ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT 2017-18 …

1 ARIZONA GAME AND fish DEPARTMENT2017-18 ARIZONA Hunting Regulations* Two other annual hunt draw information booklets are published for spring big game hunts and elk and pronghornantelope hunts covering season dates, open areas, permits and drawing/application booklet includes annual regulations for statewide hunting of deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison, fall bear, mountain lion, small game and other huntable wildlife.*Hunt permit application deadline is Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 11:59 ARIZONA may purchase ARIZONA hunting licenses and apply for the draw report violators, call the DEPARTMENT s Operation Game Thief line: discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company.

2 GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. 2017 GEICO1-800-947-AUTOJHLFR FRP _ /RFDO 2I FHAt GEICO, great rates and outstanding coverage doesn t stop with your car. Whether you drive a motorcycle, boat or RV, we could help you save money on more than just car insurance. See how much you could save. Get a quote today. SAVE TODAYADVENTURE 74/17/2017 12:49:53 PMFrom the Director s DeskWelcome to the ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT s Hunting Regulations for 2017-18 ! Whether you hunt with a bow, a muzzle loader, a rifle or a shotgun, we are pleased to offer you so many hunting opportunities across our state. In this publication, you ll find many of the great ways to enjoy hunting in other states where private land ownership limits the places where hunting is allowed, ARIZONA is fortunate to have abundant public lands where hunting, camping and other uses are not only allowed but encouraged.

3 ARIZONA s private landowners also un-derstand the economic value of hunting, and the Game and fish DEPARTMENT works with them to allow hunting on their land. Such agreements have opened up more than million acres of pri-vate property to hunting. Combine all this hunting territory with nearly perfect weather year-round, and you ll understand why ARIZONA is a hunter s hunters aren t just one-season wonders, they also take advantage of our year-round opportunities to hunt. Even if you miss getting a tag during the big-game draws in the spring and fall, our plentiful small game, migratory waterfowl and over-the-counter tag hunts provide the chance to get out into nature, spend time with close friends and maybe even bring some meat home to the family recent survey by outdoor research firm Responsive Manage-ment examined the reasons why people go hunting.

4 While it s likely no secret to the hunting community, the researchers were surprised at the number one reason people gave for and it wasn t to score a set of antlers for the rec-room wall. Most people say they hunt to provide good food for their about that. More Americans are starting to question the quality of the foods they eat, and rather than filling the freezer with store-bought meats laced with antibiotics, growth hormones, genetic modifications and other unnatural additives, health-conscious Americans are embracing the idea of eating locally harvested organic meat. Hunting means much more than just bringing home the harvest. Ingrained in a hunter s psyche is an inherent love of all wildlife, which is why we refer to hunters as the First Conservationists. Through their purchases of licenses and tags, and through extra taxes they pay on sporting equipment, ARIZONA hunters have con-tributed to the conservation and protection of all wildlife across the state.

5 They ve paid for reintroductions of species near extinc-tion, habitat improvements, wildlife surveys, water catchments and numerous other projects and services that give our state a wide array of healthy hunters find fulfillment and fun by joining hunting groups or habitat partnership organizations. Volunteering their time, mem-bers of hunting and wildlife organizations work side by side with AZGFD, providing the boots-on-the-ground labor needed to com-plete these important projectsIf picking up these regulations is your first step toward becoming a hunter, I want to offer and some friendly ad-vice. The ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT is here to help you get involved in hunting, or fishing, or pretty much anything associ-ated with the Great Outdoors. Enroll in a Hunter Education course to learn firearm safety, hunting regulations and more about the concept of Fair Chase.

6 And don t forget to sign up for a free membership in the ARIZONA Game and fish Portal, your online gateway to all things wild. Once you have a Portal account ( ), you ll be able to access all our special maps, species information, hunting and fishing info, and all the latest news from the ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT . Finally, becoming a hunter means joining a time-honored tradition, and getting in touch with nature in more ways than you thought possible. We hope you ll peruse every page of these regulations and make this the year you become a sportsman, a a D. Voyles, Director12017-18 ARIZONA Hunting Dan Adler 520-730-8147 Veteran Owned, Veteran Operated!Experience Matters!Elk, Antelope, Coues Deer ALL UNITS!Trust Matters!Local Knowledge Matters!92 140 Coues218 Strip & Kaibab ExpertsOver 300 References AvailableMelissa Bachman - Kaibab 64/17/2017 12:50:35 PM2 ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT GAME AND fish DEPARTMENT MISSIONTo conserve ARIZONA s diverse wildlife resources and manage for safe, compatible outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future GAME AND fish COMMISSIONE dward Pat Madden, Chair FlagstaffJames R.

7 Ammons YumaJames S. Zieler St. Johns Eric S. Sparks Tucson Kurt R. Davis PhoenixARIZONA GAME AND fish DEPARTMENT5000 W. Carefree HighwayPhoenix, ARIZONA 85086602-942-3000 D. Voyles, DirectorTy E. Gray, Deputy DirectorREGIONAL OFFICES REGION I2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop 85935928-367-4281 REGION II 3500 S. Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff 86005 928-774-5045 REGION III 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman 86409928-692-7700 REGION IV 9140 E. 28th Street, Yuma 85365 928-342-0091 REGION V 555 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson 85745 520-628-5376 REGION VI 7200 E. University Drive, Mesa 85207 480-981-9400 The ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AZGFD s programs or activities, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the Director s Office, 5000 W.

8 Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, 602- 942-3000, or with the fish and Wildlife Service, Attn: Civil Rights Coordinator for Public Access, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS:WSFR, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director s Office as listed publication is partially paid for through the sale of advertising. The ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT nei-ther endorses products or services listed nor accepts any liability from the use of listed products or services. COVER PHOTO BY GEORGE ANDREJKOI mportant Information for 2017-2018 This list is for informational purposes only and lists the major changes that have oc-curred since publication of the last regulations booklet.

9 Individuals should thoroughly read and understand the appropriate regulations prior to submitting an application or going afield. If you have questions, please call Lion HuntersThe ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT no longer offers Daylong shooting hours for mountain lion seasons. All seasons are Daylight shooting hours only. Keep Credit Card Information UpdatedOnline applicants are encouraged to keep their credit card payment information current. If your payment is declined at the time of the draw, your application will not be drawn. The ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT will no longer call customers to obtain payment on drawn ap-plications where credit cards have failed. Deadline for updating your credit or debit card information online is 11:59 ( ARIZONA time) Thursday, July 6, : If your credit/debit card has been used for multiple applications, please notify your banking institution that multiple charges from ARIZONA Game and fish could be processed are considered aircraft and shall not be used to harass wildlife or assist in the taking of wildlife.

10 For more specific information, please review Com-mission Rules R12-4-301, R12-4-319 and R12-4-320 located in the back of this book. Also, see Fair Chase information on page Border Suspicious Activity Homeland Security Issues along the International Border may affect the quality of a person s hunt (see page 71). Call 800-BE-ALERT to report suspicious Licenses Available for Military Spouses The ARIZONA Game and fish DEPARTMENT now offers a resident license for the taking of wildlife by the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who is permanently or temporar-ily stationed in ARIZONA . The license also will allow the spouse of an active duty member to apply for big game hunt permit-tags as a resident. PointGuard Tag Surrender, R12-4-118 Hunters may now choose to surrender their hunt permit-tag prior to the start of their hunt.