours in advance. Wildlife for Tomorrow is a non-profit group that works closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Registration is by mail or in-person drop-off at the Kingman office only. Send the check to: Sheep Workshop, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ  86409. Include the names of participants, address, phone, e-mail (if available) and specify which weekend is preferred (you may submit ‘either’). Also, please include a note if you are interested in the tour of the fish hatchery.

Mocarski said e-mail addresses are kept private, and they will allow for quicker response time and cut down on department costs.

Cash donations, which are not mandatory to participate, will be accepted at the workshop to help offset increasing costs for boat rentals and fuel. Please do not send cash donations prior to the event.

Participants are encouraged to bring a camera, water, snacks, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. No tripods will be allowed on the boats, but small coolers are OK.

“It will be hot on the river,” Mocarski advised, “but that’s when bighorn come down for a drink. There is limited shade on the boats, but the temperatures will be in the triple digits.”

Anyone with questions about the workshop may contact Mocarski at (928) 692-7700, ext. 2301, or e-mail zmocarski@azgfd.gov.