Arizona Game & Fish Department’s
WILDLIFE NEWS
Dec. 2, 2002 Vol. 50 No. 47
EDITOR: Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214, raikens@gf.state.az.us, Marijke Van Fleet at (602) 789-3377, mvanfleet@gf.state.az.us. or Eric Boardley at (602) 789-3223, eboardley@gf.state.az.us.
THIS WEEK'S STORIES
Commission Considering Hunt Guidelines
Monster Pike Crushes Standing State Record
Bald Eagle Closures Begin
Tempe Town Lake Gets 2½ Tons of Trout
Note: The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes they have been discriminated against in any Game and Fish program or activity, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the Game and Fish Deputy Director, 2221 W. Greenway Rd., Phx., AZ 85023, (602) 942-3000 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the Game and Fish Deputy Director as listed above or by calling TTY at 1-800 367-8939.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is considering the draft “Guidelines and Recommendations for the 2003-2004 Hunting Seasons” during the Saturday portion of its two-day meeting in Phoenix Dec. 6 and 7.
The commission meets in the Arizona State Fairgrounds Wildlife Building on McDowell and 17th avenues in Phoenix starting at 8 a.m. both days. The proposed hunt guidelines are the first agenda item for the Saturday portion of the meeting.
Game Branch Chief Tice Supplee explains that the Arizona Game and Fish Department annually solicits public review and comment concerning the hunting seasons. To facilitate this public review, the department annually publishes the department’s “Guidelines and Recommendations” for the hunting seasons.
The guidelines are used by department wildlife managers to prepare their hunt recommendations that will ultimately come back before the commission at its April meeting when it sets the 2003-2004 Hunting Regulations.
“Additionally, specific direction from the Arizona Game and Fish Commission is incorporated into the guidelines, such as allocating 2.5 percent of the general and muzzleloader pronghorn antelope permits to juniors-only hunts,” Supplee explains.
At this point in the process, department wildlife managers are provided the opportunity to recommend changes to the hunting structures that differ from previous year hunts. Those recommended changes are included in the packet commissioners are reviewing Dec. 7.
After the commission reviews the “Guidelines and Recommendations,” the document will be posted on the Game and Fish Department’s Web site at azgfd.com. Copies will also be distributed through direct mailings to interested individuals.
The department will also be conducting public meetings at various locations throughout the state in January and February on the “Guidelines and Recommendations.” Last year, more than 300 people attended those meetings.
Public comments on the “Guidelines and Recommendations” will be accepted by e-mail and letter until March 1, 2003. Those public comments will be provided to all six regions for consideration when preparing the final hunt recommendation package. The final hunt recommendation package will be presented to the commission at its April 12, 2003 meeting in Phoenix.
Some of the draft “Recommendations and Guidelines” the commission is considering include, but are not limited to, the following:
· A new commission order is recommended for establishing population management hunts in accordance with a new commission rule.
· Allocate 5 percent of the total elk permits for juniors-only hunts.
· Rotations for elk this year will be: early general bull in Hunt Units 4A, 7, 23S, and 27; muzzleloader bull in Units 1, 3A/3C, 5A, and 22S; and archery bull in Unit 21.
· Remove the second late bull elk hunt in Unit 10.
· Establish a CHAMP Season in Unit 3B for antlerless elk;
· Two-percent of the general deer permits will be juniors-only.
· During the January archery deer hunt, change the legal wildlife from “any deer” to “any antlered deer” in Hunt Units 28, 30B, 32, 33, 34A, 34B, 35A, 36A, 36B, 36C, 39, 40A, 41, 42, 43A, 43B, 44A, and 44B.
· Evaluate the biological need and social acceptance of an antlerless deer hunt in Unit 12AW.
· Remove the December and January archery antlered deer season in Unit 27.
· Change the general, juniors-only and muzzleloader pronghorn hunts from four-day to six-day hunts, except in Units 15A and 15B, 19B, and 30A.
Turkey
· Juniors-only hunting opportunities will be offered at levels comparable to previous years. Season dates will coincide with the general fall and spring seasons.
· Close the fall season in Unit 6.
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A monster northern pike weighing 29.86 pounds caught out of Long Lake east of Flagstaff on Thanksgiving Day crushes the standing state record of 24 pounds, 11 ounces set May 29, 1999 at Lake Mary.
