- Game and Fish offices will be closed on state furlough days
- Boating safety tips for the busy Fourth of July weekend
- Arizona Game and Fish Commission meeting highlights
- Last chance to enter wildlife calendar photo contest
- Comments sought on reptile, raptor, amphibian and mollusk regulations
- Learn more about one of Phoenix’s resident bat colonies at free viewing event
- Grants available to hunting-focused nonprofit organizations
- Game and Fish officers assist with Flagstaff wildfires
- Big trout being stocked for fishing excitement over holiday weekend
- Arizona Wildlife Views Magazine and TV celebrate recent awards
- Winslow area fence project seeks volunteers
- Information needed in antelope poaching
- Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame to induct four new members
Game and Fish offices will be closed on state furlough days
First furlough day this year is Friday, July 23
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Accordingly, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Phoenix headquarters and regional offices in Pinetop, Flagstaff, Kingman, Yuma, Tucson and Mesa will be closed on the following days over the next year:
- Friday, July 23, 2010
- Friday, Aug. 20, 2010
- Friday, Sept. 17, 2010
- Friday, Nov. 26, 2010
- Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010
- Friday, June 10, 2011
These particular days were chosen based on the state’s analysis of walk-in and telephone customer traffic so as to minimize customer inconvenience and disruption of services while maximizing utility savings.
The department will be conducting law enforcement activities on those days and the Operation Game Thief program (1-800-352-0700) 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 on those days.
Boating safety tips for the busy Fourth of July weekend
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Among the things boaters should do before hitting the water are:
- Make sure enough life jackets are on board the boat for everyone, that they are the right size, U.S. Coast Guard-approved, and in good working order free from deterioration.
- Designate a sober captain. Keep in mind that the ‘Boating under the Influence’ Blood Alcohol Content is .08, which is the same limit as driving a car under the influence of alcohol; penalties include steep fines and jail time.
- Avoid overloading your boat by knowing the passenger and weight limits for your specific vessel.
- Know the “rules of the road.” The correct direction of travel on Arizona lakes is counterclockwise (shoreline off your right shoulder).
- Don’t crowd other boaters, and remember to maintain a safe distance when passing others. After all, boats do not have brakes.
- Check that your boat’s motor and propulsion system are working right.
- Make sure your fire extinguishers work.
Arizona’s boating regulations can be viewed or downloaded at www.azgfd.gov/boating.
Whether you just bought a boat, or have been boating for years, a boating safety class can prepare you for unpredictable or unexpected circumstances when you are on the water. It could save someone’s life, including yours. Take a boating safety class near you or online at www.azgfd.gov/boat-ed.
Arizona Game and Fish Commission meeting highlights
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission met on June 25 and 26 at the Game and Fish headquarters in Phoenix. The Commission took action on the following agenda items:
- Approved entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with county, state, tribal and federal agencies with regard to Mexican wolf reintroduction in Arizona and New Mexico.
- Approved budget fund requests for FY 2012 and 2013.
- Heard and processed nine revocation / wildlife law violation cases.
- Approved consent agenda items including: an MOU with BHP Copper for research; an MOU with New Mexico State University for research; a renewal of a road closure on State Trust Land approximately five miles north of Chino Valley; an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the City of Phoenix for portions of the Tres Rios project on Commission-owned or managed property; renewal of an IGA with all the cities involved in the Urban Fishing Program; approval of a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service on Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; approval of a Memorandum of Agreement with Settlement Trustees to expend funds on the San Pedro River properties.
- Approved applications for special big game hunt license tags and tag seasons for antelope, bighorn sheep, black bear, buffalo, elk, javelina, mountain lion, mule deer, white-tailed deer and turkey for 2011-2012.
- Approved an amendment to Commission Order 26 to add more juniors-only javelina tags and approved proposed Commission Orders 19, 20 and 24 for 2010-2011 hunting seasons for dove, band-tailed pigeon and sandhill crane.
- Approved statewide shooting range grant requests in the amount of $93,425 for FY 2011.
- Approved schedule for all 2011 Game and Fish Commission meetings to be held at the Phoenix headquarters office at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix.
