Arizona Wildlife News
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New episodes of Arizona Wildlife Views TV begin airing in February
The Arizona Game and Fish Department’s award-winning television show, Arizona Wildlife Views, will be back on PBS station KAET-TV Phoenix (Channel 8) with brand-new episodes in February. The new season will begin its 13-week run on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the 7:30 p.m. time slot. Arizona Wildlife Views features wildlife, conservation and outdoor recreation stories from across Arizona, highlighting the wonders of our great state. Some of the shows you can look forward to include: The reintroduction of endangered species, like the black-tailed prairie dog and Chiricahua leopard frog; habitat recovery such as Fossil Creek and the San Pedro River; tips from the Wildlife Viewing Guide on the best places to watch wildlife; and other wonderful feature stories starring the wildlife of Arizona. The Emmy-winning television program also airs on KUAT-TV in Tucson and on most city cable access channels throughout the state. For more information or to watch your favorite episode again from the department’s Web site, visit www.azgfd.gov/tv.
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Stop by your local Game and Fish office to wrap up your holiday shopping
The Arizona Game and Fish Department offers many unique and must-have gifts for the outdoor enthusiast and wildlife lovers in your life.
The seven offices around the state are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, except on Friday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Jan. 1, 2010 (all offices will be closed those days).
Outdoor holiday gift picks include:
-
New!
Arizona Fishin' Holes updated edition, $8 – The long-awaited,
updated guide to public fishing waters and facilities in Arizona is hot off
the presses, just in time for the holidays. Modernized to include GPS
coordinates for each lake, up-to-date resource telephone numbers, and even
Internet addresses so you can easily get the latest fishing information,
even as you travel to your favorite fishery. Will be available in department
offices next week. A must-have for any angler in Arizona!
- Arizona Wildlife Viewing Guide, $14.95 – This guide
loaded with beautiful photographs takes you through 128 unique locations and
the wildlife found at them. Readers will enjoy tips for wildlife watching, a
tiered rating system that highlights “can’t miss” locations, site features
and driving directions. Can also be ordered by visiting www.azgfd.gov/i_e/pubs/publications.shtml.
- Arizona Wildlife Views magazine, $8.50 – Published
bimonthly by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the magazine offers a
variety of articles on hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing and
conservation in our state, as well as “Focus Wild” children’s articles. Can
also be ordered by visiting
www.azgfd.gov/magazine.
- 2010 Arizona Wildlife calendar, $3 – Enjoy spectacular
photos of Arizona’s wildlife selected from our annual photo contest. The
calendar will provide daily enjoyment, as well as note key wildlife events
and approved hunting and fishing season dates. Can also be ordered by
visiting www.azgfd.gov/i_e/pubs/publications.shtml.
- Sponsor-a-Turtle Program, starting at $25 – Support
Arizona’s turtle conservation by sponsoring a turtle in the name of a friend
or loved one. All sponsors will receive a Turtles Project sponsor kit, which
includes a personalized sponsorship certificate and a photo of a turtle in
the chosen sponsorship level. Details at
www.azgfd.gov/turtles.
- Javelina hunting permit-tag, $28.50 residents/$22.50 juniors –
There are thousands of remaining spring javelina hunting permits,
including general, HAM, archery-only and juniors-only hunts that can be
purchased in person at any department office, so take to the field and build
some memories. Details at
www.azgfd.gov/draw.
- Lifetime Arizona Fishing and Hunting Licenses $200 and up (depending on age) – No longer will you worry about last-minute license purchases, expiration deadlines, license fee increases or residency requirements. Privileges are retained for life. For more information, visit www.azgfd.gov and select the licenses icon.
For more information on purchasing these gifts that are sure to please, visit the department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov.
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Help protect Arizona’s bald eagles: Respect closure areas AIRSPACE ADVISORY Statewide
SEASONAL CLOSURES Alamo Lake
Lake Pleasant
Verde River
Tonto Creek
Salt River
Becker Lake
Luna Lake
Lynx Lake
Lower Lake Mary
Greer Lakes
Woods Canyon Lake
TIPS FOR VISITING EAGLE AREAS If you are visiting bald eagle country, an advance call to the local land management agency (USDA Forest Service district, etc.) or the Arizona Game and Fish Department may help you plan your trip to avoid disturbing bald eagles. By following these simple guidelines, we can all help ensure that our living wildlife legacy will last for generations to come:
You can help bald eagle research and recovery efforts by reporting any harassment or shooting of bald eagles. Call the Arizona Game and Fish Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement at (480) 967-7900. |
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Game and Fish to step up efforts to enforce OHV Decal
compliance Citing statistics showing that less than one-quarter of off-highway vehicles in Arizona have the required OHV Decal, Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Larry Voyles announced that the agency’s officers would be stepping up compliance enforcement efforts in the field.
Voyles likened the “user play, user pay” program to wildlife conservation, where hunters and anglers pay for wildlife conservation through the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses. “Rates for hunting license compliance exceed 95 percent,” said Voyles, “Hunters and anglers have demonstrated their commitment to wildlife conservation for decades.” As for OHV Decal compliance, Voyles stressed, “Arizona Game and Fish officers have unequivocally demonstrated their ability to achieve compliance through aggressive law enforcement. All OHV users should expect more special OHV law enforcement operations throughout the state beginning in January and going on through this spring until compliance numbers show a dramatic increase.” “The department has worked with a number of organized OHV groups who all supported this legislation. They have a right to expect the same level of compliance and commitment from all OHV users,” said Voyles. The OHV Decal program took effect Jan. 1, 2009 and requires the annual purchase of a decal for any off-highway vehicle designed by the manufacturer primarily for use over unimproved terrain and weighing 1,800 pounds or less. This includes most ATVs, side-by-sides (utility vehicles), dirt bikes and some sand rails.
Other projects that are being funded through the OHV Decal program include the new OHV Laws and Places to Ride booklet that is an ongoing joint venture between Arizona State Parks and the Game and Fish Department. A continued grant program to help clean up and restore riding areas and new informational outreach items like riding area maps will be created in the future. The OHV Decal costs $25 and is good for one year from the date of purchase. The Motor Vehicle Department will not be sending renewal notices, so it is your responsibility to make sure your vehicle is in compliance. Officers will be citing vehicle owners who fail to display the OHV Decals soon, so avoid a costly citation: these field renewal notices are sure to cost considerably more than $25. The OHV Decal can be obtained at any MVD office, MVD third-party service provider, or online at www.servicearizona.com. For more information about the OHV Decal program or OHV use in Arizona, go online to www.azgfd.gov/ohv.
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“Our
officers will be issuing citations to off-highway vehicle users who
don’t have the required decal on their OHV,” said Voyles. “The program
has been in effect and public education efforts have been ongoing for
over a year now. The compliance rate is very disappointing, given the
benefits the program would provide to recreationists.”
The
benefits of the OHV Decal program include information and education
efforts, facility development and maintenance, maps, signage and reduced
wildlife habitat impacts.
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Winner of the 2009 Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Robert Bealle an artist from Waldorf, Maryland, took top
honors today at the 2009 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Bealle’s
painting of an American wigeon will be made into the 2010-2011
Federal Duck Stamp, which will go on sale in late June 2010. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produces the Federal Duck Stamp,
which sells for $15 and raises about $25 million each year to
fund wetland habitat acquisition for the National Wildlife
Refuge System.
2009 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Winner
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Arizona Wildlife Areas |
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| In addition, millions of acres of wildlife-rich land owned by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offer excellent viewing opportunities |
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