Arizona Game and Fish Department
2010-2011 Annual Report

Director’s Message
The past year was marked by a number of significant events affecting wildlife
conservation. Most notable was the worst wildfire season in Arizona’s history,
which scorched more than 1 million acres and impacted people, communities
and ecosystems. Arizona Game and Fish was proud to have provided assistance
to people and wildlife, assisting incident management teams in support of the
firefighting efforts and actively engaging in wildlife salvage and burned area
rehabilitation efforts in the fires’ aftermath.
There were a number of very positive achievements this year. The Department
launched HabiMap™ Arizona, an online GIS-based data viewer that gives a
Larry D. Voyles
visual representation of more than 300 layers of wildlife and habitat-related data.
Available to the public, this non-regulatory tool will be an invaluable source of information to help planners
take wildlife needs into consideration in the early stages of infrastructure and other development projects.
New legislation opened up hunter access to about a million acres of land on the outskirts of municipalities
that had previously been off limits to hunting. These were primarily uninhabited annexed lands not slated
for development for years, where hunting was still a compatible use of the land but not permitted through
the unintended consequence of municipal firearm discharge ordinances and existing state laws. The new laws
grant the authority to regulate the use of firearms for the take of wildlife within municipal boundaries to the
Game and Fish Commission. The Commission and Department took a thoughtful, conservative approach in
working with local authorities to implement the new laws in these areas, where safe and appropriate.
Arizonans celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Heritage Fund, which has been so successfully used in
gaining critical parcels of land for wildlife habitat. In 2011, the Commission, with funds from Heritage,
Fish and Wildlife Service grants, the Arizona Antelope Foundation, and other partners, purchased
Horseshoe Ranch north of Black Canyon City. The approximately 200-acre ranch is located adjacent to
the Agua Fria River and is surrounded by expansive desert grassland mesas transected by streams
and riparian habitat. The ranch property and associated allotments are being managed for long-term
sustainability of native wildlife populations and habitats, public access to open space, outdoor education,
recreational opportunities, and the tradition of ranching in central Arizona.
There are many other accomplishments and activities of interest described in this annual report, including
successful work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure continuation of our sport fish stocking
program for Arizonans, continued progress on a shooting range for northern Arizona, new developments
in Sonoran pronghorn conservation, and many more. I invite and encourage you to review them.
As we go forward, I would like to point out the value that wildlife and outdoor recreation bring to our
state. Aside from the intrinsic value held by Arizonans who are passionate about wildlife, there are huge
economic benefits to the state and to local communities. Hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing together
account for more than $2.1 billion in expenditures on these activities and help support jobs and provide
tax revenues to the state.
Another important economic role provided by our agency, and one not well known by most people, is
the value of the collaborative active management we undertake on behalf of wildlife. This encompasses
research and collection of sound scientific wildlife data, as well as efforts to either help recover federally
listed (endangered or threatened) species or proactive action to help prevent the need for them to be listed.
Through activities ranging from native fish conservation to active management that has helped increase
bald eagle numbers, our agency benefits wildlife and helps ensure multiple use of land and public access
to outdoor recreation.
We look forward to working with you in the coming year toward the benefit of Arizona’s wildlife and
its citizens.
Larry D. Voyles
Director

New laws reopened
hunting access to
many undeveloped
lands on the fringes
of municipalities.

Accomplishments
New laws expand hunting access
New legislation (SB 1334) in Arizona in 2011
resulted in law changes that have reopened
hunting access to many undeveloped lands
on the fringes of municipal boundaries that
were once off limits. Many of these lands had
previously been annexed by municipalities
but not slated for development for years. An
unintended consequence was that hunting
became prohibited due to state laws and
municipal firearm discharge ordinances, even
though hunting was an appropriate use of the
land. The amended laws grant the authority
to regulate the use of firearms for the take
of wildlife within municipal boundaries to
the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.
The Commission and Department took a
thoughtful, cautious approach to implement
the new laws in a manner that maintains public
safety while also providing expanded hunting
opportunities.

HabiMap™ Arizona online tool helps
proactively plan for wildlife
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has
launched an innovative new tool that utilizes
the latest mapping technology to put wildlife
data at your fingertips. HabiMap™ Arizona
is a user-friendly, web-based data viewer that

allows users to visually explore the distribution
of the state’s wildlife, wildlife conservation
potential, and stressors to wildlife. Information
available through the tool is non-regulatory and
may be useful in making decisions about our
state’s future growth by considering wildlife
early in the planning process, helping to ensure
that current and future generations have a
wildlife legacy to enjoy. HabiMap™ Arizona
is a component of the Department’s State
Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), which provides a
framework for helping to set the state’s wildlife
conservation priorities. HabiMap™ Arizona
provides a visual representation of the Species
and Habitat Conservation Guide, which
includes more than 300 layers of wildlife data
and other information to identify the conservation
potential at a statewide level. To view HabiMap™
Arizona, visit www.habimap.org.

HabiMap™
Arizona can help
planners consider
wildlife needs early
in their projects.

2010-11 annual report 1

Arizona’s bald eagles hit it
out of the park in 2011
The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service will
continue to fund
AZGFD’s sport fish
stocking program as
part of the selected
alternative in the
EA process.

USFWS to continue funding to support
Arizona’s sport fish stocking program
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
as part of the Environmental Assessment of
its proposal to continue to fund, in part, the
Arizona Game and Fish Department’s sport fish
stocking program over the next 10 years. The
FONSI decision means that the Service can
continue funding to support Game and Fish’s
hatchery operations and fish stocking activities
that provide recreational opportunities for
anglers. As part of the Selected Alternative in
the Environmental Assessment, a Conservation
and Mitigation Program will implement
actions to avoid, offset or reduce environmental
impacts of the stocking action and ultimately
contribute to conservation and recovery of
native species. Under the Selected Alternative,
funding will support stocking of sport fish at
166 sites in selected waters in the state and will
support continued operations and maintenance
of five AZGFD hatcheries that rear sport fish
(primarily trout) for stocking. The actions
in this alternative are the most comparable
to Arizona’s current stocking program.
Hundreds of thousands of Arizona residents
and nonresidents take advantage of the state’s
recreational fishing opportunities each year.
2 Arizona Game and Fish Department

Arizona’s bald eagles continue to flourish in the
state with three record breeding achievements
in 2011. Biologists declared that a record
number of breeding areas (55) were occupied,
a record number of eggs (at least 79) were laid,
and a record number of nestlings (56) fledged.
These record-breaking numbers indicate that
the species’ breeding population in Arizona
continues to grow. Bald eagle management
falls under the careful watch of the Arizona
Game and Fish Department and a coalition of
24 other partners through the Southwest Bald
Eagle Management Committee, which includes
government agencies, private organizations and
Native American tribes. Continued support
from the committee and the Heritage Fund,
generated from lottery ticket sales, will help
ensure that Arizona’s bald eagles continue to
thrive.

