Arizona: Comments Sought on Reptile, Raptor, Amphibian and Mollusk Regulations

PHOENIX - The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking public comments on draft 2009-2010 regulations for reptiles, raptors, crustaceans and mollusks, and amphibians.

Public comment will be accepted until August 22. If warranted, public meetings on the proposed changes to these commission orders may be held in Phoenix, Tucson and/or Flagstaff. Most of the proposed changes being considered for the 2009-2010 commission orders involve raptor regulations. Highlights include: 

• Removing western screech owls from the list of legal raptors harvested due to low demand, and the inability of the species to take game animals.
• Removing adult capture of American kestrel and great horned owls to adhere to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act during the spring when these species may have young in the nest.
• Increasing season dates for raptor capture pending final publishing of the Federal falconry regulations.
• Combining the four gender-specific peregrine falcon hunts into two hunts due to the inability to accurately sex nestlings.
• Adding limitations to the harvest of nestling to adhere to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

To see the draft commission orders, visit the department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/comments.

For more information, call (623) 236-7500. To provide written comments, send correspondences to: Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, Arizona 85086, or by e-mail to: CommOrd25@azgfd.gov (Raptors); CommOrd41&43@azgfd.gov (Amphibians and Reptiles); and CommOrd42@azgfd.gov (Crustaceans and Mollusks).

Washington: WDFW to Enforce Law Requiring Removal of Aquatic Plants from Boats and Gear

OLYMPIA, Washington - With summer in full swing, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is reminding recreational boaters that they are legally required to remove all aquatic plants from their boats and trailers before driving away from the launch ramp.

Those that fail to do so could face a $378 fine.

Washington state law makes it illegal to transport aquatic plants that may be dispersed unintentionally along roads and highways. The law, which is being enforced as of July 4 to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, especially applies to recreational boaters whose vessels and gear get entangled with plants while in the water, said Bruce Bjork, chief of WDFW’s enforcement program.

“If boaters don’t remove all plants before they leave the ramp, they can easily spread into other bodies of water when the boat is launched again or if they’re dislodged when traveling,” Bjork said. “Noxious weeds such as milfoil are typically spread to lakes on boat trailers and fishing gear. Controlling the extensive spread of milfoil alone has cost the state millions of dollars.”

Several other aquatic invasive plants such as hydrilla and Brazilian elodea are also showing up in Washington, which could cause further problems for native species and habitat, Bjork said.

“Enforcing the law is an important preventative measure in stopping their spread,” Bjork said.

To inform the boating public before the new enforcement action went into effect, WDFW officers conducted several educational patrols over the past year at boat launches throughout the state.

Washington: Results Available for Special Hunt Drawing

OLYMPIA, Washington - Hunters who submitted applications for a 2008 special-hunt permit can check the results of this year’s drawing on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website.

The results of the random, computerized drawing were verified July 11 and are now available for viewing at http://198.238.33.69/.

More than 60,000 hunters submitted 134,000 applications for this year’s special hunts for species including turkey, big horn sheep, mountain goat, moose, deer and elk. Holders of the special permits can hunt at times and locations beyond those authorized by a general hunting license.

In addition to posting results of the drawing on its website, WDFW will notify successful applicants by mail. Those with hunts beginning in August will also be contacted by phone.

For more information on special hunt permits, see the WDFW Big Game Hunting rules pamphlet at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/hunter/hunter.htm

Arizona: Fall Draw Results Now Available for Big Game Hunters

PHOENIX - The 2008 fall big game draw process is complete and applicants can now find out if they’ve been drawn by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/draw.

Applicants can obtain draw results for deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep, buffalo and bear hunt tags by providing a department ID Number (usually the applicant’s Social Security number) and date of birth. Draw results are also available by telephone at (602) 942-3000.

Game and Fish officials said that hunt permit-tags will be mailed out to successful applicants no later than Aug. 22 (archery deer tags will be mailed out earlier).

For those individuals who were unsuccessful in the draw or didn’t submit an application, don’t despair - there are leftover tags for deer, turkey, and juniors-only javelina. Applications for more than 3,000 deer tags, more than 350 turkey tags, and more than 2,000 tags for juniors-only javelina hunts will be accepted by mail only on or after 8 a.m. (MST) on Aug. 11, 2008. For a detailed listing of leftover permits, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw or call (623) 236-7702. For those who qualify, there are military hunts available for Fort Huachuca. Call (520) 533-2549 for additional information.

Hunters are also reminded that fall turkey tags for juniors-only can be purchased over-the-counter at any department office or license dealer. Also, predictions are good to excellent for the dove season that begins Sept. 1. Dove hunting is a great way to introduce young and new people to hunting. Other dates to remember include Oct. 3 for the opening day for quail and squirrel seasons, and Tuesday, Oct. 14 for the anticipated deadline to submit applications for the spring draw for javelina, turkey, bear and buffalo.

Hunting and fishing continues to be the cornerstone and a primary source of funding for wildlife management and conservation in North American. In Arizona alone, more than 418,000 hunters and anglers spend $3.8 million a day, or $1.3 billion per year participating in these activities to the benefit of local economies. Regardless of whether one chooses to actively participate in hunting or angling, people interested in wildlife and its future should understand the role sportsmen play in conservation.
Note to media: The big game draw is a lottery-style process for allocating the limited number of Arizona big game hunting permits to applicants. The first-come permit system allows individuals to apply for any leftover big game hunt permit-tags not issued during the normal drawing process.

Georgia: Fall Alligator Hunting Season Set

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Georgia - Georgia remains a popular destination for alligator hunters given the available healthy population of more than 200,000 gators. For the past six years, thousands of applicants have competed for a chance to participate in a quota hunt, and the number of applicants continues to grow each year. The deadline for this year’s applications is July 31. For those selected, the season runs September 1 - October 7.

“Georgia’s alligator population is monitored annually. It remains a renewable natural resource that has shown it can sustain a regulated harvest on an annual basis,” says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “This is a unique hunting opportunity in Georgia that also allows hunters to provide additional funding for wildlife conservation through the purchase of hunting licenses and associated hunting equipment.”

Interested hunters must complete a quota hunt application online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com before midnight July 31 (the application period opened June 1, 2008). Hunters receive their selection status by e-mail and those selected get a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August. All hunters may attend a voluntary training session. During these sessions, wildlife experts provide information on safety, capture and handling techniques, processing and more.

Last fall, 553 permitted hunters harvested 140 alligators. Introduced in 2003, alligator hunting continues to gain interest, with nearly 4,400 applications submitted last year, a 42 percent increase from 2006.

WRD Biologists conduct annual surveys enabling the agency to monitor populations and make management decisions. Since the inception of this hunting opportunity (2003), the population has remained stable, suggesting additional flexibility in the areas that can be hunted and the number available for harvest.

In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly connects the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of wetland habitats in the wild including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. They also occasionally inhabit ditches, drainage canals, golf course ponds and swimming pools. Male alligators grow up to 16 feet in length, while female alligators rarely surpass 10 feet. Large alligators weigh more than 800 pounds. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.

For more information on the 2008 alligator hunting season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (229) 426-5267.