The Game and Fish Commission consists of five members (serving staggered five-year terms) appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. No more than one commissioner may be from any one county. No more than three may be from the same political party.
The commission is the policy-setting board overseeing the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Since its inception in 1929, this organizational structure has served as a buffer for the best interests of science-driven wildlife conservation during eight decades of back-and-forth political change.
The next Arizona Game and Fish Commission meeting is August 6 and 7 at the Game and Fish Department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix. An agenda will be posted in advance of the meeting at www.azgfd.gov/commission.
Last chance to enter wildlife calendar photo contest!
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But snap those images and send them in soon: The deadline is July 9 at 5 p.m. MST, and postmarks don’t count. A top prize of $400 will be awarded to the photographer whose work is selected as “best in show.” Twelve more first-place winners (one for each month of the year) will win $250. Prize money is funded through calendar sales. There is no fee to enter.
For complete rules and an entry form, visit www.azgfd.gov/photocontest today!
Comments sought on reptile, raptor, amphibian and mollusk regulations
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public comments on draft 2011-2012 regulations for reptiles, raptors, crustaceans and mollusks, and amphibians.
Public comment will be accepted until Aug. 16. If warranted, public meetings on the proposed changes to these commission orders may be held in Phoenix, Tucson and/or Flagstaff. Most of the proposed changes being considered for the 2011-2012 commission orders involve amphibian and reptile regulations. Highlights include:
- Removing the open season on Arizona tree frogs in Cochise or Santa Cruz counties.
- Removing the possession limit on live bullfrogs and modifying the possession limit of live native leopard frogs and barking frogs.
- Restricting the collection of shovel-nosed snakes in certain geographical areas.
- Requesting falconers to coordinate their hunt schedules with Game and Fish in order to band the birds per federal regulation.
The draft commission orders can be viewed at the links below:
- Commission Order 25 -- Raptors [58kb, PDF]
- Commission Order 41 -- Amphibians [27kb, PDF]
- Commission Order 42 -- Crustacean and mollusks [19kb, PDF]
- Commission Order 43 -- Reptiles [29kb, PDF]
For more information, call (623) 236-7500. To provide written comments, send correspondences to: Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, Arizona 85086, or by e-mail to: CommOrd25@azgfd.gov (Raptors); CommOrd41&43@azgfd.gov (Amphibians and Reptiles); and CommOrd42@azgfd.gov (Crustaceans and Mollusks).
Learn more about one of Phoenix’s resident bat colonies at free viewing event
Bats have an undeserved bad reputation. But, do you know all of the good things they do, like eating pesky mosquitoes and flies? The Arizona Game and Fish Department invites you to attend one of the free bat viewing events being held throughout the summer to learn more about these shy, misunderstood creatures. The next viewing event will be held on Friday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m.
The event will provide an opportunity for the public to watch an amazing sight as thousands of Mexican free-tail bats exit their roost for the evening at Phoenix’s largest bat colony, near the Biltmore area. The programs begin with a talk by bat biologists and an opportunity to see live bats up close. Participants will then observe the mass exodus using special ultrasonic sound equipment to hear the bat’s inaudible echolocation sounds.
“So many people have only heard bad things about bats, and they aren’t aware of the good things they do that impact us every day,” says Angela McIntire, Arizona Game and Fish Department bat management coordinator. “They provide free pest control by eating literally tons of insects that damage agricultural crops and that are a nuisance in our backyards. And, few Valley residents know that they have a great wildlife viewing opportunity so close to home.”
Additional bat viewing events will be held on:
- Friday, Aug. 6 at 7:15 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 3 at 6:45 p.m.
Arizona is home to 28 bat species, including two species that are nectar-feeders and pollinate plants like the saguaros and agaves. Mexican free-tailed bats are found throughout Arizona in the summer and most migrate south in the winter. It has a wingspan of 11 to 13 inches, and it roosts in caves, tunnels, and crevices in tunnels, bridges and buildings. Bats are most frequently observed between April and October, but many species are active year-round in the state. They are the only mammal that can truly fly and, contrary to popular myth, bats are not blind.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet some of the Valley’s more secretive residents. The events are free to the public. Educators are also encouraged to attend and receive continuing education credit.