Online application service
reinstituted for big game drawings
The Department made available a new online
application service in early October 2011 for the
last week of the application period for spring
2012 hunts for turkey, javelina, buffalo and
bear. The new system, which had undergone
extensive testing, was rolled out at that time to
allow continued fine-tuning of the system in
preparation for the 2012 elk/antelope and fall
drawing cycles. The reimplementation of the
online service was very successful. About 37
percent (11,706) of the 31,900 applicants for
this year’s spring draw used the online service,
and more than 95 percent of those surveyed
indicated they were either “extremely satisfied”
or “satisfied,” with the other five percent
indicating they were “somewhat satisfied.”
About 95 percent said the online service was
easy to use.

Management planning begins for newly
acquired Horseshoe Ranch property
Game and Fish held a series of public meetings
in October 2011 to solicit input on proposed

management scenarios for the Department’s
newly acquired Horseshoe Ranch property.
The 200-acre property is located about an
hour north of Phoenix within the Agua Fria
National Monument. The Department, along
with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
and Tonto National Forest (TNF), also held
a public meeting in November to solicit input
on managing approximately 70,000 acres of
federal lands associated with the Horseshoe
Ranch. The three agencies have entered into an
agreement concerning the management of the
associated grazing allotments. It is envisioned
that the ranch property and allotments
would be managed toward goals of long-term
sustainability of native wildlife populations,
native habitats, public access to open space,
outdoor education and recreation opportunity,
and the tradition of ranching in central Arizona.

Outdoor Expo draws record
37,500 attendees
The Department’s 2011 Outdoor Expo drew
a record 37,500 people over the March 26-27
weekend at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility
in Phoenix. In addition, a record 4,500
schoolchildren, teachers and chaperones
attended the Expo Youth Day on Friday, March
25, for a total of 42,000 people attending over
the three days. In addition to the hands-on
activities, more than 180 exhibitors were on
hand, including sportsmen’s and conservation

organizations, government agencies, and
commercial vendors of outdoor products and
services. The Outdoor Expo is an annual event
conducted by Game and Fish to give the public
a chance to learn about wildlife-related and
outdoor recreation activities, including wildlife
viewing, fishing, hunting, archery, shooting
sports, camping, off-highway vehicle recreation,
and boating recreation.

The acquisition of
the Horseshoe Ranch
property will benefit
wildlife conservation,
recreational access,
and outdoor
education.

Landmark agreement made to
keep the Rio de Flag flowing
After four years of hard work and with escrow
closing in 2011, the City of Flagstaff and the
Arizona Game and Fish Department have
found a way to keep water flowing in the Rio
de Flag for at least the next 20 years. Since
2007, the City and Game and Fish have been
in negotiations to exchange land for water. A
historic agreement was signed in 2010 by the
Game and Fish Commission and the City of
Flagstaff, allowing the City to permanently
own Bow and Arrow Park, which it had been
leasing from Game and Fish since 1998. In
return, Game and Fish will see in-stream flows
of treated wastewater into the Rio de Flag for at
least 20 years at three significant locations. Not
only will this monumental project restore and
create riparian and wetland habitats for wildlife,
it will also provide great locations for families
and school groups to go wildlife viewing close
to home.

Grants to help OHV law
enforcement and education
The Department’s OHV program was awarded
three grants this year to allow enhanced law
enforcement and education efforts. A State
Parks Grant of $99,845 was awarded to
purchase five RZR style side-by-sides, including
law enforcement packages and trailers. These
machines will be dispersed to the different
Game and Fish regions for officers to use during
OHV patrols and details. Another State Parks
2010-11 annual report 3

grant in the amount of $136,680 will be used
to produce an OHV safety movie and 10,000
CDs for distribution to entities such as OHV
dealers, hospitals and trauma units to help the
Department promote safe, responsible OHV
use and reduce OHV collisions and injuries
in Arizona. A third grant in the amount of
$4,000 was awarded by the Governor’s Office
of Highway Safety (GOHS) to purchase eight
preliminary breath test (PBT) devices that
Department OHV law enforcement specialists
will use to enforce OHV DUIs.

No CWD detected in Arizona
deer and elk testing

The fall spotlighting
survey for blackfooted ferrets brought
record results (see
story on next page).

The Department reported no detection of
chronic wasting disease (CWD) in any of the
1,417 samples from hunter-harvested or roadkilled deer and elk during Arizona’s 2010-11
hunting season. Arizona Game and Fish has
tested nearly 16,000 deer and elk samples since
beginning its surveillance program in 1998, and
to date, none have tested positive for the disease,
although it is present in the three neighboring
states of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. The
Department remains steadfast in its sampling
efforts in high-risk areas, nearly tripling the
number of tested samples compared to last year
in Game Management Units 1, 27 and 28 (areas
bordering Utah and New Mexico). Another
improvement to the program is easy access to
test results through a web-based online system
at www.azgfd.gov/cwd that allows hunters to

4 Arizona Game and Fish Department

enter their name, phone number, permit and
hunt number to obtain results, rather than
waiting for a mailed post card with those
results.

Mentored camps for new hunters
continue to grow
In order to help maintain and grow a hunting
tradition, the Department has continued to
team up with sportsmen’s groups, gun clubs
and conservation organizations to offer firsttime hunters an experience to learn about
hunting. These camps are geared for people who
might have an interest but don’t know where
to start, and they offer a field experience and
camaraderie in a friendly, relaxed, mentored
environment. For some of these camps,
hunting is only one aspect of the camp, with
opportunities for people to also learn about
wildlife biology, target shooting, archery,
wildlife viewing, camping, and more. For a
list of camps and other outdoor activities, visit
www.azgfd.gov/outdoorskills.

Northern Arizona Shooting Range
design receives unanimous approval
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission in
March 2011 unanimously approved the master
site plan for the future Northern Arizona
Shooting Range. Approval of the site design
was a huge step towards filling the more than
40-year void for a designated shooting venue
in Northern Arizona. The approved design
reflected slight modifications from the draft
presented to the public at the open house in
early March, where more than 100 people
attended. Although more costly, these changes
were made based on input from competitive
long-range shooters and sound concerns
from Walnut Canyon National Monument.
Construction activities have begun on the
range, which will be developed in stages over
the next couple of years based on funding,
resources, weather conditions, and many other
factors.

Fall spotlighting effort brings
record ferret results
The preliminary results from the Department’s
black-footed ferret fall spotlighting survey
continue to show promise for the small,
endangered, specialist carnivore. Department
personnel, along with 99 volunteers, conducted
fall spotlighting efforts in the Aubrey Valley
west of Seligman. The results broke several
records: a total of 93 ferrets were captured,
breaking the previous mark of 78 (this number
includes recaptures), and 22 captures in one
night broke the record of 20 set in the spring
of 2011. There were 54 separate individuals
captured in the fall and 58 in the spring,
bringing the minimum population in Aubrey
Valley to 116, shattering the 2010 record of
96. The numbers have Arizona meeting the
original goals established for the recovery site,
which now boasts a self-sustaining population.
Arizona’s endangered black-footed ferret
population celebrated a triple anniversary in
2011: the 30th anniversary of the discovery of
the last black-footed ferrets, a species that was
thought to be extinct; the 20th anniversary of
the Phoenix Zoo’s breeding program to help
recover the species in Arizona; and, the 15th
anniversary of Arizona’s Aubrey Valley being
selected as a reintroduction site.

