Constituents can provide input on game management direction
Phoenix, AZ -(AmmoLand.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Department has scheduled six public forums to meet with constituents about developing the 2016 fall hunt recommendations for deer, bighorn sheep, turkey, javelina, bison, bear, mountain lion, and small game animals.
The department annually makes recommendations to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission regarding the management of game species for the annual hunting and trapping regulations, which establish the seasons, dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag allocations based on the framework of the hunt guidelines set by the commission every two years.
The meetings will be conducted from 6 to 8 p.m. at these Game and Fish regional offices:
- Tuesday, Feb. 23: Kingman, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
- Thursday, Feb. 25: Flagstaff, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
- Thursday, March 3: Yuma, 9140 E. 28th St.
- Thursday, March 3: Mesa, 7200 E. University Drive
- Monday, March 7: Tucson, 555 N. Greasewood Road
- Tuesday, March 8: Pinetop, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
Constituents who are interested in specific game management units within those regions will have the opportunity to discuss management direction.
“The meetings allow sportsmen and other members of the public to stay informed and provide input on the hunt recommendations,” said Amber Munig, big game management supervisor. “We will be discussing the direction for the recommendations based on survey data, harvest rates and the hunt guidelines. We won’t be proposing permit numbers at this point, but we will generally discuss where permit numbers might be headed.”
After the public forums have been completed, the final proposed draft hunt recommendations will be made available for public review at several regional open houses and posted on the department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines in late March.
The final fall hunt recommendations will be presented to the commission for consideration at its April 9 meeting in Phoenix.
To learn more about the hunt recommendations and hunt guidelines processes, visit www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.
About the Arizona Game and Fish Department:
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is the state agency charged with conserving the entire range of wildlife within our borders, from big game such as elk and deer to smaller mammals, reptiles and fish. The Department is one of the nation’s leading proponents of the “North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” which relies on sound science, public participation, active habitat management, strict regulation and active law enforcement to sustain wildlife populations.
For more information, visit: www.azgfdportal.az.gov.