However, the new state record pike does not become official until certified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Branislav Djuric of Mesa caught the behemoth pike that measured 44–inches long at Long Lake east of Flagstaff while using eight-pound test line with a 12-inch long plastic lure resembling a fish. Djuric brought the special pike lure from his home country, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The big pike was actually four inches shorter than the existing state record for pike set in 1999. Djuric’s pike is not the typical streamlined northern, said Game and Fish officials, but had a drop belly that is more typical of largemouth bass. “It was probably full from gobbling up stocked rainbow trout,” says Public Information Officer Rory Aikens, who helped weigh the incredible catch.
Djuric was fishing Long Lake with his friend, Adnan “Eddie” Brkic, of Tempe, who is also from Bosnia. He was fishing around some stumps using a stop-and-go action when the giant pike ambushed the big plastic lure.
Using only eight-pound test, Djuric had to race up and down the shoreline for approximately 45 minutes following the fish as it ran or otherwise the monster would have broken his line. He finally worked the big fish into shore where his friend Eddie helped him land it.
This pair of veteran big pike anglers from Bosnia caught around 45 northerns that same day, with the smallest around six pounds, using the big lures from their native country. This was their third trip to Long Lake to fish for big pike.
After their experience fishing here, Eddie said that now they want to try some of the hunting opportunities in Arizona. “We want to try everything. This is a great place,” he says.
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Media Note: Digital pictures of the pike are available on request from Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214, raikens@gf.state.az.us, or Marijke Van Fleet at (602) 789-3377, mvanfleet@gf.state.az.us.
Attention Outdoor Recreationists:
14 Bald Eagle Closure Areas going into Effect
Outdoor recreationists need to be aware that fourteen seasonal breeding closures for nesting bald eagles are going into effect in various areas of Arizona, advised the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
In December, Arizona bald eagles start rebuilding nests in preparation for laying eggs. It is this time when the land and wildlife management agencies enact the seasonal breeding area closures (December to June) on Tonto Creek, the Salt and Verde rivers, and Alamo, Pleasant, Becker, Lynx and Luna lakes.
“Seasonal closures have become an essential management tool by protecting the bald eagle breeding cycle during the time when they are most susceptible to human activity,” said Bald Eagle Program Manager James Driscoll.
Driscoll explained that bald eagles no longer breed in the “wild” of Arizona because the rivers and lakes where they nest, forage, and roost have become some of Arizona's favorite outdoor recreation areas.
“Human activity near active bald eagle nests can cause the breeding pair to leave their eggs uncovered, leading to a failed breeding attempt. It can only take 30 minutes for a breeding attempt to fail,” Driscoll explained.
At many of these sites, contractors from the Arizona Bald Eagle Nestwatcher Program monitor the breeding area daily to protect the breeding attempt, educate the public, and identify situations where intervention may be needed to save nestlings in life threatening situations.
“With your help and cooperation, we can all take responsibility for ensuring that Arizona bald eagles breed successfully,” Driscoll said.
· Sycamore Canyon and Verde River – No foot or vehicle entry, but boating through is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 15. This is a U.S. Forest Service closure. Please contact the Coconino National Forest, Sedona Ranger District for more information: (928) 282-4119.
· Camp Verde - Below Beasley Flat – No foot or vehicle entry is allowed but boating through is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 15. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Prescott National Forest, Verde Ranger District, for more information: (928) 567-4121.
· Mule Shoe Bend - Boating is allowed, but no stopping in the river or landing on the shoreline is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District: (480) 595-3300
· Below Horseshoe Dam near Davenport Wash – Depending on bald eagle activity, there is no vehicle or foot entry on the southwest side of the river from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District: (480) 595-3300.
· Below Bartlett Dam and Riverside Campground – No foot or vehicle entry is allowed, but boating through the area is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District: (480) 595-3300.
· Needle Rock Recreation Area - No vehicle or foot entry is allowed on the east side of river. Floating through is allowed, but no stopping in the river or landing is allowed on the east side of the river from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Cave Creek Ranger District: (480) 595-3300.
· Below Stewart Mountain Dam – Depending on bald eagle activity, no vehicle or foot entry on south side of the river is allowed but floating through is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Mesa Ranger District: (480) 610-3300.
· Horseshoe Bend to Redmond Flat – Boating through is allowed, but no stopping in river or landing is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Globe Ranger District: (928) 402-6200.
· Below Gisela to 76 Ranch – No vehicle, foot entry, or floating through is allowed from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Tonto National Forest, Tonto Basin Ranger District: (928) 467-3200.
