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Drawing Results For Arizona Elk & Pronghorn Hunts Now Available
Permits remaining issued first-come, first-served beginning April 25.

Drawing Results For Elk & Pronghorn Hunts Now Available

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- The drawing results for Arizona’s 2011 elk and pronghorn antelope big game hunts are now available.

The more than 120,000 eager applicants can find out if they were drawn for the limited permits by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/draw or by calling (602) 942-3000 and selecting option two.

Hunt permit-tags for successful applicants, and refunds for unsuccessful or rejected applicants/applications (less application fees), will be mailed out no later than April 22.

For those individuals who missed the draw deadline or were unsuccessful in getting a permit-tag, there are more than 600 leftover tags remaining. Remaining tags are available on a first-come, first-served basis and include more than 600 elk tags and 4 pronghorn antelope tags. Leftover tags in Hopi hunt open areas are available to everyone (tribal members and non-tribal members) through the first-come, first-served process.

There are two methods to obtain a leftover tag. Applications will be accepted by mail only beginning at 8 a.m. (MST) on April 25. Starting on May 2 at 8 a.m. (MST), hunters can purchase a leftover tag in person with an application at any of the seven Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.

For a detailed listing of leftover permits, the 2011 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklet (see pages 8-12 for draw and first come process), and other drawing related information, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw.

For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Camp Navajo, call (928) 773-3274 for additional information.

Important information regarding 19B pronghorn antelope hunts.
Hunters who applied for pronghorn antelope in Game Management Unit 19B, hunt number 2022 (50 general permits) and 2054 (15 archery-only permits), are reminded that the Arizona Game and Fish Commission has canceled all the 2011 antelope hunts in this unit due to the loss of public access onto the Chino Grande Ranch.

With the elimination of these two hunts, the draw program processed any choices with these hunt numbers as if all the tags had been issued and moved to the applicant’s next choice for all drawing passes.

Hunters are reminded, that while there are no pronghorn antelope permit-tags allocated for Unit 19B, the unit remains open for all other hunting seasons; however, access, and areas to hunt may be limited due to the closure of the Chino Grande Ranch.

The details from the March 23 public commission meeting on this issue are available at www.azgfd.net/artman/publish/NewsMedia/Arizona-Game-and-Fish-Commission-eliminates-pronghorn-hunts-in-19B-for-2011.shtml.

Fall draw and hunt recommendations
The anticipated application deadline for remaining fall hunts (deer, bighorn sheep, fall buffalo and others) is the second Tuesday of June. A preview of those hunt recommendations will be available for the public to view at six open houses in April. The recommendations will also be available at the Game and Fish website beginning Saturday, April 2 at www.azgfd.gov/huntguidelines.

Open houses are from 3-5 p.m. at the following locations and dates:

• Thursday, April 7 – Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road
• Monday, April 11 – Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Blvd.
• Tuesday, April 12 – Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road
• Tuesday, April 12 – Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St.
• Wednesday, April 13 – Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road
• Thursday, April 14 – Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive

Hunting and angling are the cornerstones of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. These activities continue to be the primary source of funding for conservation efforts in North America. Through a self-imposed excise tax on hunting, angling and shooting sports equipment, hunters and anglers have generated more than $10 billion toward wildlife conservation since 1939. The Arizona Game and Fish Department does not receive any of the state’s general funds to operate.

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Arizona Game And Fish Commission Eliminates Pronghorn Hunts Because Of Private Property Concerns
Faced with the loss of access, Arizona Game and Fish Commission eliminates pronghorn hunts in 19B for 2011.

Arizona Game And Fish Commission Eliminates Pronghorn Hunts Because Of Private Property Concerns

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Faced with the loss of public access to a vast area of Game Management Unit 19B north of Prescott, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission on March 23 decided to cancel the pronghorn antelope hunt there prior to the big game draw for the 2011 season.

The commission’s decision affects the hunting prospects for 65 hunters who would have received allocated tags.

Commission Chairman Robert Woodhouse said, “There have been closures of other hunt units for a season or more based on biological reasons such as severe winter die offs, loss of habitat due to fires, etc. … but this was the first time a decision was made to eliminate hunt tags due to public access closures. This was a difficult decision made only after extensive staff input and a long discussion by the commission.”

During the discussion, commissioners pointed out that this was a “no-win situation” for the commission, the department, and for the hunters who applied for the general and archery pronghorn antelope hunts in Unit 19B this fall, but the commission was compelled to do what was most fair to all concerned.

Late last week, the property manager for the Chino Grande Ranch, which is a checkerboard of private and state trust land parcels, verbally notified the department that the ranch is now closed to public access, due to a proposed renewable energy project. Access to other portions of the unit has also become restricted, with some private lands being closed entirely and other ranches allowing access by payment of “trespass” fees.

The Chino Grande Ranch contains a significant portion of the available pronghorn habitat in 19B, and its lands also hold the greatest density of pronghorn numbers in the unit.

The deadline to apply for the upcoming draw was Feb. 8 and the draw results are pending, giving the commission only days to modify the affected hunts without affecting thousands of other hunters.

There are 4,780 people who applied for the 65 pronghorn antelope hunt permits in the two hunts (one general hunt and one archery hunt) scheduled for 19B. Game Branch Chief Brian Wakeling said “the antelope hunts in 19B are some of the most coveted in the state.”

The commission also considered reducing the number of permits in the hunt but after significant discussion, the members felt that option would do a disservice to those who applied, as the area left open for 2011 would differ substantially from that available when hunters applied in February.

With the elimination of these two hunts, the draw program will treat any choice where these hunts were selected as if all tags had been issued and move to the applicant’s next choice. The draw examines first and second choices primarily and then third, fourth, and fifth choices secondarily. The majority of the commissioners felt that to be the most equitable approach.

The commission also expressed its desire to open up a dialogue on the whole land access and wildlife availability issue with land management agencies, county governments and stakeholders to include hunters, anglers and other recreationists. At issue is access to public lands and state trust lands and the management of public resources, such as wildlife and fish.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

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