- Last chance to apply for Arizona spring hunts
- Hand delivering your hunt application? Donate a magazine to the troops
- Biologists conduct marathon collaring effort for wildlife-roadway research
- Fossil Creek grand opening is a study in mentoring
- Game and Fish Commission meeting is on Oct. 9
- Plan now for your trout fishing adventures
- Partnership creates $2,700 reward to help solve elk poaching case
- Information needed in antelope poaching incident
- Black-tailed prairie dog reintroductions given another boost
- Early waterfowl – the appeal is mountain teal
- CWD monitoring efforts continue
- Commission selects 2009 award recipients
- Quail, rabbit and squirrel – outdoor recreation at its best
- Don’t let your big game tag go to waste if you can’t use it
- Public input opportunities set for elk and antelope proposals
Last chance to apply for Arizona spring hunts
|
Applications may be hand delivered to any of the seven department offices around the state, or sent by U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn: Drawing Section, PO Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052. Remember, the department must receive your application by the deadline; postmarks don’t count. Also keep in mind that department offices are closed on Monday, Oct. 12, in observance of the Columbus Day holiday. There is no online application process available.
The 2010 Spring Turkey, Javelina, Buffalo and Bear hunt draw information booklet and application forms are available at more than 300 license dealers statewide, at Game and Fish offices, or by downloading from www.azgfd.gov/draw.
Note: A previous news release incorrectly noted that “all spring bear hunts are issued over-the-counter.” This is incorrect, as some general hunts and archery-only spring bear hunts are allocated through the spring big game draw process and require an application submitted by the deadline.
For a list of Game and Fish office addresses, visit www.azgfd.gov/offices. For more information about the big game draw process, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw.
Hand delivering your hunt application? Donate a magazine to the troops
If you’re planning on hand delivering your spring hunt application to an Arizona Game and Fish Department office, you can help bring the great outdoors and hunting heritage to U.S. military personnel serving overseas by also donating one or more of your used outdoor-related magazines.
The department has teamed up with the nonprofit organization, Outdoor Experience 4 All, to provide magazine collection points at all department offices through the spring draw deadline. Outdoor Experience 4 All has arranged to have all the donated magazines packed up and sent overseas to the troops while they are away.
To learn more about the magazine drive, visit www.outdoorexperienceforall.org.
Biologists conduct marathon collaring effort for wildlife-roadway research
|
On Sept. 29, 10 pronghorn antelope were captured and fitted with GPS-equipped radio telemetry collars in the Chino Valley area. This study will provide pronghorn movement information that will be incorporated into the planning of the Great Western Extension Bypass. The movement data collected will be used to determine a road alignment and where to place potential pronghorn crossing structures to minimize impacts on movement corridors.
The next day and 200 miles northwest near Hoover Dam, 10 desert bighorn sheep were captured and collared. This GPS collar study will supplement the remaining 20 collars already in that area to evaluate the effects of construction activities on desert bighorn sheep. This study is part of the upgrade of U.S. Highway 93. The data will provide information on movements associated with sheep overpasses and funnel-fencing being implemented to retain habitat connectivity across the newly expanded highway.
The next day, 250 miles to the east, five pronghorn antelope were captured and collared north of Flagstaff. This data will supplement other collared pronghorn in the area to evaluate the removal and modification of various stretches of highway and pasture fencing.
These types of projects are important in finding ways to make roadways safer for motorists and for wildlife, and to mitigate for the barrier effect that roadways can pose to wildlife movement.
Fossil Creek grand opening is a study in mentoring
Stunning stream in the Verde Valley is a natural work of art in progress
|
Maybe make that the most beautiful travertine stream this side of Havasu Creek in the Grand Canyon.