· Lower Agua Fria arm – No vehicle, foot entry, or boats – Dec. 15 to June 15. This is a Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department closure. Please contact Lake Pleasant at (520) 501-1710 or the Game and Fish Nongame Branch: (602) 789-3500.
· Becker Lake – Depending on the bird's activity, a portion of the lake may be buoyed off to boats, and a portion of the shoreline may be closed to foot entry from February through June. This is a Game and Fish Department closure. Please contact the Nongame Branch: (602) 789-3500 or the Game and Fish Region I in Pinetop: (928) 367-4281.
· Upper Alamo Lake – Depending on the bird's activity and lake levels, a portion of the upper lake may be closed to boats from January to June. This is a Game and Fish closure. Please contact the Nongame Branch: (602) 789-3500 or the Game and Fish Region IV office in Yuma: (520) 342-0091.
· East Side of Lynx Lake – No vehicle or foot entry will be allowed and a portion of the lake will be closed to boats from Dec. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service/Game and Fish closure, contact Tonto National Forest, Tonto Basin Ranger District: 928-467-3200, the Nongame Branch: 602-789-3500 or the Game and Fish Region III office in Kingman: (928) 692-7700.
· North Side of Luna Lake – No vehicle or foot entry is allowed from Jan. 1 to June 30. This is a Forest Service closure. Please contact the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Alpine Ranger District: (928) 339-4384.
If you are visiting bald eagle country, an advance call to the local land management agency (USFS District, etc.) or Game and Fish may help you plan your trip so that you won't disturb bald eagles. By following these simple guidelines we can all help ensure that our living wildlife legacy will persist for generations to come.
· Enjoy bald eagles from outside the closures, especially during critical nesting times (December to June). These areas are posted with signs and/or buoys and most have daily nestwatch monitors. Anyone approached by a nestwatcher and asked to cease an activity or leave a closed area should comply. A good place to see bald eagles without disturbing them is during December and January at Lake Mary and Mormon Lake near Flagstaff, or on the Verde River Canyon Train in Clarkdale.
· Bald eagles protecting an active nest will let you know if you are too close. If a bald eagle is vocalizing and circling the area frantically, you are too close and need to leave the area quickly. Bald eagles incubating eggs or brooding small young should never be off the nest for more than 15 minutes.
· Pilots should maintain the FAA recommended 2,000-foot AGL advisory when flying over bald eagle habitat along the Salt and Verde rivers, Lake Pleasant, and Alamo Lake. These areas are designated on the Phoenix Sectional Aeronautical Map. Special brochures for pilots regarding this advisory can be obtained by calling the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Game and Fish Department’s Nongame Branch.
· Help from anglers is especially needed. Monofilament and tackle has killed two nestlings, and has been found in two-thirds of all bald eagle nests in the state. Every year we remove this potentially lethal material from nests and/or entangled nestlings. Ospreys, shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds also succumb to this litter. Do not discard any type of monofilament along rivers and lakes, but recycle it at fishing stores. Keep your monofilament fresh; do not use old brittle line. Make sure to use the correct test line for the fish you are trying to catch. Also, do not cut the line when an undesirable fish is caught and return it to the water with the hook and line attached.
You can help bald eagle research and recovery efforts by reporting any harassment or intentional shooting of bald eagles. Call the Game and Fish Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700 or USFWS Law Enforcement.
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It’s time to grab your fishing poles to catch some trout close to home this holiday season – the Tempe Town Lake is now stocked with 15,000 rainbow trout, including some “incentive-sized” fish weighing more than a pound.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department stocked Tempe Town Lake recently with 2.5 tons of feisty rainbow trout, with the last load going into the water on Monday, Dec. 2. From December through January, weather and water conditions permitting, Game and Fish plans to stock this 224-acre fishery with another 15,000 catchable-sized trout.
There are also 13 other species of fish thriving in the Tempe Town Lake, including bass, catfish and sunfish.
Remember, to fish Tempe Town Lake you need an Arizona fishing license, such as a Class F (combination), Class B (Four-Month Non-resident), and Class D (one day). Anglers with Class A licenses will also need a Trout Stamp. Tempe Town Lake is a state license fishery, and urban fishing licenses are not valid there.
For more information, please consult the brochure “A Guide to Fishing” that is available at the Tempe Town Lake Operations Center or online at www.tempe.gov/lake. Some area stores also have the information.