The Maricopa County Flood Control District partners with the department to host the workshops.
Those attending an event should park at the commercial building located at 2400 E. Arizona Biltmore Circle. The building is on the northeast corner of 24th Street and Arizona Biltmore Circle, just south of Lincoln Drive. The event will take place on the southwest corner of that intersection at the Maricopa County Flood Control District Tunnel, next to the Squaw Peak Police Precinct. It will be marked with signage. The public is encouraged to arrive on time: The bats leave at sunset and won’t wait!
For more information about bats in Arizona, visit www.azgfd.gov.
Grants available to hunting-focused nonprofit organizations
Innovative program funds first-time hunter clinics and camps; deadline to apply is Aug. 9
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has $30,000 in grant funding to assist local nonprofit hunting organizations to implement hands-on events designed for first-time hunters in an effort to recruit new hunters, and teach them about wildlife conservation in Arizona.
The grant program is a pass-through grant program funded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) Hunting Heritage Partnership, which supports state agencies’ efforts to expand hunter recruitment and retention.
Applications are being accepted now, and funding will be awarded through a competitive application process. Applications and any supporting materials may be submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or e-mail, and must be received by Monday, Aug. 9 by 5 p.m. (MST). Postmarks do not count.
“This grant program gets funding to the core engine of continuing Arizona’s hunting heritage – the state’s sportsmen’s organizations,” said Denise Raum, Game and Fish hunter recruitment coordinator. “As volunteer-based, nonprofit organizations, funding a weekend event can be a barrier. This grant, and others like it, bridges that gap allowing them to do great work.”
Applicants must be a nonprofit organization based in Arizona, have a mission related to hunter recruitment, and have a certificate of general liability insurance. To be eligible the proposal must include, but is not limited to, the following requirements:
- Promote or facilitate hunter recruitment and retention (examples include hunting camps for rabbit, dove, quail, squirrel, and predator/furbearing);
- Hunt using a firearm;
- Available to the public;
- Provide family activities at camp;
- Complete best practices training;
- Complete project by Jan. 31, 2010;
- Submit a survey / evaluation of the event.
Grant funds cannot be used to purchase hunting or fishing licenses/tags/stamps, group banquets, raffle prizes, for-profit projects, or hunting competitions.
Application packets can be obtained from the Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.gov/getoutside under “Hunting Heritage Partnership: Hunter Recruitment Camp Project” or by contacting Hunter Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Denise Raum at draum@azgfd.gov or (623) 236-7567.
Submit completed applications and supporting materials to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, IEWR, Attn: HRR Coordinator, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, Arizona 85086, by e-mail to draum@azgfd.gov, or by fax to (623) 236-7903, Attn.: HRR Coordinator.
“Studies show that a mentored-experience is the best way to recruit new hunters. This partnership with local organizations is a great way to reach families that have an interest in hunting, but they don’t know where or how to get started,” said Raum.
Grant awards will be announced on or about August 16, 2010.
More than $400,000 was awarded to seven states by NSSF through the Hunting Heritage Partnership this year. Arizona received $40,000. The balance, not being passed through, is to be used to promote, advertise, and administer the best practices training of the grant program.
To learn more about the department’s efforts to preserve the hunting heritage, visit www.azgfd.gov/hhwg.
The recruitment and retention of hunters, anglers, trappers, and shooters is important to continue the successful management of Arizona’s wildlife. Funding for the management and conservation of game animals is funded by dollars generated by the sale of licenses, hunt tags and matching funds from federal excise taxes hunters pay on guns, ammunition, and related equipment – not through the state’s general fund. However, driving on a country road and enjoying roaming elk herds, antelope on the range or ducks in flight are enjoyed by all citizens of Arizona and beyond. Did you know regulated hunting has never resulted in the extinction of a species? On the contrary, most game species populations are more stable now then when there were no hunting regulations.