There was also a controversy on whether this rare travertine stream in the Verde Valley should be kept as a classic hands-off native fish refugium or become a unique seasonal catch-and-immediately-release fishery for native chub. Both roundtail and headwater chub that is; therein rested a slight controversy and challenge that erupted shortly before this seasonal fishery was scheduled to open on the first Saturday in October.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission listened to all arguments pro and con on whether to proceed with the 4.5-mile-long seasonal angling opportunity or abort this first-ever catch-and-release chub fishery. The appointed volunteer commissioners opted for the hands-on approach.
The hands-on commenced with the seasonal fishery opening on Oct. 3 when 30 to 40 youngsters and their families and five different angling-conservation groups joined forces for catch-and-release mentoring with fly rods and spinning rods in hand.
Participants also helped fill bags with trash collected along the stream side from other less conscientious users of this remarkable riparian area.
“Most of those families fishing Fossil Creek had probably never heard of a chub before or ever visited this stunning stream. Now they have all experienced catching-and-releasing these ‘Verde trout’ as the pioneers called them and have enthusiastically joined the ‘Chub Club,” said Fisheries Chief Kirk Young.
“Even more importantly,” Young added, “these families experienced these precious native fish via hands-on angling conservation in action. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Kirk added that there are times and places to employ the hands-off protectionist model of conservation and times to deploy the hands-on method.
“While we might disagree on method, all sides agree on two basic things – Fossil Creek and its wildlife are rare and precious Arizona treasures, yet this area attracts lots of less conscientious visitors who are ‘loving it to death.’”
That doesn’t mean, he said, that some individual who is not as conscientious won’t do something dumb like dumping non native fish into this rare stream. “You can’t always regulate against stupid, but you can deploy your best management tool in defense – caring people who are conscientious -- and hopefully minmize that ever-present possibility.”
For another view of opening day, read Pete Aleshire's article in the Payson Roundup.
Game and Fish Commission meeting is on Oct. 9
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Friday, Oct. 9 at the Game and Fish Department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17).
The public can view the meeting any of three ways: (1) attending the meeting in person in Phoenix; (2) viewing it via video stream at the Game and Fish regional offices; or, (3) viewing it over the Web at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam.
Those wishing to submit “blue slips” to present oral comment during the meeting must do so either at the Phoenix meeting or at the regional Game and Fish offices. For office addresses, visit www.azgfd.gov/offices.
The meeting begins with an executive session at 8 a.m., followed by the public meeting. Some of the agenda items include:
- Updates on legislative issues, information/education/watchable wildlife activities, state and federal lands issues, and shooting sports activities.
- A briefing to the commission on how the recently passed Aquatic Invasive Species Legislation (HB2157) is being implemented within the department. This presentation is for information only; no action will be taken by the commission.
- Request for commission approval of the revised master Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Forest Service (Arizona State Office) and the State of Arizona, Arizona Game and Fish Commission.
- Request for commission approval of an agreement with the Sierra Vista Rod and Gun Club for the continued development, operation and management of a public shooting range and related recreation facilities for the Sierra Vista Shooting Range.
- A department recommendation to the commission for a new fee schedule for corporate events at the Ben Avery Clay Target Center.
- Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife (time certain at 2 p.m.).
- Request for the commission to amend Commission Order 40 to temporarily close Frye and Grapevine creeks to allow introduced Gila trout to establish populations.
The commission may vote to take action or provide the department with direction on these agenda items. For a complete agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the commission agenda link.
Plan now for your trout fishing adventures
Stocking schedule posted
|
“There are those who put away their trout fishing gear in the garage once summer is over,” said Fisheries Chief Kirk Young. “That’s a shame -- it means they are missing out on some of the best trout fishing of the year, with lots of trout adventures available close to home.”
Rose Canyon, Fain Lake, Lynx Lake, Wet Beaver Creek and West Clear Creek are all being stocked the week of Oct. 5. Then on the week of Oct. 12, Goldwater Lake and Francis Short Pond (Flagstaff) are being stocked with feisty rainbows.
Want some fun trout fishing in southern Arizona? Then try Parker Canyon Lake, which is getting its first rainbows of the season on Oct. 19.
