Arizona Draft Hunt Guidelines Now Available Online for Review
Arizona Game and Fish Department 05.28.13
Arizona Game and Fish Department has completed a first draft of the revised hunt guidelines, incorporating public input received this year. The draft is available online for public review at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.
Comments from the public regarding the draft hunt guidelines are welcome, and may be submitted through June 12, 2013 by email to azgamebranch@azgfd.gov, or by mail to Hunt Guidelines, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.
The hunt guidelines provide the biological and social parameters used by wildlife managers to formulate the annual hunt recommendations (season structures, season lengths, season dates, permits allocated, etc.) and results in the hunts in which sportsmen, women and children participate. While hunting opportunity is important, wildlife is held in the public trust, and using science-based principles in shaping the guideline process remains paramount to assure healthy, sustainable, and diverse wildlife populations in perpetuity.
“We’d like to hear your ideas, thoughts, suggestions and concerns about this draft of the hunt guidelines,” said Big Game Management Supervisor, Amber Munig. “We are looking for the best ways to offer great hunting opportunities, while also maintaining healthy game populations.”
The department is hosting nine public meetings from late May through early June, during which the draft hunt guidelines will be presented. There will also be time for questions and opportunities for the department to gather additional public input. The draft hunt guidelines, public meeting input, and all public comments will be compiled and shared with the Arizona Game and Fish Commission at the June 14-15, 2013 commission meeting. Final proposed hunt guidelines will then be prepared and posted on the department’s website before being presented for consideration to the commission at its September 6-7 meeting in Pinetop.
The public meetings run from 6-8 p.m. and are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
- May 28, Sierra Vista, Sierra Vista Police Department, 911 N. Coronado Drive
- May 29, Tucson, International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W. Gates Pass Road
- May 30, Mesa, Arizona Game and Fish Region 6 office, 7200 E. University Drive
- May 31, Payson, Payson Public Library, 328 N. McLane Road
- June 3, Yuma, Arizona Game and Fish Region 4 office, 9140 E. 28th St.
- June 4, Prescott, Yavapai County Administrative Building, 1015 Fair St.
- June 5, Flagstaff, Arizona Game and Fish Region 2 office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
- June 6, Pinetop, Arizona Game and Fish Region 1 office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
- June 7, Kingman, Arizona Game and Fish Region 3 office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road