OHV Decal renewal reminders
now offered online
Game and Fish implemented a new system this
summer to electronically send out reminder
notices to OHV owners whose required annual
OHV Decals are about to expire. Simply by
signing up, OHV owners can be reminded
through an e-mail notice to renew their OHV
Decal. The Department had earlier in the year
assumed from the Motor Vehicle Division the
task of mailing out reminder notices through
U.S. mail. The new online system will save on
administrative operational costs.

Video and photos
showed that bighorn
sheep from the
important Black
Mountains herd
were using the
wildlife overpasses
on Highway 93.

Conservation
Endangered Sonoran pronghorn
return to King Valley
For the first time in over 100 years, endangered
Sonoran pronghorn are residing in King Valley
on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in
southwestern Arizona, thanks to a collaborative
effort between the Arizona Game and Fish
Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. After many years of completing
extensive public planning and interagency
coordination processes, 13 Sonoran pronghorn
(eight adult females, two bucks and three
fawn females) were released into a 0.5 square
mile captive breeding and release facility as a
newly established nonessential-experimental
population of Sonoran pronghorn in the Kofa
Refuge. By 2013, it is anticipated that the
two-year-old offspring will be released from the
facility into suitable adjacent habitat. Sonoran
pronghorn have been protected under the
Endangered Species Act since 1967, and the
United States population was on the brink of
extinction in 2002 due to habitat fragmentation,
human disturbance, loss of forage and perennial
rivers, and periods of extreme drought.

Bighorn sheep documented using
Highway 93 overpasses
Years of research, planning and development
showed signs of success in early 2011 when
video and still photographs showed that bighorn
sheep were using the recently completed wildlife
overpasses on U.S. 93 south of Hoover Dam.
The overpasses are part of a construction project
that widened an existing 15-mile section of U.S.
2010-11 annual report 5

Gould’s turkeys
have been an
amazing comeback
story and a
conservation model
worth emulating.

93 from a two-lane road to a four-lane divided
highway. The project sought to address how to
make the highway safer for motorists while also
mitigating the “barrier effect” the road might
pose to movement of one of the largest and
most important bighorn sheep populations in
the nation. A research study not only provided
information on where the bighorns preferred
to cross (from more than 100,000 data points),
it also showed they approach the highway
from ridgelines, and that overpasses would
be the best mitigation method as opposed to
underpasses, which bighorns avoid due to their
fear of predators lurking above. The project is a
collaboration between the Arizona Department
of Transportation, Arizona Game and Fish, the
Federal Highways Administration, the National
Park Service, and the Arizona Desert Bighorn
Sheep Society.

Released Gould’s turkey flies
into conservation history
With a quick flapping of powerful wings, a
Gould’s turkey flew its way into history books
on Feb. 9, 2011, becoming the 200,000th wild
turkey in the U.S. to be captured and released
6 Arizona Game and Fish Department

back into the wild. It was one of 15 Gould’s
wild turkeys trapped in the Coronado National
Forest near the Huachuca Mountains and
then transferred to Gardner Canyon. Gould’s
turkeys have been an amazing comeback story
and a conservation model worth emulating.
Once found throughout southern Arizona, they
had disappeared by the time Arizona had legal
hunting seasons in 1929. However, they have
never been listed under the U.S. Endangered
Species Act. The Gould’s reintroduction project
began as a hands-across-the border effort
with Mexico, where the first populations of
the Gould’s subspecies came from to restore
Arizona’s historic populations during the 1980s,
1990s and early 2000s. With the help of the
National Wild Turkey Federation working in
close coordination with Arizona Game and
Fish and a host of volunteers and cooperating
agencies and landowners, today Gould’s
populations can be found in six mountain
ranges throughout southeastern Arizona.

Record participation in voluntary
condor lead reduction program
The Department implemented the
seventh year of its successful free non-lead

ammunition program within the core range
of the reintroduced California condor. Hunter
participation reached an all-time high in 2011,
with 90 percent of fall Kaibab Plateau deer
hunters either using non-lead ammunition or
packing their gut piles out of the field in an
effort to reduce lead exposure in condors. This
voluntary program has achieved an 80-90
percent hunter participation rate for the past
five years and has served as a prototype for other
states. The Department also continued to work
with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
to expand lead reduction efforts into southern
Utah. A similar program in that state should
significantly reduce condor lead exposure rates
in the coming years. During 2011, three condor
chicks also hatched in Arizona, surpassing the
previous high of two wild-hatched chicks in a
year.

New guidelines aim to help develop
wildlife-compatible fencing
After years of research and development, the
Arizona Game and Fish Department has made
available its completely-revised fence guidelines
aimed at helping landowners, project managers,
land management agencies and others develop
wildlife-compatible fencing across Arizona.
Fencing is an important part of the landscape,
but while it is meeting its objectives of
keeping something out, improperly designed
or located fences can dramatically reduce the
“connectivity” of habitat and potentially cause
injury to wildlife. The guidelines focus on fence
design rather than detailed fence construction
specifications. The goal is to provide guidance in
designing a fence that will achieve its objective
with minimum impact to wildlife. Game and
Fish is working with many partners to protect
interconnected networks of large natural areas
in Arizona that support viable populations of
wildlife.

Golden eagle nest survey
In 2011, with funding provided by the Bureau
of Land Management, the Department initiated
a two-year Golden Eagle Nest Survey in order
to document the presence and distribution of

golden eagles statewide. The 2011 nest survey
effort totaled 98.1 hours of helicopter time to
survey the western one-third of the Arizona.
Significant findings include 17 new golden eagle
breeding areas, nine occupied but previously
known breeding areas, and 134 potential
breeding areas with 208 suitable eagle-sized nest
structures in varying condition. Results from
the 2011 nest survey were incorporated into
the Department’s Heritage Data Management
System to help inform project evaluations.

Hunter participation
in the non-lead
ammunition program
in California condor
territory reached
an all-time high in
2011.

AZGFD actively engages in
forest restoration issues
The wildfires of 2011 were a stark reminder of
the risks posed by unhealthy forests and the
urgent need to restore them. The Department
engaged in these challenges on multiple
fronts. As a member of the Governor’s Forest
Health Council, Arizona Game and Fish
assisted in developing policy recommendations
intended to improve forest health through
wider application of restoration treatments and
increase community awareness of these critical
issues. The Department was, and continues to
be, an active participant in the Four Forests
Restoration Initiative (4FRI), contributing
scientific and policy expertise, and supporting
a landmark Memorandum of Understanding
to facilitate this collaborative effort. When
implemented, 4FRI will be the largest forest
restoration effort yet undertaken in the western
2010-11 annual report 7

The impacts of the
2011 wildfires on
wildlife habitat
were a reminder of
the need to actively
engage in forest
restoration.

United States. Department staff also worked
with the Flagstaff Fire Department, Northern
Arizona Ecological Restoration Institute, and
the Greater Flagstaff Forests Partnership,
developing new forest restoration prescriptions
that reduce wildfire risk while also improving
habitat for wildlife.

