Ah, spring is here – now what?
By Doug Burt, public information officer, Arizona Game and Fish Department

For the 26,000 attendees of the 2008 Arizona Game and Fish Outdoor Expo wanting more outdoor activities, here are some ideas.

If the fishing tank at the Expo was your kid’s favorite, then take the next step. There are 21 city park lakes currently participating in the department’s Urban Fishing Program. Waters are stocked with fish every couple of weeks, and right now we are loading them up with hard-fighting, great-tasting catfish. Fishing with a simple rod and reel and some dough bait is all it takes to hook “Mr. Whiskers”. Children 13 years and under do not require a license and can fish for free. A license for those 14 and older is only $18.50 for the year. Visit www.azgfd.gov/fish and click on the “urban fishing” link for more details about the program.

If target shooting piques your interests, a great place to start is with BB guns. BB guns are very affordable and teach the foundations of gun safety, responsibility, aiming, marksmanship, calming breathing techniques, patience, respect and self focus. This is also a great way for experienced sportsmen to introduce a neighbor to target shooting.

Need a bigger bang? The Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association offers a .22-caliber shooting class to beginners. The class will go over gun safety, basic shooting techniques, and then out to the range to shoot .22-caliber rifles in a controlled environment. The introductory course is on Thursdays and it is free. For more information, contact Richard at mersman442@yahoo.com.

Ladies that enjoyed shooting at the Expo can sign up for our free introductory shotgun shooting program called the Desert Roses. This hands-on program is offered the first and third Thursday of every month. Ladies will be taught how to shoot a shotgun and learn three clay target games – trap, skeet and sporting clays. Space is limited and registration is required. Contact Fred Jeffers at fjeffers@azgfd.gov. Did we mention it‘s free?

Are you already a shooter and want to get more hunting knowledge? Go online and take the department’s online hunter education class. It’s one of the best in the country and you learn about gun safety, wildlife identification, carrying capacity, survival and more. If you have a youngster between the ages of 10 and 14 who’s interested in hunting big game – this course is mandatory. Right now is a great time before the next draw for the fall hunts takes place. The Web site is www.hunter-ed.com/az.

Speaking of hunting, take a youngster afield for some rabbit hunting. The season runs year-round and the springtime is a great time to be in the field while the weather is still beautiful. Rabbits, cottontail and jacks are abundant statewide, challenging to hunt, and make great table fare. Rabbit hunting teaches many of the same skills needed for pursuing big game, including locating game, stalking, shot placement, harvesting, field dressing and game meat preparation. All that is needed is a modest rimfire rifle (.22s and the new .17s), or for very young beginners a small gauged shotgun is perfect. Youth 13 years and under (2 max.) accompanied by a licensed adult can hunt for free and without a hunting license. A general hunting license is required for those 14 and older. (Hunter Ed is not required for small game – but it is encouraged.)

If you are fortunate to have a spring-turkey tag, congratulations, you won’t want to miss this issue. There are a number of articles to help you be successful on your hunt, including road conditions, laws on using electronic calls, recent transplants, and the spring hunting forecast with tips by Big Game Program Manager and turkey-nut Brian Wakeling.

No turkey tag? Don’t despair, there is plenty of other good stuff to enjoy in this issue of Hunting Highlights. We have a great feature about department employees teaching kids about hunting, the outdoors, and photos of their successes. We also have some super juniors-only hunting success stories and pictures.

In addition, you will find plenty of department news, highlights and activity dates. And it’s never too late to start thinking about the next hunt draw in June.