- Arizona’s draw results announced for fall hunts
- Should the slot limit be removed from Roosevelt Lake?
- Game and Fish offices will be closed on July 23 state furlough day
- Up to $6,000 reward offered in Rocky Mountain bighorn ram poaching near Alpine
- Ken Clay of Winslow named Shikar-Safari Wildlife Officer of the Year for Arizona
- Hart Prairie Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Restoration Project gets nod of support
Arizona’s draw results announced for fall hunts
Tags still remain for deer, turkey, and javelina
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And if you didn’t get drawn or somehow missed applying, there are lots of leftover tags – especially for deer in southern Arizona.
The more than 104,000 applicants can find out if they were issued a permit-tag for deer, fall turkey, fall juniors-only javelina, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo, or pheasant by providing their sportsman’s ID and date of birth.
Game and Fish officials report that hunt permit-tags will be mailed out to successful applicants no later than Aug. 13 (archery deer tags will be mailed out earlier). Refunds for unsuccessful and rejected applicants will be mailed out to applicant “A” no later than Sept. 3 (less application fees).
For those individuals who missed the draw or were unsuccessful in getting a permit-tag, there are more than 5,500 leftover tags remaining. Remaining tags are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include more than 4,300 deer tags, more than 900 fall turkey tags, and more than 300 tags for the juniors-only fall javelina hunts.
There are two methods to obtain a leftover tag. Applications will be accepted by mail only beginning at 8 a.m. (MST) on Aug. 2. After Aug. 9 at 8 a.m. (MST), hunters can obtain a leftover tag in person by filling out an application at any of the seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices. A list of office locations is available at www.azgfd.gov/offices.
For a detailed listing of leftover permits, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw or call (623) 236-7702. For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Fort Huachuca. Call (520) 533-2549 for additional information.
Hunter clinics and seminars
Getting prepared and planning for an upcoming hunt is almost as fun as the hunt itself. It’s also the most important.
Many species-related conservation groups and hunting organizations in Arizona offer hunting clinics to help hunters have a successful hunt. Many of these clinics offer biology and ecology of the species; hunting tips and techniques; knowledgeable guest speakers, and other great information from experienced hunters. The popular hunting clinics that are approaching are:
- July 17: Desert Christian Archers Elk Hunting Seminar
- July 31: Arizona Elk Society Elk Hunting Clinic
- Aug. 15: Arizona Deer Association Hunting Clinic
- Sept. 25: Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Clinic
For more details on these clinics, upcoming hunting camps for first-time hunters, and events hosted for families and juniors-only hunts, visit www.azgfd.gov/hunting.
Should the slot limit be removed from Roosevelt Lake?
Is it time to remove the slot limit on bass from Roosevelt Lake?
Fisheries biologists with the Arizona Game and Fish Department are convinced that now is the time to remove the slot limit, for biological reasons, but the timing of instituting the proposal has been accelerated because of social considerations.
There is a request from the Town of Payson to remove the slot limit for the upcoming FLW national bass tournament on Roosevelt in September. Therefore, the Game and Fish Commission is considering the department’s proposal on Roosevelt at its August meeting rather than with all the other fishing regulations proposals, which are slated for its October meeting.
Fisheries Chief Kirk Young said the department is taking a common sense approach.
“We are proposing to remove the slot for biological reasons. But since we would be bringing the commission the slot-removal proposal in October anyway, it seemed a little inefficient to go through a whole public process to consider temporarily removing the slot just for one tournament in September. This might be unusual, but it’s certainly more customer friendly to do it this way while also avoiding setting a precedent many might be uncomfortable with.”
Young pointed out that the most confusing part of this split process might be the public input process.
“We are conducting public meetings this month and a statewide survey on all the proposed changes – including the Roosevelt slot. The commission will address the Roosevelt issue at its August 6-7 meeting in Phoenix at the department headquarters on Carefree Highway. The rest of the proposals will come before the commission at its Oct. 8-9 meeting in Phoenix. Hopefully, no one will get confused,” he said.
Young and other biologists said the time has come to give serious consideration to removing the Roosevelt 13-16-inch slot limit.