Monitoring of Rio Grande turkeys continues
Spring monitoring of the recently-translocated
Rio Grande turkeys on Black Rock Mountain
continued this year. Four gobblers and eight
hens were observed and track sign was common
throughout the release area. There have been
reports of turkey observations more than
20 miles away from the core release area on
Black Rock Mountain. The monitoring that
has occurred since the releases have been
encouraging, and spring 2012 will see the first
hunt of this third turkey subspecies in Arizona.
8 Arizona Game and Fish Department

Game and Fish, Navajo Nation team
up on bighorn sheep translocation
Department staff in collaboration with the
Navajo Nation captured 42 bighorn sheep near
Mexican Hat, Utah on December 13 and 14,
2011. Twenty bighorn sheep (five rams and 15
ewes) were released in Peeples Canyon in Unit
16A in Arizona. Ten of these were equipped
with GPS radio collars. To aid in the recovery
of bighorn sheep in this area, the Arizona Game
and Fish Commission authorized a multiple bag
limit and use of artificial light for mountain lion
hunting in the southern portion of Unit 16A
so hunters can assist with the recovery of the
translocated bighorns. Of the other 22 bighorn
sheep captured, three went to the Navajo
Nation Zoo and Botanical Park in Window
Rock, Ariz., and 19 were radio-tagged and
released for study within the Upper San Juan
River basin.

Commission sets hunt guidelines
The proposed hunt guidelines, which set the
framework for the annual hunting regulations
for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, were
approved by the Arizona Game and Fish
Commission at its Aug. 27 meeting. The review
process for the hunt guidelines formally began
in April by soliciting public comments, followed
by a series of statewide public meetings, as well
as an online public survey. The hunt guidelines
provide the biological and social parameters
that set the management objectives for setting
elements like season structures and permit levels
for all huntable game species.

Historic first-ever state record Gila
trout caught at Frye Mesa Reservoir
The historic first-ever Gila trout record in
Arizona was caught in February 2011 from Frye
Mesa Reservoir following the stocking of these
colorful native salmonids into the reservoir
near Safford. Robert Woods of Flagstaff
caught a 19¼-inch, 3.35-pound Gila trout at
Frye Mesa Reservoir on Feb. 28 and brought
it into the Department’s Flagstaff regional
office for verification. It’s not only the standing
state record right now, it is also the first-ever
record for this native fish. The Arizona Game
and Fish Commission on Feb. 4 created the
first-ever season on native Gila trout at Frye
Mesa Reservoir in the Pinaleño Mountains in
southern Arizona. It’s a one-fish limit though
for these trout, and Department biologists
encourage anglers to practice catch-and-release
on these natives. Mt. Graham is now the only
mountain on the planet where you can fish
for native Gila trout, native Apache trout, plus
rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout. It’s
called the Mt. Graham Grand Slam.

Jaguar, ocelot sightings
confirmed in southern Arizona
The Department was able to confirm a hunter’s
Nov. 19 reported sighting of a jaguar southeast
of Tucson, after his dogs had temporarily treed
a large cat. The animal left the area after the
hunter’s dogs retreated. Based on photo and
video images, biologists believe the cat was an
adult male jaguar in good, healthy condition.

A rare ocelot was
observed and
photographed in the
Huachuca Mountains
in February.

Hair samples were collected for possible DNA
testing, and biologists are comparing the photos
and video to past jaguar images photographed
throughout Arizona to determine if the animal
has been previously documented. Four of the
last five confirmed jaguar sightings in Arizona
have been reported by hunters, who took
responsible actions to photograph the animal,
report it to the Department, and remove their
dogs from the area. The Department also
reported a rare ocelot was observed Feb. 8 in the
Huachuca Mountains in southern Arizona. A
resident was working in his yard when his dogs
began barking at a cat-like animal that quickly
climbed a tree. The man called the Department
and an officer took photos and retrieved a scat
sample before allowing the ocelot to continue
on its way.

Heritage Fund gives head start
to Chiricahua leopard frogs
Just one of the many sensitive species benefiting
from the voter-approved Heritage Fund,
which provides money from Arizona Lottery
ticket sales to benefit wildlife conservation, is
the Chiricahua leopard frog. Reductions in
the frogs’ distribution the past few decades
prompted their listing as federally threatened
in 2002 under the Endangered Species Act. To
address population declines, a team of state and
federal scientists and stakeholders developed
a species recovery plan, identifying captive
propagation and reintroductions into suitable
habitat. In 2000, Game and Fish personnel, in
cooperation with Region I fisheries program
staff, converted portions of an old, idled fish
hatchery in Pinetop to “head start” and then
2010-11 annual report 9

Eighty black-tailed
prairie dogs were
released in three
existing colonies
in southeastern
Arizona to assist in
recovery efforts.

eventually propagate Chiricahua leopard frogs.
Since 2000, more than 1,000 frogs have been
produced and released from that source into
their historic habitats. Department biologists
believe the source population for these frogs
may have disappeared, so this captive breeding
group could represent the last remnants of the
only robust White Mountains population.
Combined with other similar projects, such as
Chiricahua leopard frogs being reared at the
Phoenix Zoo’s Conservation Center, biologists
hope to continue to make progress in recovery
efforts.

Aubrey Cliffs study looks at
wind energy impacts
To assess the wildlife resources in the Aubrey
Valley area that may be affected by a proposed
wind turbine construction, the Department
conducted a raptor migration count during
fall 2011. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, migration
counts occurred on 38 days, totaling 237 hours
of observation. In total, 1,441 migrants were
counted representing 14 different species. Of
these migrants, 42.6 percent traveled through
the proposed turbine site. Results of this study
will inform the Department, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and project proponents on
the extent of potential wildlife conflicts with
10 Arizona Game and Fish Department

the proposed wind energy development in the
Aubrey Cliffs area.

Black-tailed prairie dog
releases augment populations
The Department released 80 black-tailed prairie
dogs into the three existing colonies at the Las
Cienegas National Conservation Area on Sept.
25 and Oct. 15. The black-tailed prairie dogs
were acquired from two sites. Twenty animals
were translocated from BLM land southwest of
Carrizozo, New Mexico, where a pipeline was
being constructed. Sixty animals were captured
in Sonora, Mexico, after the Department
worked closely with the Comisión de Ecología
y Desarrollo Sustentable del Estado de Sonora
(CEDES) to acquire prairie dogs that will
provide genetic variability into the existing
colonies within Las Cienegas.

Grand Canyon environmental assessments
The Department played an integral role as a
cooperator for Glen Canyon Dam High-Flow
Experimental Protocol and Nonnative Fish
Control Environmental Assessments conducted
by the Bureau of Reclamation. This effort began
in May 2010 and concluded at the end of 2011.
The purpose of these efforts was to establish
protocols to conduct high-flow dam releases to

conserve sand for beaches while minimizing
the impact of other resources within the Grand
Canyon and to evaluate methods of reducing
nonnative predators to minimize their impacts
on the endangered humpback chub and other
native species. A final environmental assessment
was published in December 2011.