Arizona Game and Fish officers assist with Flagstaff wildfires
With three wildfires burning simultaneously in the Flagstaff area recently, law enforcement officers from the Arizona Game and Fish Department were called upon to assist with security duties.
In mid-June, the Hardy, Eagle Rock and Shultz fires started within a few days of each other in northern Arizona.
Game and Fish officers were assigned to provide security around the fire perimeter, including keeping onlookers and local residents from entering closed areas. Officers also assisted with roadblocks and neighborhood evacuations involving more than 1,000 homeowners.
Game and Fish provided a total of 22 officers throughout the Schultz Fire, the largest of the recent wildfires, with a high of 19 officers deployed at one time. So far this fire season, department officers have worked more than 2,200 hours on the Schultz Fire alone.
Game and Fish assists with wildfire security through an agreement with the State Land Department, which reimburses the department for staff hours.
The Schultz Fire burned an estimated 15,075 acres and is now fully contained.
Big trout being stocked for fishing excitement over July 4th weekend
Some monsters weigh between 5 to 10 pounds
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Some of the “incentive” trout weigh between 5 and 10 pounds and all of the fish are at least 50 percent larger than those normally stocked by Game and Fish, with all of them longer than 15 inches.
“There’s no better time than now to head to our cool and scenic high-country lakes and experience the thrill of catching some of these large, feisty fish,” said Scott Gurtin, Game and Fish hatchery program manager.
The four lakes stocked with these trout are Woods Canyon Lake on the Mogollon Rim, about 30 miles east of Payson; City Reservoir near Williams; Rose Canyon Lake on Mount Lemmon near Tucson; and Fain Lake near Prescott.
“With fish this large, we usually sprinkle them in over an entire summer of fish stockings across all the lakes we stock,” Gurtin said. “This week our normal fish stockings continue, however, we’re stocking a large number of these incentive-size rainbow trout into the four lakes.”
A valid Arizona Fishing License (some licenses require a trout stamp, too) is needed to try for these large fish, and one can be purchased either at license dealers, at Game and Fish offices, or online at www.azgfd.gov/eservices/licenses.shtml. Children under 14 are allowed to fish for FREE.
Arizona Wildlife Views Magazine and TV celebrate recent awards
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The magazine won an Award of Excellence (first place) for overall design in 2009. Staff photographer George Andrejko’s image of a white-winged dove, which appeared on the September–October 2009 cover, also won an Award of Excellence.
Seven Awards of Distinction (second place) were presented to the magazine in the following categories:
- Government magazine: Arizona Wildlife Views 2009.
- Copy/writing: “High-elevation Elation: Watching Wildlife in the White Mountains” by Dianne Howard and “Humpback Haven” by Julie Hammonds.
- Interior design: “Skulls Quiz” and “The Last Cowpony,” art direction by Cecelia Carpenter.
- Photography: Three-toed woodpecker (back cover, March–April) and Rocky Mountain elk (Page 26, November–December) by George Andrejko.
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- Nature/Wildlife: “Prairie Dogs,” produced by Carol Lynde.
- Environment: “Highway 93 Bighorn,” produced by Gary Schafer.
- Government Relations: “We are Game and Fish,” produced by Gary Schafer.
- Travel/Tourism: “Tres Rios,” produced by Gary Schafer.
The Communicator Awards is an international awards program honoring creative excellence for communication professionals in print, video, marketing, audio, Web and integrated campaigns. The 2010 Communicator Awards received more than 7,000 entries.
Winslow area fence project seeks volunteers
The Arizona Antelope Foundation (AAF) is undertaking a Fence Modification Project at Ohaco Ranch just south of Winslow on July 17-18, 2010.
The project entails modifying a barbed wire fence to make it more wildlife friendly. On Saturday, July 17, volunteers should plan to arrive at camp at 8 a.m. Work will continue on Sunday July 18, if there is remaining work to be completed.
Volunteers should bring work gloves (the AAF will have a limited supply), snacks, water, and personal gear. The AAF will provide dinner for volunteers on Saturday; however, lunch is not provided, so plan on bringing your own. Volunteers must RSVP at info@azantelope.org. For more information or directions, click here.
