Hunting

PHOENIX -- Whether you won or lost when you bought a lottery ticket last year, some of your money benefits Arizona's wildlife and students. That's because the Arizona Game and Fish Department uses some of its Heritage Fund monies that come from Arizona Lottery ticket sales to provide grants for wildlife education and research. This year, more than $410,000 is being awarded to 27 grant projects across Arizona. When combined with matching money from other sources, the projects being funded total nearly $1 million invested in Arizona. "By simply buying Arizona Lottery tickets, Arizonans can help conserve wildlife and habitat, and provide schools with outdoor-related opportunities that can keep kids connected to nature despite the reduced budgets of local schools,"…

After careful review and consideration, Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore has chosen to allow all tags drawn on June 23rd for controlled hunts in Idaho to be awarded to those whose license numbers were chosen. To compensate for the tags that went to youth hunters under the age of twelve, the Director will release 283 additional tags to be drawn for those deer, elk and pronghorn hunts which have a limited number of tags. All existing applicants who were eligible prior to July 1 will be included in that draw. The additional tags are being released in response to hunters who felt their chances of drawing a tag were diminished by the entries of 9 to 11 year olds.…

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a two-day discussion in Billings, July 14-15, on issues related to a bison conservation and management plan for Montana. FWP has assembled a diverse group of interests and a number of state and community leaders to participate in the facilitated gathering in Billings at the Big Horn Resort, 1801 Majestic Lane. The meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m. on July 14 and end at 4 p.m. on July 15. This is the second gathering of interested parties. The first meeting, held last September, was intended to build trust and understanding among groups and individuals as they candidly discussed and examined bison conservation and management issues and the…

NO WAIT SURPLUS NONRESIDENT ELK AND DEER HUNTING LICENSES ON SALE There's no wait for nonresidents still hoping to purchase a license to hunt deer and elk in Montana this fall. A number of first-come first-served surplus licenses, good for antlered deer and elk in most hunting districts, can be purchased online or over-the-counter at any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks office. Nonresident surplus hunting licenses available include: Montana's big game combination license for $971, the elk combination license for $821, and the deer combo for $575. Montana's nonresident combination hunting licenses allow one to hunt for deer and/or elk and include season conservation, fishing, and upland game bird licenses; and the hunting-access enhancement fee. Montana's big game archery season…

You may have seen the news that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), along with other anti-hunting groups and individuals, filed a petition with the Interior Department demanding rules against hunting with traditional ammunition on public lands - one-fifth of the total land area in the U.S. We warned this was coming after their playbook was discovered. After all, this is the same HSUS that is run by Wayne Pacelle, who has made his goals known: "If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would." (The Kingman Daily Miner, 30 December 1991). "We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States. We will…

Amendments would enhance hunting and fishing opportunities in Arizona PHOENIX -- The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously today to support two amendments proposed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014, to support hunting and sportfishing opportunities in Arizona and across the nation. "Senator McCain continues to be a leading advocate for maintaining and strengthening the state's wildlife management authorities, " said Game and Fish Commission Chair J. W. Harris. "The commission's support of these two important amendments to the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act is a testament to the Senator's passion for wildlife and commitment to Arizona sportsmen. " The amendments, filed yesterday, deal with National Parks Service wildlife management (including bison at Grand Canyon)…

DURANGO, Colo. -- This is the time of year when wild animals give birth to their young and Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks that you not approach, touch or handle young animals. "We know that people are trying to be helpful, but the young animals are best cared for by their own parents," said Renzo DelPiccolo, area wildlife manager in Montrose for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "The best thing people can do is to leave young wildlife alone." During spring and early summer, people often see young animals that appear to be alone in the forest, in backyards, on or near trails or along the sides of roads. "The animals have not been abandoned. Young animals are often left alone…