Issues
AZGFD helps people and wildlife
during devastating wildfire season
Arizona suffered its worst wildfire season
on record in 2011. Massive fires such as the
Wallow, Horseshoe 2, Murphy Complex,
and Monument fires cumulatively consumed
hundreds of thousands of acres of land, burned
scores of homes, and caused the temporary
evacuation of thousands of residents in nearby
communities. During the fire season, the
Arizona Game and Fish Department assisted
in support of the various firefighting efforts,
with more than 70 wildlife officers having
worked with incident management teams or
with local law enforcement on various security
or evacuation measures. The Department
also monitored a number of its dams and
reservoirs to help with flood mitigation efforts,
established a temporary mobile wildlife triage
center in the fire area, conducted salvage efforts
of endangered fish and wildlife, donated hay
from the Sipe Wildlife Area to a local animal
rescue group that provided feed not otherwise
available to livestock that had to be evacuated
from the Wallow Fire, and coordinated with
land management agencies on Burned Area
Emergency Response (BAER) activities and
mitigation measures to allow recreational access
where safe and appropriate.

Commission takes successful rulemaking
and hunt order approach to implementing
night hunting legislation
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission on
Dec. 2 approved rules and commission orders
to implement new short-term strategic tools
that will allow hunters to help reduce predator
numbers to aid struggling pronghorn antelope
and bighorn sheep populations in specific game

management units. The commission approved
rulemaking to allow the use of artificial lights at
night for taking coyotes and mountain lions, as
allowed by new laws enacted by the legislature
last session. Arizona now joins 41 other states
that allow night hunting of predators. In
order to help struggling pronghorn antelope
populations, night hunting using white light for
coyotes, whose populations are abundant, will
be allowed in specific hunt units at critical times
of year during the spring pronghorn fawning
period (typically April, May and June). The rules
and orders adopted will allow a similar approach
for achieving temporary, local mountain lion
population reductions in certain areas to help
struggling desert bighorn sheep populations.
Mountain lions have expanded their range and
populations are currently robust and increasing
in Arizona. Since the implementation of
sound scientific wildlife management back in
the 1940s, hunting has been one of the most
effective wildlife management tools available
to biologists and to the Game and Fish
Commission.

Fatal bear attack in Pinetop
A woman was attacked by an adult male
black bear while walking her small dog in a
Pinetop subdivision late in the evening on June
28, 2011. The attack occurred not far from
a neighborhood dumpster in which the bear
reportedly had been scavenging. After receiving
emergency treatment at the site of the attack
from Pinetop Fire Department EMTs, the
woman was immediately flown to a Phoenix
area trauma center for medical treatment but
tragically died from complications several
weeks later. Game and Fish personnel from
the Pinetop Region responded to the scene
soon after the attack to secure evidence and
coordinate tracking of the offending bear. The
suspected bear was tracked and destroyed a
few hours after the attack incident by USDA
Wildlife Services personnel. Game and Fish
personnel conducted a forensic necropsy of
the bear and also sent samples to an outside
laboratory for DNA analysis, which confirmed
the bear was the one involved in the attack.
2010-11 annual report 11

Attorney’s Office in May 2011 in exchange for
having criminal charges against her dismissed.
Judge Jorgenson’s decision on the validity of the
Department’s permit adopted an earlier report
and recommendation by Magistrate Judge D.
Thomas Ferraro, who found the Department’s
permit to be valid for “take” of an endangered
species under the Endangered Species Act. Even
though the Department held a valid permit,
the Department did not authorize anyone to
initially capture Macho B. No Game and Fish
employees were charged in connection with
Macho B’s capture.

The Arizona Game
and Fish Commission
voted to continue its
support of Mexican
wolf conservation but
took a position on
new wolf releases.

Black bear attacks on people are not common,
but they can occur. The Arizona Game and Fish
Department advises campers and residents in
bear country to educate themselves on steps to
take to avoid bear and other wildlife conflicts,
including not feeding wildlife and keeping
garbage and other potential food sources
properly secured.

Court reaffirms AZGFD held
valid permit in jaguar case
Two federal judges ruled in 2011 that the
Arizona Game and Fish Department held a
valid endangered species permit, authorized by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, when the
jaguar known as Macho B was captured and
collared south of Tucson in February 2009.
U.S. District Court Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson’s
decision in March 2011 was part of a ruling
arising from defendant Janay Brun’s request
to dismiss charges against her. Brun and her
supervisor, Emil McCain, worked for the
Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project at the
time of Macho B’s capture. Neither of them
was an Arizona Game and Fish employee.
McCain pled guilty in May 2010 to violating
the Endangered Species Act with regard to
Macho B’s capture. Brun had also been charged
with violating the Endangered Species Act for
her alleged involvement in the capture, and she
entered into a diversion agreement with the U.S.

12 Arizona Game and Fish Department

Commission votes continued support of
Mexican wolf conservation, takes position
on new wolf releases
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission on
Dec. 2 voted to continue both its financial
and infrastructure support of Mexican wolf
conservation in the state, but voted not to
support the release of any new wolves in
Arizona until the federal government completes
certain critical planning measures. These
include: completion of an updated Mexican
wolf recovery plan, environmental impact
statement, and review of the 10(j) experimentalnonessential population rule. On Jan. 13, 2012,
the Commission modified its position to allow
the Arizona Game and Fish Director to consider
approval of new wolf releases, on a case-by-case
basis, to replace Mexican wolves lost from the
reintroduced population due to unlawful acts.
The Commission also gave itself the flexibility
to consider approval of wolf releases, on a caseby-case basis, to replace Mexican wolves lost
from the reintroduced population due to other
causes of mortality. The Department has been
actively involved in the multi-agency effort
to reintroduce Mexican wolves to portions of
their historic range in the east-central portion
of Arizona (and adjacent New Mexico) for
many years. The Commission and Department
support having an ecologically appropriate
and manageable wolf population in Arizona
that takes into account the concerns of all
stakeholders.

Game and Fish
and other agencies
continued to urge
boaters to exercise
safe boating practices
when on the water.

Commission eliminates pronghorn hunts
in 19B for 2011 due to access issues

2011 shows increase in
state’s boating fatalities

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 property
manager for the private ranch property, which
is a checkerboard of private and state trust land
parcels, verbally notified the Department that
the ranch was closed to public access due to a
proposed renewable energy project. The ranch
property contains a significant portion of the
available pronghorn habitat in Unit 19B. Access
to other portions of the unit had also become
restricted, with some private lands being closed
entirely and other ranches allowing access by
payment of “trespass” fees. The Commission’s
decision was made only after extensive staff
input and Commission discussion. The decision
affected the hunting prospects for 65 hunters
who would have received allocated tags. The
Commission expressed its desire to open up
a dialogue on the land access and wildlife
availability issue with stakeholders. For 2012,
the Commission authorized a limited number
of pronghorn permits for Unit 19B (five general,
five muzzleloader, and five archery-only).