If you want good trout fishing close to the Valley of the Sun, it’s coming to a fishery near you soon -- the Lower Salt River just minutes away from Tempe and Mesa will be stocked with trout the first week of November. The ever-popular Tempe Town Lake is scheduled to be stocked the week of Nov. 16.
“Be sure to mark the afternoon of Nov. 24 on your calendar – we will be conducting our annual ‘Welcome Back the Trout’ celebration and fishing clinic at Tempe Town Lake.” Young said. “This fun event has become a fishing kickoff for the holidays – it’s just two days before Thanksgiving.”
Another popular trout stocking location is Saguaro Lake, which is also renowned for its largemouth bass and yellow bass fishing – this popular lake will be stocked the week of Nov. 9.
Canyon Lake along the Apache Trail is also scheduled for stocking the week of Nov. 26.
In southern Arizona, Parker Canyon, Roper, Cluff Pond and Patagonia lakes will be stocked with trout throughout the winter. Once Pena Blanca fills again, it will also be stocked.
Plus, the urban program lakes will be stocked with trout during the winter season starting in November.
The every-popular Oak Creek is stocked through the end of December, with trout plantings coming back on line in early March, but it is fishable throughout the winter when high stream runoff isn’t occurring.
“Don’t forget – this is also the time of year to get in on some of the best trout fishing in the high mountains. Right now trout are actively feeding to put on fat before the snow flies and winter conditions prevail. Plus the leaves are starting to change and you might even hear elk bugling in the forests,” Young advised.
Partnership creates $2,700 reward to help solve elk poaching case
The Arizona Game and Fish Department, in cooperation with the Arizona Elk Society, is asking for the public’s help for information about a large bull elk illegally killed in early August.
The poaching occurred on the Coconino National Forest, southeast of Mormon Lake, in a meadow approximately 150 yards east of Sawmill Springs and 2-3 miles north of Hutch Mountain. The elk was shot and left to waste.
The person with information leading to the poacher’s arrest can be rewarded up to $1,350 by the department. The Arizona Elk Society is contributing up to an additional $1,350 toward the reward if the information reported leads to a conviction.
Callers or witnesses can remain anonymous when they call the Operation Game Thief hotline at (800) 352-0700. Calls are confidential. And for your convenience, you may report the information online at www.azgfd.gov/thief.
Information needed in antelope poaching incident
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a poacher that killed a buck antelope sometime around August 20. The actual location where the poaching occurred is unknown, but the carcass was dumped near the intersection of Highways 87 and 99, near the county maintenance yard, about 1 mile south of Winslow on Highway 99.
The head, hide, and back straps were removed from the animal before it was dumped just off the highway. One unusual characteristic about the animal was that the hide was unusually long for an adult male antelope.
The department is also asking any taxidermists to try and recall if they received a hide fitting this description along with a head that may have already been frozen or appeared to be harvested earlier than the legal hunting season.
Anyone with information about this poaching can call the department’s Operation Game Thief Hotline toll free at (800) 352-0700. Callers may be eligible for a reward up to $1,500 in this case. All calls may remain confidential upon request.
Black-tailed prairie dog reintroductions given another boost
|
The reintroductions aim to return these animals to where they once existed in Arizona.
Forty-one of the prairie dogs were released at a site on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the conservation area, following up on the release of 27 animals there on Sept. 21. Biologists at that time determined that future supplementation would provide more optimal numbers to help that population become self-sustaining.
An additional 39 prairie dogs were released at another site on state land in the conservation area, to supplement a release of 74 animals there in October 2008.
Once the populations at these sites are stable, Game and Fish hopes to re-establish the species in up to four additional sites in southern Arizona to contribute towards the national conservation effort and preclude the need for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
As with the other releases, acclimation cages were used to prevent the animals from dispersing too quickly upon release and to allow them to adjust to their new environment. In time, the animals will burrow themselves out of the acclimation cages and be free to establish an underground network of tunnels.