“In the past 20 years, the angling public has evolved. Now catch-and-release is the norm, not the exception,” said Chris Cantrell, the fisheries program manager for the central Arizona lakes. In addition, Roosevelt is experiencing phenomenal productivity in large part to the filling of the lake five years ago after the raising of the dam in the mid 1990s. “Biologically and socially, the timing is right for a change,” Cantrell said.
Currently, Game and Fish is seeking input from the angling public on this proposed regulation change, and others (see below), which are all slated to come before the Game and Fish Commission for possible consideration.
To view all the proposed changes, you can visit www.azgfd.gov/fishregscomments. You can also comment via e-mail at fishregscomments@azgfd.gov or attend any of the public meetings throughout the state. The public input provided will be ultimately shared with the Game and Fish Commission as it deliberates the various regulation proposals (only the Roosevelt slot is heard in August, the others will be heard in October).
Game and Fish is also conducting a random, scientific survey of anglers about all the proposed regulations changes – so you might be contacted.
Public meetings are set for 7-9 p.m. at the following locations:
- July 20, Yuma, Game and Fish Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th Street;
- July 21, Mesa, Game and Fish Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive;
- July 27, Flagstaff, Game and Fish Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road;
- Aug. 3, Safford, Graham County General Services Building, 921 W. Thatcher Blvd.
- Aug. 4, Tucson, Game and Fish Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road;
- Aug. 9, Pinetop, Game and Fish Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
For the Roosevelt Lake proposal, Cantrell explained that when the slot limit was first initiated in 1990, the catch rates were down to .12-bass per hour, which is normally considered poor fishing. At that time, a significant percentage of anglers strived to catch their limit, not limit their catch; at that time, 51 percent of anglers caught and kept their fish. The objective of the slot limit was to increase the catch rates on bass and also increase the average size of bass.
It has worked well.
Now through intensive sampling, biologists have determined that the bass population is healthy, reproduction is good, size classes are well balanced, and bass grow outs are superb. In addition, creel surveys show that less than 7 percent of anglers are actually harvesting bass at Roosevelt. That means 95 percent of the anglers are practicing catch-and-release.
“Socially, the angling public has changed. The current day angler is more conservation and recreation oriented, not consumption oriented. Most limit their catch rather than catching their limit. It’s a healthy trend for our fishery resources,” says Cantrell.
Both Cantrell and Young said that when there are low harvest rates, protective slot limits do little to affect fish population structures and become irrelevant.
“What this really means is that at Roosevelt, the slot limit is no longer accomplishing its original intent,” says Cantrell. “It is time to remove the slot limit here. Then we will continue to evaluate the fishery plus the angling public to ascertain what happens. If consumption rates go up and the quality of the fishery changes, we can make future adjustments if necessary.”
Other proposed fishing regulation changes include:
- Changing Becker Lake near Springerville to catch-and-release year around with artificial fly and lure only with a single barbless hook.
- Modifying the slot limit at Lees Ferry from 12-inch maximum to a 14-inch maximum to allow greater harvest of the smaller trout and hopefully avoid or limit population crashes when food resources are limited, for whatever reason. The proposal would also allow the unlimited harvest of sport-fish other than rainbow trout (such as brown trout).
- Reducing the daily bag and possession limit of catfish to four at Redondo Pond (aka Yuma Lakes) and reducing the trout limit to four as well.
- Changing the daily bag and possession limit on Pena Blanca Lake near Nogales to no harvest of largemouth bass until Dec. 31, 2012. The lake was completely drained this past year and is on the comeback trail.
- Closing all portions of Ash Creek along with Marijillda Creek and its tributaries (Mt. Graham) to fishing until a stable population of native Gila trout is established.
- Closing approximately 13 miles of Bonita Creek in Graham County to fishing as part of an effort to re-establish native fish populations in this remote creek that receives minimal angling pressure.
A full discussion of these proposed changes can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/fishregscomments.
Game and Fish offices will be closed on July 23 furlough day
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The department will conduct law enforcement activities that day and the Operation Game Thief program will be active. Those department wildlife areas that are normally staffed will be closed. Fish hatcheries will be staffed to ensure the health of hatchery fish but will not be open to the public. The Ben Avery Shooting Facility will be open during normal range hours.