Arizona experienced 10 boating-related fatalities
in 2011, the most since 2006 when 14 boaters
died. Two of the 10 fatalities resulted from
injuries sustained in accidents, while eight were
drowning victims. Of the eight, five were not
wearing life jackets. The spike in fatalities this
year has officials strongly reminding boaters
to exercise safe boating practices, including
wearing life jackets, making sure their
watercraft equipment is in good working order,
and taking a boating safety class.

Commission reduces spring 2012
turkey permit levels due to Wallow Fire
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission on
Aug. 6 set the 2012 spring hunts for turkey,
javelina, buffalo and bear, but the hunt permit
level for turkeys was significantly decreased due
to the impacts of this summer’s historic Wallow
Fire. The Commission had earlier voted (on July
8) to reduce the number of 2011 fall permits
issued through the draw for Game Management
Units 1 and 27 (a total reduction of 1,075
hunt permit-tags for fall turkey). At its Aug. 6
meeting, the Commission also set the first-ever
hunt (two permits initially) in Hunt Unit 13B
for Rio Grande turkeys, which were introduced
to Arizona in 2008.
2010-11 annual report 13

Successful rulemaking aligns the Arizona
Sport Falconry Rule with federal regulations
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission at
its December 2011 meeting approved a revised
Sport Falconry Rule that will bring the rule into
compliance with new federal regulations. Recent
changes to the federal regulations eliminated
the dual (state and federal) permitting system
and transferred falconry permit authorization
to individual states. In order to continue
permitting the sport of falconry, states must
revise rules to adopt recent federal regulation
changes and must be certified by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service by January 2014. An
internal Arizona Game and Fish team rewrote
the rule, incorporating input from public
comments and from constituents, and obtained
Commission approval of the rule, which at the
time of this writing was under review by the
Governor’s Regulatory Review Council.

Miscellaneous
Education efforts reach
school students, public
Arizona Game and Fish continued its
involvement in a wide range of education
activities to the public. More than 10,500
students in grades K-12 received instruction
through the Department’s formal wildlife
education programs in the schools. About 1,750
teachers had the opportunity to learn about the
Department’s available educational resources
at numerous fairs and workshops around the
state. Technology-based learning was also a
huge success. The Focus Wild Arizona website
received more than 23,000 visitors, and the
“America’s Wildlife: Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow” curriculum was downloaded by
over 130 educators, potentially reaching 51,000
students. Wildlife presentations were made to a
large segment of the general public in 2011. For
example, the Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center
outreach presentations reached approximately
100,000 people during the year. The
Department’s Outdoor Expo and Youth Day
drew more than 40,000 people over a three-day

14 Arizona Game and Fish Department

period. Community nature and birding festivals
brought information and education to another
6,000. The Department engaged in extensive
education efforts in other areas as well. More
than 16,000 people participated in sport fishing
educational clinics and events in 2011. More
than 3,500 students graduated from hunter
education courses. The Department offered 40
NASBLA boating safety education classroom
courses throughout the state, with nearly 600
students successfully completing the classroom
course and more than 580 completing the
online internet-based course. The Department
also launched its OHV safety education online
Internet-based course.

Dove hunters received
additional cyber help this year
Because new laws opened up approximately
one million more acres of land to hunting this
year, much of it suitable for dove hunting,
the Arizona Game and Fish Department put
together a special dove hunting page on its
website at www.azgfd.gov/dove. This page
provides tips, regulations, a map to help you
figure out where you can and cannot hunt, and
lots of other valuable information. Got a smart
phone? Now there is even a special mobilefriendly dove page; just bookmark www.azgfd.
gov/m.dove.

The Ben Avery
Clay Target
Center is now
open seven days a
week for customer
convenience.

Ben Avery Clay Target Center
now open 7 days a week
There’s good news for trap, skeet and sporting
clays shooters. The Arizona Game and Fish
Department’s Ben Avery Clay Target Center
switched over to new hours in October
and is now open seven days a week to offer
expanded opportunities for shotgun shooting
sports enthusiasts. The Clay Target Center
traditionally had been closed on Mondays and
Tuesdays. The new hours will remain in effect
throughout the year for customer convenience.
The Clay Target Center won’t switch to separate
winter and summer hours, as traditionally had
been done in the past.

After 49-year wait, rainbow trout
stockings return to Watson Lake
The last time rainbow trout were stocked at
Watson Lake near Prescott, John F. Kennedy
was still president and landing on the moon
was still seven years in the future. That changed
the week of Jan. 9, 2011, as the Arizona Game
and Fish Department received clearances from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stock
rainbow trout into the lake owned by the City
of Prescott. The clearances paved the way for
stocking trout for the first time since 1962.
Some of the trout were raised for the lake in
state hatcheries, but more than 2,000 were

diverted from Fain Lake in Prescott Valley.
The stockings will take place only in the winter
months and will be based on availability of
trout.

Game and Fish’s Heritage grants return
in 2011 with new simplified processes
Thanks to continued support from Arizona
Lottery ticket sales, the Arizona Game and Fish
Department’s popular Heritage grants program
returned after a one-year hiatus with new,
simplified processes. The Department completed
a comprehensive revision to the Heritage Fund
grants program, including the application,
eligibility, scoring, award notification and
close-out processes. The revised processes
make it easier to apply for a grant and get more
schoolchildren, teachers, administrators and
parents involved in Heritage-related wildlife
activities. Started in 1990, the Heritage Fund
was established by Arizona voters to provide
funding through lottery proceeds to further
conservation efforts in the state, including
protecting endangered species, educating our
children about wildlife, helping urban residents
to better coexist with wildlife, and creating
new opportunities for outdoor recreation. Over
the years, Game and Fish has helped local
communities through the awarding of more
than $12 million in grants across the state.
2010-11 annual report 15

Navajo Nation youth deer hunt
The Department participated and provided
mentors at the 2011 Navajo Youth Deer Hunt
in northeastern Arizona during Sept. 23–25,
2011. A total of 21 youth participated in the
hunting camp. This program is organized by the
Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife
and provides an opportunity for Navajo youth
that have an interest in hunting to engage in
the activity, even if they do not have the means
or resources to participate. This was a very
successful interchange and the youth enjoyed a
great hunt.

Awards
AZGFD professionals recognized for
conservation and education efforts
Several Arizona Game and Fish Department
employees were recognized over the past year
for their outstanding achievements in wildlife
conservation and outdoors education:

AFWA Awards
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
(AFWA), composed of state and provincial
agencies from the United States, Mexico and
Canada, recognized three Arizona Game and
Fish employees at its annual awards ceremony in
Omaha, Neb. on Sept. 13.
An honorary lifetime membership was awarded
to Endangered Species Coordinator Terry B.
Johnson (now retired), in recognition of his
three decades of “extraordinary, distinguished
service” in conservation work on behalf of
North America’s sensitive wildlife. Johnson
created and then spearheaded the formation
of Arizona Game and Fish’s nongame and
endangered program in 1983 and managed it
through 2004. Since then, he has continued to
serve as the Department’s endangered species
coordinator.
Education Branch Chief Kellie Tharp
received the Mark Reeff Memorial Award
for “outstanding young wildlife management
professional.” Tharp oversees all of the Arizona
Game and Fish Department’s educational
16 Arizona Game and Fish Department

programs, including hunter, angler, boater,
and wildlife education, as well as the Adobe
Mountain Wildlife Center. She also developed
a school curriculum, “America’s Wildlife:
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” to tell the
story of the North American Model of Wildlife
Conservation, which reached more than 22,000
students in 2010.
The Department’s Hunting and Angling
Heritage Work Group (HAHWG), under
the leadership of Wildlife Recreation Branch
Chief Craig McMullen, received the Boone
& Crockett Club Award for outstanding
achievement in promoting and encouraging
outdoor ethics. Established in 2007, the
HAHWG has focused on educating Arizonans
about the North American Model of Wildlife
Conservation and providing more recruitment
and retention opportunities.