This release and the one on Sept. 21 were a collaborative effort between Game and Fish and the BLM. The October 2008 release teamed the efforts of Game and Fish, the State Land Department, and volunteer support for the site preparations by Sky Island Alliance, Animal Defense League and the Sierra Club
Black-tailed prairie dogs play a key ecological role by helping maintain grasslands for other animals to forage and serving as important prey for species such as eagles and hawks. They are one of Arizona’s two native prairie dog species. The other species, which is found in northern Arizona, is the Gunnison’s prairie dog.
The black-tailed prairie dog formerly inhabited the grasslands of southeastern Arizona. Population declines began in the late 1800s and continued into the mid-1900s, leading to the eventual extirpation of the species from the state. Human-related factors, including poisoning and habitat fragmentation, greatly reduced their numbers range-wide over the last 150 years.
Black-tailed prairie dogs are approximately 15 inches long and weigh 2-3 pounds. These tan animals with black-tipped tails are highly social, living in coteries or family units. Family groups live close together to form larger colonies or towns for predator evasion.
Early waterfowl – the appeal is mountain teal
The appeal is usually blue-winged, cinnamon, and green-winged teal for the early mountain-zone-only waterfowl hunting starting Oct. 9, but you’ll likely find some resident mallards as well.
“Blue-winged teal are usually the first waterfowl we see move down the flyway,” said Migratory Bird Biologist Mike Rabe. “But there will often be some cinnamon and green-wings a little later and there are also resident waterfowl populations, such as mallards.”
Rabe added that most blue-wings will have already passed through the state by the time waterfowl season opens. “However, we have had quite a few blue-wings stay in the state long enough to show up in the harvest the last year or two.”
The Mountain Zone for waterfowl is from Oct. 9, 2009 to Jan. 16, 2010 and includes units 1-5, 7, 9m 11M, 12A and those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County.
Keep in mind that the desert zone waterfowl season doesn’t open until Oct. 23 and then closes on Jan. 31, 2010.
“We have split zones for waterfowl to provide hunters a longer season if they want to take advantage of it,” Rabe said.
CWD monitoring efforts continue
|
CWD has not yet been found in Arizona through regular annual testing since 1998. However, it is present in the neighboring states of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
“Thanks to the participation by hunters and taxidermists last season, we were able to nearly double our surveillance and collection of samples in areas of concern near neighboring states that have detected CWD,” said Clint Luedtke, wildlife disease biologist. “Continued assistance from elk and deer hunters in Game Management Unit 12B (which borders Utah) as well as GMUs 1 and 27 (which border New Mexico), are crucial in assuring CWD is not in Arizona in these potential corridors.”
For Kaibab and Arizona Strip hunters, the Jacob Lake check station will open for collecting samples from Oct. 30 – Nov. 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the following exceptions: On Nov. 9 and 30, the station will close early at noon, and on Nov. 10-12 the station is closed.
In addition, from Nov. 6-8, department biologists will be working in the field in Unit 27. They will be seeking successful hunters to provide samples for the CWD monitoring effort.
However, all hunters can assist the monitoring effort by bringing in the head of their recently harvested deer or elk to any Game and Fish Department office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Place the head in a heavy plastic garbage bag for delivery, and keep it cool and out of the sun. If the weather is warm, it is best to either bring in the head within a day of harvest or keep it on ice in a cooler before delivery.
To better assist the surveillance efforts, people will be asked to fill out a form with their drop-off. Please include the following information: county, game management unit in which the animal was harvested, hunt and permit number, and a contact address and phone number. If this information is not provided, the department will be unable to test the head.
Test results will be sent by postcard within six to eight weeks. There is no charge for the testing and notification.
Here are some guidelines for hunters when out in the field:
- Don’t harvest any animal that appears to be sick or behaves oddly. Call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 1-800-352-0700 if you see an animal that is very thin, has a rough coat, drooping ears and is unafraid of humans.
- When field-dressing game, wear rubber gloves and minimize the use of a bone saw to cut through the brain or spinal cord (backbone). Bone out the meat. Minimize contact with and do not consume brain or spinal cord tissues, eyes, spleen, or lymph nodes.
