By Doug Burt, public information officer, AGFD

While we love to see those big game successes of young hunters, [...]

By Rory Aikens, public information officer, AGFD

Clean and oil your [...]

Fall outdoor hunting activities just for the kids

See Arizona’s unique wildlife and reconnect with nature
PHOENIX —  Javelina, turkey and sandhill cranes – oh my! It may not be exactly like the famous Wizard of Oz quote, “lions and tigers and bears” – but to many it still invokes a sense of mystery and adventure.
In [...]

Tree Squirrels Changes
Sometimes we get so excited about big game hunts designed for youth that we forget about the traditional entry-level positions and the fun these hunts generate. Rabbits and squirrels are an excellent chance to get young people in the field to hone their skills or to have a quiet [...]

Fall Turkey Changes
Until 1991, fall turkey permits were issued over the counter, but declining turkey populations resulted in the issuance of fall permits through the draw. The department developed a protocol for adjusting permits that reflects the habitat quality and population status. Each turkey unit is evaluated annually during the hunt [...]

Fall Javelina Changes
Javelina is an under-used resource for Arizona hunters. They are the perfect big game animal for beginners, and even experts can learn from pursuing these interesting game animals. Javelina are fun to stalk and provide excellent training in the use of binoculars and primitive weapons for hunting. Although rumors [...]

Buffalo
Buffalo hunt management objectives are arguably either the easiest (Raymond Wildlife Area herd) or most difficult (House Rock Wildlife Area herd) to achieve. The Raymond herd is smaller and less likely to abandon the wildlife area, and has access to less rugged, remote country than does the House Rock herd. We [...]

Elk Changes
Relatively few changes occurred to the elk hunt guidelines compared with the deer. The most notable amendment was the addition of 400 permits for archery bull hunts during November. This was a new idea, similar to moving white-tailed deer permits out of December to provide greater numbers of tags. It [...]

Doing Away With Quality?
December white-tailed deer hunts are highly sought after because hunter densities are low and whitetails are more active during the breeding season. This combination yields the lucky tag holder an improved chance to selectively harvest older age-class animals. Why would the department change these seasons?
December white-tailed deer hunts [...]

Deer Changes
Over the past two decades, deer populations generally have declined in numbers. Weather has not been favorable, as we’ve seen predominately dry winters and intervening summers of spotty rainfall. These dry conditions were not conducive to favorable habitat conditions. While deer populations declined, rural Arizona was changing as well. [...]

Changing seasons: Hunting seasons, that is

Increasing hunter opportunity while maintaining hunt quality

Sept. 5, 2008

This article was written by Jim Heffelfinger, game specialist in the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Tucson region, and Brian Wakeling, the department’s big game management program supervisor. The article was originally published (abbreviated version) [...]

Getting started in something new is always hard, be it a new hobby, skilled trade or other interest. The same holds true for hunting, prompting the Arizona Game and Fish Department to host several hunting workshops to teach the basics of hunting javelina.
These informative workshops are taught by knowledgeable wildlife biologists [...]

Hunters: Put a little spring in your step
Spring hunting regulations are now posted online
Summer is ending, fall is about to begin, it’s time to put a little spring in your step – spring hunting that is.
Arizona’s spring 2009 hunt draw regulations are now available online at the Arizona Game and Fish [...]

Want to learn how to hunt tree squirrels?
The Arizona Game and Fish Department will conduct a free small game hunting camp on Oct. 10 and 11 in the White Mountains [...]

Do you know a young hunter that would like to go big game hunting? Here is the perfect hunting trip for a youngster fresh out [...]

Thirteen-year-old Sam Wrasse has always shown an interest for hunting, which is unusual, since he comes from a non-hunting family. My brother Grant, and Sam’s [...]

Did you know that increased gasohol demand and the bountiful dove hunting opportunities in central Arizona this year for the Sept. 1-15 early season have [...]

There is nothing like the feeling of shooting a dove at first light on a humid Arizona morning, but sometimes, the best part of the [...]

Okay, this issue is not all about doves, but that’s where we’ll start.
The season opener kicks off Sept. 1 and coincides with Labor Day this [...]

No CWD found in Arizona deer and elk testing
By Tom Cadden, public information officer,
Arizona Game and Fish Department
The Arizona Game and Fish Department [...]