WAFWA Awards
The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies (WAFWA), composed of 19 states,
three Canadian provinces and one Canadian
territory, recognized two Arizona Game and
Fish employees at its annual awards ceremony in
Big Sky, Montana in July.
Endangered Species Coordinator Terry B.
Johnson was honored with the Phillip W.
Schneider Lifetime Achievement Award,
one of the most prestigious and rarest of the
recognitions presented by WAFWA each year.
The award is given to recognize exceptional
long-term commitment and achievements on
behalf of fish and wildlife resources and to
acknowledge a recipient who fosters a vision and
ability to effect change for future conservation.
WAFWA awarded him with Life Member status
in the organization.
Fisheries Branch Chief Kirk Young received
the WAFWA Professional of the Year Award,
presented to an employee of a member
agency for outstanding contributions to the
management, protection or enhancement of
fish and wildlife resources. WAFWA recognized
Young’s leadership in helping resolve long-

standing sport fish and native fish issues
between the Department and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service by completing a complex
consultation under the Endangered Species Act.

Producers Gary
Schafer and Carol
Lynde won an
Emmy Award for
Arizona Wildlife
Views, the Arizona
Game and Fish
Department’s
television show.

Other Awards
At the Ninth Biennial Deer-Elk Workshop
in Albuquerque, N.M., Region 5 Game
Specialist Jim Heffelfinger received the Western
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’
O. C. Wallmo Award. The award was given
in recognition of his contributions to mule
deer research and management, as well as his
many scholarly works on the subject, which
included authoring “Deer in the Southwest.”
Heffelfinger’s leadership in ungulate
management has been exhibited for years in his
role as chair of WAFWA’s Mule Deer Working
Group.
Statewide OUI Coordinator Tim Baumgarten
received the Linda S. Kirby WATER award
from the Drowning Prevention Coalition of
Arizona (DPCA) for his outstanding work
in the community to promote water safety.
Baumgarten developed the “Wear-It” boat that
is a huge attraction at boating safety outreach
events throughout the state.
Boating and OHV Safety Education Program
Manager Ed Huntsman was named Boating
Educator of the Year at the annual conference
of the Western States Boating Administrators
Association. The award recognizes those in the
boating education field who excel in engaging
boaters, raising awareness, and making boating
education initiatives exciting and relevant.
Huntsman was one of three finalists for the
National Boating Educator of the Year award
presented by the National Association of State
Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).
He was also one of 15 people appointed by
NASBLA to the new Education Standards Panel
that will review, develop and revise the National
Boating Education Standards.
Arizona Boating Law Administrator Kevin
Bergersen received an award of recognition
from Brunswick Commercial and Government

Products, Inc., at the annual conference of
the Western States Boating Administrators
Association. The award honored his going above
and beyond the call of duty in serving the
boating community along the Colorado River
and in ensuring the success of the Colorado
River Law Enforcement Association’s training
programs.

Arizona Wildlife Views television
wins top honors at regional Emmys
Carol Lynde and Gary Schafer, producers of the
Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Arizona
Wildlife Views television show, took home the
Emmy Award in the “Environment – Program/
Special” category at the 34th annual Emmy
Awards of the Rocky Mountain Southwest
Chapter of the National Academy of Television
Arts and Sciences on Oct. 15 in Phoenix. The
award was given for excellence in a regularly
scheduled program or special on environmental
issues and topics. The winning program featured
several stories highlighting the Arizona Game
and Fish Department’s commitment to conserve
wildlife and habitat in Arizona, including a
segment on the Sonoran pronghorn program, a
segment on a wild jaguar brought from Mexico
to receive medical treatment, and a segment on
a family of Harris’ hawks that built its nest and
raised its young in the middle of a Scottsdale
neighborhood. To view past shows from Arizona
Wildlife Views television, visit www.azgfd.gov/tv.

2010-11 annual report 17

Financial Statement
Fiscal Year Revenues by Fund

2009–10

2010–11

Game and Fish Fund ................................................ $27,132,427.... 26,918,142
Watercraft Licensing Fund.......................................... 5,236,761......4,472,208
Game, Nongame Fund.................................................... 205,572..........157,478
Federal Assistance (Includes Matching Funds).......... 32,440,397.... 35,173,247
Heritage Fund.............................................................10,123,753....10,093,287
Off-highway Vehicle Fund.............................................1,471,886...... 1,528,169
Capital Improvement/Conservation Dev. Funds.................1,527,693...... 1,487,094
Wildlife Conservation Fund.......................................... 5,635,240...... 5,583,115
Indirect Cost Fund....................................................... 2,302,987......3,233,706
Other Funds (See Detail Below)................................... 3,271,876...... 2,943,175
Total Revenue All Sources.......................................$89,348,521.. $91,589,621

Other Funds Detail
GF Land and Water Conservation/
Recreation Development.................................... $349................... 218
Wildlife Theft Prevention Fund......................... 144,528............163,369
Waterfowl Conservation Fund............................ 69,769..............83,057
Wildlife Endowment Fund...................................19,213............ 114,501
Interagency Service Agreement Fund..........................0.............. 12,200
Federal Economic Recovery Fund..................... 107,134.............184,170
Trust/Donation Fund..................................... 2,705,651......... 2,182,877
Firearms Safety and Ranges Fund.............................73..................... 25
W/L Habitat and Restoration Fund.......................... 377....................... 2
Game & Fish California/Coll Stamp..............................0................ 1,635
Game & Fish Kaibab Coop................................. 43,659..............40,971
Publications Revolving Fund.............................181,054............ 160,150
Total Other Funds....................................... $3,271,806.......$2,943,175
Fiscal Year Expenditures by Fund

2009–10

2010–11

Game and Fish Fund ................................................. 31,505,473... 29,854,206
Watercraft Licensing Fund.......................................... 3,462,907...... 3,152,447
Game, Nongame Fund.....................................................311,435......... 227,594
Federal Assistance (Includes Matching Funds).......... 33,028,877.... 35,156,740
Heritage Fund.............................................................. 9,738,955.... 10,792,511
Off-highway Vehicle Fund.............................................1,152,890......1,463,328
Capital Improvement/Conservation Dev. Funds........... 2,778,750......1,890,567
Wildlife Conservation Fund...........................................5,912,414...... 5,112,333
Indirect Cost Fund....................................................... 2,435,212......2,480,281
Other Funds (See Detail Below)................................... 2,792,595......3,095,261
Total Expenditures All Sources................................ $93,119,508 .$93,225,268

