First-ever juniors-only over-the-counter spring turkey tags

Temperatures of 100 degrees often bring on the need to hibernate indoors. However, even without the scorching weather, children are spending more of their time indoors, in front of computers, TVs and video games. In an effort to curb this “nature deficit disorder” (which has been linked to a number of health-related issues), many state wildlife agencies are working to open more doors to get today’s youth outside participating in America’s original outdoor challenge – hunting and fishing.

At its Aug. 9 meeting, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission took another step to make it easier for youngsters and new hunters to take an interest in the outdoors by removing application process barriers when they set the 2009 spring hunting seasons for turkey, javelina, buffalo, and bear.

What is so different? Plenty.

Let’s start with the creation of a juniors-only spring turkey season that will allow a hunting tag to be purchased “over-the-counter” (OTC). This is unique, as most turkey tags are allocated through a random lottery-draw process.

“We feel these [OTC turkey tags] are one of the best things we can do to get new and young hunters in the field. Hunting wild turkey in the spring is incredibly exciting, it’s a great time of the year, and in my opinion – it’s one of the best introductions to the hunting experience,” said Brian Wakeling, department supervisor of big game management, father and a dedicated turkey hunter.

That’s not all the turkey talk.

The management of Arizona’s wild turkey population is doing very well, resulting in the approval of the highest number of general spring turkey permits to date at 7,265, an increase of 282 permits. These tags are available to youth and adults through the draw process.

And for one more gobble, reflecting a true wildlife conservation success story, the Gould’s turkey continues to thrive in Arizona. There will be a total of 20 hunt permit-tags available through the draw in the 2009 season. The tags will be allocated in three different hunt units in 2009.

“The real success here is we now have two additional units [areas] to offer limited hunting of this incredible wild turkey. Unit 29 had its first hunt this year, which will continue for next year, and now we are adding unit 31,” adds Wakeling. “This is an incredible success and a direct result from translocation efforts since 2000.”

Moving on to javelina, the commission restructured the archery-only metro hunts to allow tags to be purchased as over-the-counter permits. Prior to the change, hunts for Units 11M, 25M, 26M, 38M, and 47M were allocated through the draw process. This should help get more folks out hunting that might be struggling with fuel costs, travel time from work, and other economy-related burdens.

“Javelina make an excellent quarry to teach a youngster how to hunt with a bow and arrow. Javelina often live in herds of 7-10 animals, and these animals are not as difficult to hunt when compared with deer or elk, due to their fairly poor eyesight. In addition, the archery season runs for most of the month of January – allowing new hunters three full weekends of pursuit,” states Wakeling.

However, don’t write this off as an easy hunt. All of the skills required to hunt other big game species are necessary to be successful, such as using binoculars to locate game, stalking, shot placement, field dressing and packing out your harvest.

The balances of the javelina permits for the 2009 spring season were distributed as follows:

• General season – 11,680 (decrease of 25 from 2008)
• Juniors-only season – 990 (increase of 20)
• H.A.M. season – 5,405 (decrease of 35)
• Archery season – 9,895 (increase of 250)

The most significant change for buffalo is there are no hunts for the Raymond Wildlife Area herd in 2009 due to management initiatives to increase the population of that herd. However, hunts for the House Rock Wildlife Area herd will increase to 14 tags allocated through the draw.

Spring bear hunters will also see an exciting change for the allocation of tags. The commission has decided to distribute the tags for hunts during the late March through late April 2009 season (except Unit 6B) as over-the-counter permits rather than through the draw, due to relatively low harvest success. There will still be a female harvest limit, and if met, would close the hunt. Each unit also has an annual female harvest objective that would close all subsequent hunts if met. Archery-only hunts that run from May to July are still regulated through the draw process.

Regulations are now available online, and will be at license dealers by mid-September. Hunters can begin applying for spring hunts now. For details, go to the department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/rules.

The deadline to submit an application for the spring hunts is Tuesday, Oct. 14, by 7 p.m. (MST) – postmarks do not count. There is no online application process available for the fall hunts – it is a manual paper-permit process only.

However, new this year is an editable PDF application. Just type out your information on the computer, then print it out, sign, include your payment and then mail it in. Applicants are encouraged to use the form to prevent some of the common mistakes (including using the unit numbers instead of four-digit hunt number) and for improved legibility. The new form is available at www.azgfd.gov/rules by clicking on “Hunt Permit/Tag Application Form.”

The grace period ends Sept. 25 by 5 p.m. If your application has been received by the department by that date (postmarks don’t count), and you’ve made a mistake on your hunt-permit application, the department will attempt to call you three times in a 24-hour period and give you the opportunity to correct the mistake. After that date, mistakes can cause your application to be rejected.

More information on the fall big game draw can be found on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

By Doug Burt, public information officer, AGFD