The furlough days are part of the state’s budget-balancing efforts. State employees are required to take six unpaid furlough days over each of the next two fiscal years under a schedule set by the Arizona Department of Administration.
Other furlough days on which department offices will be closed in 2010 are Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Nov. 26, and Dec. 23.
Up to $6,000 reward offered in Rocky Mountain bighorn ram poaching near Alpine
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The wild sheep was illegally shot and killed in Game Management Unit 1 in eastern Arizona, adjacent to Forest Road 249.
“This mature ram was commonly seen, photographed and enjoyed by many visitors to the area,” says Tyler Richins, wildlife manager in Unit 1. “It was needlessly killed and left to waste with nothing removed from the carcass.”
“This isn’t the action of a hunter,” says Richins. “This is a criminal act of stealing wildlife assets and resources from the people of Arizona.”
This crime is further compounded by the fact that this ram was part of the Black River bighorn herd, which, although having a stable population, has not been increasing in number for the last several years.
“Removing this older age-class ram from the population may influence the department’s recommendations for future bighorn sheep hunting permits in this area. Bighorn sheep permits are highly sought after by sportsmen, who are a primary funding source for wildlife conservation,” notes Richins.
The department received more than 300 applications for the single permit that was authorized in this area last spring.
The department’s Operation Game Thief Program is offering a reward of up to $4,000 for information leading to the arrest of the subject or subjects who committed this crime. The Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society and Arizona Bowhunters Association are each offering an additional reward of up to $1,000 for a criminal conviction in this case.
To report information on this incident, or any wildlife law violation, call the department’s Operation Game Thief hotline toll-free at (800) 352-0700, or report online at www.azgfd.gov/thief. Caller identities may remain confidential upon request.
Ken Clay of Winslow named Shikar-Safari Wildlife Officer of the Year for Arizona
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Ken has old-school dedication. His enthusiasm is contagious. He makes those around him better. Those are just some of the reasons Ken is a top wildlife manager training officer.
Those who work with Ken Clay, the people he has helped and probably even those whom he has cited over the years will not find it surprising that he has been named the 2010 Shikar-Safari wildlife manager of the year.
Ken is both carrying on a family tradition, and maybe even starting a new one. His dad, Ken Clay II, is a retired Arizona Game and Fish wildlife manager. Ken has Game Management Unit 4A. So did his dad.
Ken followed in his dad’s footsteps in more ways than one. In 2005, he was named the department’s Game and Fish Wildlife Manager of the year, just like his dad before him.
But he is the first in the family to receive this latest prestigious award.
Ken has been with the Game and Fish Department for 15 years. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1994 with a B.S in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, and was hired by Game and Fish that same year.
His first assignment was the Lake Havasu District, where he quickly excelled as a watercraft officer and became an expert at detecting those operating watercraft while under the influence. Then in 2000, he transferred to Unit 4A stretching south of Winslow and encompassing Chevelon and Bear Canyon Lakes – this district receives some of the most intense outdoor recreation use in the state.
“Ken’s dedication and enthusiasm are high and his activity level is contagious to other officers. He makes those around him better,” said his field supervisor, Bob Birkeland.
Ken has developed a good informant base in the Winslow area and has made several high profile cases for the department.
In January 2009, Ken started the first winter archery deer hunt for Unit 4 and even initiated a special deer decoy operation for the archery hunt. It proved immensely successful. On the first day, an individual used his .223 rifle to shoot the deer decoy during the archery-only season. The operation also nabbed a “bad guy” with no hunting license or permit who saw the decoy, stopped his truck, and stalked the fake deer with pistol in hand.
Gotchya.
On another occasion, Ken organized a sector patrol at Bear Canyon Lake that resulted in five wildlife officers issuing 20 fishing violations. Be sure you have a valid fishing license and trout stamp when fishing any of Ken’s waters.
Ken is renowned for his night patrols using night vision goggles to nab poachers and other wildlife violators. But that’s not all. He is also very involved in improving his unit’s wildlife habitat.
