Drawing results now available for Arizona’s fall big game hunts

Drawing results now available for Arizona’s fall big game hunts
Many prime Coues deer tags and others remain; offered first-come, first-served

PHOENIX – Let the planning begin. The drawing results for Arizona’s 2011 fall big game hunting permits are now available at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/draw. Draw results are also available by telephone at (602) 942-3000 by selecting option two.

The more than 107,000 applicants, an increase of 3 percent from last year, can find out if they were issued a permit-tag for deer, fall turkey, fall juniors-only javelina, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo, or pheasant by providing their sportsman’s ID and date of birth.

Game and Fish officials report that hunt permit-tags will be mailed out to successful applicants no later than Aug. 12 (archery deer tags will be mailed out earlier). Refunds for unsuccessful and rejected applicants will be mailed out to applicant “A” no later than Aug. 23 (less application fees).

For those individuals who missed the drawing application deadline or were unsuccessful in getting a permit-tag, there are more than 5,767 hunt permit-tags remaining. These remaining tags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and include more than 4,600 deer tags, more than 700 fall turkey tags, and nearly 400 tags for the juniors-only fall javelina hunts.

There are two methods to obtain a leftover tag. Applications will first only be accepted by U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) beginning at 8 a.m. (MST) on Aug. 1. Starting on Aug. 8 at 8 a.m. (MST), hunters can obtain a leftover tag in person at any of the seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices. A list of office locations is available at www.azgfd.gov/offices.

For a detailed listing of leftover permits which includes hunt number, number of permits available and unit number, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw  and click on the “Leftover Permits for 2011 Fall Hunts” link under the “2011-12 Arizona Hunting and Trapping Regulations, season dates and drawing information” section.

Hopi hunts with leftover tags are available to everyone, tribal and non-tribal members. For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Fort Huachuca. Call (520) 533-8763 for additional information.

For those that applied for a fall turkey permit in unit 1 (hunt number 4501) or unit 27 (hunt number 4518), there was a reduction in permitted tags issued through the draw compared to what was listed in the regulations. On July 8, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted to reduce the number of permit-tags by 1,075 permits due to the Wallow Fire. The commission action was taken after the application deadline, but before the draw was processed.

Hunter clinics and seminars

Getting prepared and planning for an upcoming hunt is almost as fun as the hunt itself. It’s also the most important. Many of the local hunter conservation groups are hosting hunting clinics to teach the basics, all the way up to how to score a trophy. Many of these clinics offer biology and ecology of the species; hunting tips and techniques; knowledgeable guest speakers, and other great information from experienced hunters. The popular hunting clinics are open to all, not just tag holders, and include:

July 30: Arizona Elk Society Elk Hunting Clinic Aug. 13: Arizona Deer Association Hunting Clinic Sept. 24: Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society Clinic

For more details on these clinics, upcoming hunting camps for first-time hunters, and events hosted for families and juniors-only hunts, visit www.azgfd.gov/outdoorskills.

Note to media: The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds to operate. Wildlife conservation and management of the state’s game animals, which also benefits many non-game species, is made possible through a user-pay, user-benefit system. Funding from the direct sale of hunting and fishing licenses, big game tags, and matching funds from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (a federal excise tax that sportsmen pay on a variety of hunting and angling related equipment) remain the primary sources for funding wildlife conservation in North America.

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source from : azgfd.net