- Always wash hands thoroughly after dressing and processing game meat.
- If you hunt in another state, don’t bring back the brain, intact skull or spinal column. It’s OK to bring back hides and skull plates that have been cleaned of all tissue and washed in bleach. Taxidermied heads, sawed-off antlers and ivory teeth are also OK to bring home.
- If you intend to hunt out of state, contact the wildlife agency in the area you intend to hunt. Several states have regulations on carcass movement.
The non-hunting public can also help prevent the potential spread of CWD. If you come across any deer fawn or elk calf in the wild, it should be left alone. Don’t assume it has been abandoned by the parent; in all likelihood, it hasn’t. Bing a “good Samaritan” and bringing these wild animals into captivity poses a risk to the state’s wildlife resources.
CWD is a neurodegenerative wildlife disease that is fatal to cervids, which include deer, elk and moose. Clinical symptoms include loss of body weight or emaciation, excessive salivation, increased drinking and urination, stumbling, trembling, and behavioral changes such as listlessness, lowering of the head, and repetitive walking in set patterns.
No evidence has been found to indicate that CWD affects humans, according to both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
The department also has had rules in place since 2002 restricting the movement of captive deer and elk into or within the state, and subjecting those animals to marking and reporting requirements.
For more information about chronic wasting disease, visit www.azgfd.gov/cwd or www.cwd-info.org.
Commission selects 2009 award recipients
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission has selected its 2009 Commission Award recipients. The honorees, who will be formally recognized at the annual Commission Awards banquet in January, are:
- Award of Excellence – Phoenix Herpetological Society and Arizona Wildlife Federation
- Youth Environmentalist of the Year – Shelby Miller
- Outdoor Writer of the Year – Stephanie Rainey
- Media of the Year – Outdoor Wires
- Conservation Organization of the Year – Liberty Wildlife
- Conservationist of the Year – Jim Unmacht
- Natural Resource Professional of the Year – Heidi Blasius
- Volunteer of the Year – Steve Clark
- Educator of the Year – Dave Brown
- Mentor of the Year – Scott Bonar
- Advocate of the Year – Sandy Bahr
- License Dealer of the Year – Sprague’s Sports
- Wildlife Habitat Stewardship Award – Jim O’Haco
Brief profiles of the award recipients will be posted soon on the commission awards page of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site.
The Commission Awards banquet will be held the evening of Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 at the
Crowne Plaza Phoenix at 2532 W. Peoria Ave. in Phoenix. More information will be posted soon at www.azgfd.gov/commission (commission awards link).
Quail, rabbit and squirrel – outdoor recreation at its best
|
To add to the fun, rabbit season for cottontails and jackrabbits is open all year round.
All of these species offer affordable, healthy outdoor recreation, exciting hunting pursuits, and dandy table-fare.
Equipment needed to hunt this quarry is minimal, requiring a general hunting license, a shotgun (.410- to 12-gauge), plenty of No. 7 ½ or 6’s upland shot shells, and a good pair of boots. Young hunters 13 and under (when accompanied by a licensed adult) do not need a hunting license.
Each species is a challenging quarry and hunting them will take you to just about anywhere you would like to go in Arizona – a great excuse for exploring and enjoying the outdoors.
Quail and rabbit can be hunted in the open spaces of the lower desert up to the rolling hills of scrub oaks and Manzanita bush of the mid-level desert. Squirrel hunting is your passport to the towering ponderosa pine forests of the mountain region, during a time when leaves are changing and the air is crisp.
For hunting tips, seasonal outlooks, hunting dates and more, visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/hunting and choose “small game outlook.”
Don’t let your big game tag go to waste if you can’t use it
Are you unable to use your big game tag this fall because of an unexpected change in plans?
You can still put that valuable big game tag to good use. The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s rules allow a couple of options for transferring the tag to give a youngster a thrilling hunting opportunity.