Information needed in antelope poaching
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been investigating a case involving the poaching of an antelope doe since April of this year and has been unable to gather any new information in this case.
The department is asking the public’s help in finding the individuals involved with this poaching. The antelope was shot sometime around April 17 about 100 yards off Forest Road 492 or the Drake Road and was left to waste. The Drake Road runs east and west between Highway 89 from Ash Fork and the Perkinsville Road and is about 25 miles south of Williams. Evidence at the scene indicated that the doe was shot with a .22 caliber long rifle. The only hunting season open at the time of the poaching was spring turkey.
“As with many poaching cases, we need help from the public, as someone may have been in this area back in April and may have seen or heard something associated with this case,” says Wildlife Manager Mike Rice. “Someone may have information but is apprehensive to come forward; we want to encourage them to contact the Operation Game Thief Hotline and help us catch the poachers.”
Anyone with information about this incident can call the Department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll free at (800) 352-0700. Callers may be eligible for a reward for information about this case. Rewards may be paid if information leads to the arrest of the violator(s).
All calls may remain confidential upon request. To learn more about Operation Game Thief and other pending cases, visit www.azgfd.gov/thief.
Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame to induct four new members
Four new members will be inducted into the Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame at the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation's annual Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet on Aug. 28. The two individuals and two organizations will be honored for outstanding contributions and service that have benefited Arizona's wildlife and their habitats.
This year's inductees are:
- William (Bill) Cordasco. Mr. Cordasco is president of Babbitt Ranches and the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Foundation. He has worked with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to enhance antelope, deer, turkey, and elk populations on Babbitt Ranches. He helped organize The Ecological Monitoring & Assessment Program & Foundation (EMA) in partnership with Northern Arizona University, dedicating the program to education and research in stewardship of lands in the Southwest. He served on the Arizona State Parks Board, and has worked with The Nature Conservancy, the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, Coconino County and others in implementing the Comprehensive Plan for ecological preservation.
- Michael M. Golightly. Mr. Golightly served three consecutive appointments (15 years) as a member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, each appointment being under a different governor. He is owner / president of Michael M. Golightly & Associates, a private company (Golightly Tires) in Flagstaff. Examples of his visionary leadership during his tenure as a commissioner include his long and arduous journey to secure a shooting range in northern Arizona, and his being the driving force in dozens of wildlife habitat improvement projects to benefit wildlife in northern Arizona. These projects included construction, maintenance and repair of wildlife waters, grassland restoration projects, funding of prescribed burns for wildlife habitat enhancement, dirt tank renovations, and many others.
- Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club. Thousands of Arizona’s youth and adult hunters have completed their hunter education field requirements at the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club (RSSC). Many of the members and staff of RSSC have become certified hunter safety instructors and/or firearms instructors and have donated thousands of hours of volunteer time to teaching wildlife management concepts and the safe, responsible use of firearms to Arizona citizens. RSSC has also donated untold hours of volunteer effort and personal expense to improving and maintaining Usery Mountain Shooting range. By providing a facility and educational opportunities to Arizona hunters, RSSC has helped ensure that the concepts of sound wildlife management and the importance of obeying Game and Fish regulations have been delivered to the public.
- Liberty Wildlife. Liberty Wildlife helps answer the community’s need for quality wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education and conservation consultation services. The organization has assisted more than 50,000 animals and 180 species. Liberty is permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to care for animals listed as endangered and threatened. It hosts more than 280 outreach educational programs annually and provides biological and conservation support to Arizona’s corporations, including major utilities, to help reduce human impacts on wildlife.
The Arizona Outdoor Hall of Fame was established in 1998 by the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation to honor those who have made significant and lasting contributions to benefit Arizona’s wildlife and the welfare of its natural resources.
The Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation was created in 1990 to enhance the management, protection and enjoyment of Arizona's fish and wildlife resources. The foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works closely with the Arizona Game and Fish Department to provide additional support for projects and education activities where traditional resources are not adequate.
For more information about the Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet or to reserve your spot, contact the Wildlife for Tomorrow Foundation at (623) 204-2130.