Working with local ranches, Ken coordinated the High Point Well project, which entailed 40-plus miles of pipeline and 32 drinkers. “His persistence and coordination has led to 29,000 acres of grassland restorations totaling more than $1.5 million dollars,” Birkeland said.
That wasn’t too surprising – Ken had drafted the first district habitat management plan encompassing 482,000 acres that even detailed 30 years of precipitation data, vegetation mapping, land use identification, habitat condition and trends, wildlife occurrence, and potential land partnership opportunities.
He set the bar high for others to follow.
Ken knows his district and uses science to manage the wildlife there. His herbaceous monitoring data, especially on elk, are a key ingredient in setting hunt permit levels for the district. “Ken is a regional leader and expert in forage monitoring,” Birkeland said.
Ken also thought “outside the box” and proposed over-the-counter elk permits for parts of Unit 4A/B a few years ago.
“This was a bold step in a long process of managing elk in some Limited Elk Zones. This could not have happened had it not been for Ken’s vision to document processes over many years. It was almost an evolutionary approach where he proved that our traditional methods were not working and our landowners were not happy,” Birkeland said.
The over-the-counter permits resulted in more hunters having an opportunity to go afield, with a side benefit of also improving landowner relations – a farsighted win-win solution.
That’s not all.
Ken is a hunter education instructor and a Little League coach. He teaches classes annually on the Hopi Reservation. He is currently working on getting the Archery in the Schools program established in the Winslow Schools. And in his spare time, he helps horse-packing materials into remote sites for the Apache trout recovery – sites that are far removed from his district.
Each year, the Shikar-Safari Club International honors one wildlife officer from each of the 50 states for service over the previous year that demonstrated outstanding performance and achievement. The organization was founded in 1952 for the purpose of advancing knowledge about wildlife.
Hart Prairie Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Restoration Project gets nod of support
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Several organizations are expressing support for the Coconino National Forest’s proposed Hart Prairie Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Restoration Project.
In a July 8 letter to Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership, Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council stated that the project reflects the best available science for ecological restoration and reduction of hazardous fuels for the area, and that they are firmly committed to helping the Forest Service implement the project.
The Hart Prairie Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Restoration Project would apply thinning and prescribed fire treatments to approximately 4,000 acres of dense ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forest, with the goal of restoring these stands to a more diverse and fire-resilient condition. Aspen stands (approximately 3,000 acres) would receive a variety of treatments to remove encroaching conifers and stimulate aspen reproduction. Encroaching trees would also be removed from approximately 1,500 acres of meadow. Unique stands of Bebb willow would be enhanced by planting new willows and constructing fencing to reduce browsing by elk.
The organizations emphasize that the project is informed by, and builds from, existing restoration work on The Nature Conservancy’s Hart Prairie Preserve, and in this respect is a good example of adaptive management. The letter also applauds collaborative work of the Peaks Ranger District on the Coconino National Forest.
Concerns also were expressed about suggestions that trees larger than 16 inches in diameter should not be cut on the Hart Prairie project. Pre-settlement, old-growth “yellow pines” would be preserved across the project area; however, there are places where younger, large trees need to be removed to meet ecological restoration, fire risk-reduction, and wildlife habitat objectives.
“In order to accomplish effective, long-term restoration and protect critical adjacent resources, such as the Kachina Peaks Wilderness Area, we believe it is necessary to remove some young, but large trees. This will be the only way to achieve Desired Future Conditions, effective long-term restoration, and to reduce the risk of unnatural fire,” stated the letter.
While not part of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), treatments proposed for aspen groves, springs, meadows, and dense stands of young trees on the Hart Prairie project area are similar to those that would be applied through 4FRI. The 4FRI is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Forest Service and other natural resource agencies, communities, environmentalists, scientists, foresters, ranchers and private industry to accelerate the ecological restoration of 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab and Tonto national forests.
“Hart Prairie is an ideal place to demonstrate how diverse groups can work together to build trust, restore forest ecosystems, reduce wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, and produce benefits to the local economy,” says Paul Summerfelt, board president of the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”