A parent, grandparent, or legal guardian can transfer his/her tag to his/her minor child or grandchild. Or, a tag holder can donate their tag to a qualified nonprofit organization that provides hunting opportunities to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Here’s how either option works:
Transfer to child:
A parent, grandparent or legal guardian holding a big game tag may allow the use of that tag by their minor child or minor grandchild pursuant to the following requirements:
- The minor child is 10 to 17 years old on the date of transfer;
- The minor child has a vaild hunting or combination license on the date of transfer;
- A minor child less than 14 years old has satisfactorily completed a Department-approved hunter education course by the beginning date of the hunt;
- The parent or guardian must accompany the child in the field or, if a grandparent allows a minor grandchild to use the grandparent’s permit or tag, the grandparent, parent or the child’s guardian must accompany the child in the field. In either case, the adult must be within 50 yards of the child when the animal is taken.
Transfer to nonprofit organization for ill child:
A number of qualified nonprofit organizations are dedicated to providing hunting opportunities to children with illnesses with a wish to go hunting. The Tag Transfer program has given many children a chance to go on a hunt-of-a-lifetime in Arizona during a time of need.
"To a child that has a terminal or chronic illness, an Arizona big game hunt truly can be the "hunt of a lifetime" said Hunt of a Lifetime Ambassador for Arizona and New Mexico, Nate Medcalf. “What better way to make a difference in a child's life?"
To donate your unused big game tag, the following organizations can be contacted to arrange for a donation:
- Catch-A-Dream at http://catchadream.org.
- Hunt of a Lifetime at www.hoalarizona.org.
- Outdoor Experience 4 All at www.outdoorexperienceforall.org.
- United Special Sportsmen Alliance at www.childswish.com.
Public input opportunities set for elk and antelope proposals
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is hosting four public meetings followed by six open houses across the state to meet with constituents about developing the 2010 hunt recommendations for pronghorn antelope, elk and population management hunts.
Four regions will be providing details about the populations within their jurisdiction. Constituents interested in a particular game management unit can attend the public meeting in that region to discuss management direction.
“This is a great chance to see how the hunt guidelines shape the hunt recommendation packages,” said Brian Wakeling, chief of game management for the department. “The public forums allow us to meet with sportsmen and discuss the direction for the recommendations based on survey data, harvest rates and the hunt guidelines. Regional personnel will be discussing whether we are considering changing harvest prescriptions and why. It’s a great way to get informed and to have your concerns addressed as hunt recommendations are developed.”
The public forums are hosted at four of the six Game and Fish Department regional offices by wildlife biologists that are involved in the hunt recommendation process.
The public forum dates, times and locations are:
- Monday, Oct. 12, 6-8 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
- Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6-8 p.m. – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
- Monday, Oct. 26, 6-8 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
- Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6-8 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive
After the public forums, the final proposed draft of the hunt recommendations that will be presented to the Game and Fish Commission will be made available for public review at six regional open houses. No formal presentation will be made. However, a knowledgeable staff person will be available to discuss regional hunt recommendations.
Open house dates, times and locations are:
- Monday, Nov. 23, 3-5 p.m. – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
- Tuesday, Nov. 24, 3-5 p.m. – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
- Tuesday, Nov. 24, 3-5 p.m. – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
- Friday, Nov. 27, 3-5 p.m. – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
- Tuesday, Dec. 1, 3-5 p.m. – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
- Wednesday, Dec. 2, 3-5 p.m. – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive
A PDF version of the 2010 hunt recommendations for elk, pronghorn antelope, and population management hunts will be available for review at the Game and Fish Department's Web site beginning Saturday, Nov. 21 at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.
Each year, the department makes recommendations to the commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years. These recommendations are in accordance with the recently revised hunt guideline package, which is effective for hunts starting in the fall of 2010 through the spring 2012.
The final recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during its Dec. 4-5 meeting in Phoenix at the Game and Fish headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17). The agenda will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/commission under commission agenda.