Other Funds Detail		
Federal Grants.......................................................... $0..............89,436
Wildlife Theft Prevention Fund..........................119,890............182,264
Waterfowl Conservation Fund............................ 80,753............ 159,547
Interagency Service Agreement Fund..........................0...............10,185
Federal Economic Recovery Fund...................... 86,572............169,285
Trust/Donation Fund......................................2,182,672.........2,323,860
Game & Fish Kaibab Coop................................129,774................ 7,788
Publications Revolving Fund............................ 192,934............152,896
Total Other Funds.......................................$2,792,595...... $3,095,261

Calendar Year Sales in Numbers by Group

2009

2010

Licenses (see detail below).............................................457,605.........440,318
Resident Trout Stamps..................................................... 80,429........... 71,677
Nonresident Trout Stamps..................................................... 297................253
Tags (excluding special hunts)........................................ 154,443.........155,927
Misc Permits/Licenses....................................................... 3,270.............2,373
Special Use Licenses/Stamps...........................................61,311...........38,331
Two Pole Stamp............................................................... 60,755...........58,053
Resident Additional Day Stamps..........................................1,852............. 1,876
Nonresident Additional Day Stamps................................... 2,025............. 1,860
Arizona Waterfowl Stamps................................................. 5,681.............6,000
Migratory Bird Stamps......................................................44,313........... 47,488
Kaibab 12A Habitat Stamps................................................ 2,343............. 2,017
Restricted Non-permit Tags.......................................................1.................... 1
Supplemental Hunt Tags.......................................................... 46.................. 48
Companion Hunt Tags..............................................................71................ 163
Totals ............................................................................ 874,442.........826,385
Lifetime License/Stamp Sales

2009

2010

Lifetime License Sales Fish..................................................... 85.................. 62
Lifetime License Sales Hunt.................................................... 86.................. 84
Lifetime License Sales Combo................................................ 99................ 126
Lifetime License Sales Trout Stamps...................................... 56.................. 36
Wildlife Benefactor Combo License............................................1.................... 3
Totals ................................................................................... 327................ 311
Calendar Year License Sales by Category

2009

2010

Resident General Fish.................................................... 158,262......... 142,410
Nonresident General Fish.......................................................914................ 774
Family/Primary Fish............................................................4,191............. 4,975
Family/Spouse Fish............................................................ 2,028.............2,576
Family/Child Fish.................................................................1,829............. 2,241
Resident Super Fish/Trout/Urban License.........................12,772........... 12,808
Nonresident Super Fish/Trout/Urban License......................1,722............. 1,854
Resident General Hunt...................................................... 56,269........... 57,521
Nonresident General Hunt................................................ 19,443........... 19,494
Computer Family/Primary Hunt............................................. 566................ 702
Computer Family/Secondary (Spouse) Hunt.......................... 261................343
Computer Family/Youth & Child/10-13 Hunt........................1,732............. 2,012
Resident Hunt/Fish........................................................... 72,945........... 71,978
Nonresident Hunt/Fish.......................................................... 662................554
Computer Family/Primary Hunt/Fish.................................. 2,364............. 2,734
Computer Family/Secondary Hunt/Fish...............................1,307............. 1,461
Computer Family/Youth & Child/10-13 Hunt/Fish................1,597............. 1,745
Computer Super Hunt w/Stamps............................................177................ 168
Computer Super Hunt/Fish w/Stamps................................... 851................835
Nonresident 3-Day Hunt..................................................... 6,924............. 6,813
Urban Fishing....................................................................30,618...........28,696
Nonresident Colorado River Fish.........................................1,430............. 1,299
Nonresident 5-Day Fish...................................................... 9,062.............8,261
Resident Youth Hunt/Fish................................................. 23,602...........23,209
Nonresident 4-Month Fish.................................................. 8,244.............8,007
Resident/Nonresident 1-Day Fish......................................32,819........... 31,016
Resident Youth Group 2-Day Fish.............................................73................ 109
Resident General Fish Nov/Dec.......................................... 3,028.............3,234
Nonresident General Fish Nov/Dec ........................................163................ 153
Computer Family/Primary Half Fish Nov/Dec ...........................13.................. 24
Computer Family/Spouse Half Fish Nov/Dec .............................2.................... 8
Urban Fishing Nov/Dec .......................................................1,735.............2,304
Totals ............................................................................ 457,605.........440,318
Calendar Year License and Tag Sales

2009

2010

Licenses.....................................................................$17,149,131..$16,535,455
Stamps.........................................................................2,100,230......1,933,823
Tags............................................................................ 7,928,344.......7,937,130
Total Value................................................................ $27,177,705. $26,406,408
18 Arizona Game and Fish Department

Robert R. Woodhouse

Norman W. Freeman

Jack F. Husted

John W. Harris

Robert E. Mansell

The Game and Fish Commission
Under the provisions of the Arizona Revised Statutes 17-231, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission
establishes policy for the management, preservation and harvest of wildlife. The Commission makes
rules and regulations for managing, conserving and protecting wildlife and fisheries resources, and
safe and regulated watercraft and off-highway vehicle operations for the benefit of the citizens of
Arizona. In support of the Commission’s obligations, the Director, as Chief Administrative Officer,
provides general supervision and control of all Department functions and activities.
The Commission is composed of five members appointed by the Governor pursuant to ARS 38-211.
The Commission appoints the Director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the Director
serves as Secretary to the Commission. No more than one Commissioner may be from any one
county. No more than three may be from the same political party. Each Commissioner serves a
five-year term, staggered. Commissioners customarily serve as Chair during their last year.

Our Mission
To conserve, enhance and restore Arizona’s diverse wildlife resources and habitats through aggressive
protection and management programs, and to provide wildlife resources and safe watercraft and offhighway vehicle recreation for the enjoyment, appreciation and use by present and future generations.

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, (602) 942-3000, or with the U.S. 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.
2010-11 annual report 19

Arizona Game and Fish Department
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086
(602) 942-3000
www.azgfd.gov

REGIONAL OFFICES
Region I — Jon Cooley, Supervisor
2878 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop 85935
(928) 367-4281

larry D. Voyles Director
gary r. hovatter Deputy Director
robert D. Broscheid Deputy Director

Region II — Ron Sieg, Supervisor
3500 S. Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff 86001
(928) 774-5045

ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
larry riley Wildlife Management
Leonard Ordway Field Operations
JOHN BULLINGTON Special Services
ty Gray Information & Education

Region III — Bob Posey, Supervisor
5325 N. Stockton Hill Road, Kingman 86409
(928) 692-7700
Region IV — pat barber, Supervisor
9140 E. 28th St., Yuma 85365
(928) 342-0091
Region V — raul vega, Supervisor
555 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson 85745
(520) 628-5376
Region VI — Rod Lucas, Supervisor
7200 E. University Drive, Mesa 85207
(480) 981-9400