Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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We all have our own reasons to celebrate. Of course to many of us, it's the "C" in Christmas. We wish you a merry and meaningful one, followed by a Happy New Year. Beyond the religious focus of December, we celebrate the gifts of outdoors: the season for ducks and quail and crappie for the hunting and fishing folks. We also find joy in time-honored traditions such as Christmas-tree cutting with family and friends, the beautiful lighted-boat parades, visits to our national and state parks during... Full story
Boaters across the country are getting ready to put their boats to bed for a long winter's nap, but not every boat owner knows all the secrets of winterizing a recreational boat. Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) shares some quick tips to ensure safe storage until next season. 1. California, Florida and Texas have the most engine winterizing claims. Boaters in northern climates know to winterize but all it takes is one deep freeze in a normally balmy state to cause major dama... Full story
This will be the last regular fish report from Lake Powell this year. We have been fall sampling, and when we finish sampling, there will be reports to update everyone about what the fish are up to in this most unusual year. Weather was cold in the springtime and continued into the summer, moisture was above normal, and runoff was strong bringing the lake up 53 feet. Something happened during this strange weather period that the fish really liked. Shad reproduction was unprecedented. Bass and... Full story
The late season runs through Jan. 5, 2020. Arizona dove hunters will be able to double their wing-shooting pleasure now that the state's "second" season has begun. Unlike the 15-day season that began Sept. 1, the late season lasts 45 days and runs through Jan. 5, 2020. There still is a 15-bird daily bag limit, all of which must be mourning doves. The possession limit remains 45 mourning doves after opening day, of which no more than 15 may be taken in any one day. As always, there is an... Full story
I saw a great meme the other day: It said, "Quit saying I'm hard to buy for – you know where the gun store is!". Made me laugh and also made me realize that gift-giving season is almost upon us. If you've got a shooter or two on your list, here are some ideas from stocking stuffer to splurge. SSP Eyewear SSP Eyewear is known for great shooting glasses, and their newest offering is the Methow Kit with six different interchangeable lenses plus the ability to accept an adapter for prescription l... Full story
One of the best things about enjoying the outdoors is that you can do it no matter what your age or activity level is, and it doesn't matter if you live in town or out in the country. When I was a kid, I was lucky enough to live near a big desert area in town, and my dad regularly took us out camping and hunting, but even if I were just hanging around the house, I could lie on my belly in the grass and watch the bugs and the birds in our backyard. So, whether you're looking for a gift for a... Full story
Publishers Note: This article was first published in July 2016. However, the projects continue and always need more volunteers. Please Contact Don McDowell (Arizona Dear Association) for information on volunteering opportunities at don@huntingfishing.com. Each year, Arizona's conservation groups help raise close to $2,000,000.00 through the auction and raffle tags for all of the big game species in Arizona. There are two tags that are auctioned and one tag that is raffled for each of the big... Full story
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) recently recognized three individuals from Arizona as well as the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) for their dedication to advancing wildlife conservation. The awards were presented at the association's annual awards ceremony held in late September in St. Paul, Minn. Doug Burt AZGFD Hunting and Shooting Sports Program Manager Doug Burt and the Arizona Game and Fish Department received the Boone and Crockett Award, which honors an agency... Full story
US Border Patrol and The Border Battle Is Real Since 2017, Don McDowell and staff have made 3 trips to the border checking out the devastation by immigrants and concerns by ranchers. We are going back in December with the Pinal County Sheriff's office to review what's going on at the wall and infiltration by illegal immigrants. Below are pictures taken at the last rally at the border sponsored by the CBD. On the left is the new border wall with a fairly large apron. This is done on purpose. The... 
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A first for Central Arizona shotgun athletes: The Arizona Senior Olympic Games for Sporting Clays will be on Sunday, December 8th at Picacho Sporting Clays, located at 6185 E. Baumgartner Rd., Eloy, AZ 85131. Open to anyone over 50, regardless of residency, this clay target sports venue will consist of a 100-target competition that is a fun shoot format, not a National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) event. However, this event will follow the rules of a NSCA tournament. Medals are awarded per... Full story
On Sunday, Dec. 1 the National Park Service's Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center near Lees Ferry closed for the season. The Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center will re-open next spring. The Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center is located on Highway 89A on the west side of Navajo Bridge, near Lees Ferry, Ariz.... Full story
AZ Lakes, AZ Pros: Daniel Pecotte At RooseveltDaniel Pecotte of Holbrook has been fishing for bass Roosevelt for many years, and he says that winter is the trickiest time – it's harder to get them to eat. The fish move out deeper and school up, so when you find them you usually find a bunch, but since their metabolism is so slow in the winter, they don't attack a lure the way they might in the summer. Pay Attention To find them pay attention to areas where they don't have to go far to feed, s... Website
Does your Towing Safety Management System know? Recently, an investigation of a towing vessel marine casualty (loss of propulsion) revealed several gaps in the implementation of the vessel’s Towing Safety Management System (TSMS). The identified TSMS gaps were: 1) causal to the incident, and 2) a direct result of a poor TSMS-to-TSMS transition during the chartering of the vessel. Background: The ownership and operational management of ships is notoriously difficult to clearly understand. The c... Full story
Taxes Paid By Boaters Will Fund Boating Programs The explosive growth of paddlesports - including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing - has local, state and federal governments working to ensure there's plenty of paddler access, including paddlecraft-only launches that make it easy to launch a kayak, increasing efforts to ensure paddler safety, and minimizing user conflicts with traditional boaters. The question is, who pays for it? Under a nearly seven-decade-old federal funding mech... Full story
PHOENIX, December 13, 2019 - For Immediate Release. Today the USDA Forest Service released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Pinto Valley Mine project for public review and comment. The mining plan of operations submitted by Pinto Valley Mining Corp. proposes to expand existing open-pit copper and molybdenum mining operations from private lands onto National Forest System lands. The proposal would extend the mine life to 2039 and consolidate prior authorizations that are re... Full story
Editor's Note: Each year as Christmas approaches, three sparkling boat parades launch the holiday spirit. Although there are other wonderful and similar events throughout the Southwest, the following -- in chronological order -- have endured as favorites of our readers year after year. Lake Havasu City's Boat Parade Of Lights The Annual Boat Parade of Lights is in its 37th year and has been the must-see event of the holiday season, occurring December 6 and 7. Lake Havasu City's Boat Parade of... Full story
Where do women sailors go to learn? The answer is a place where they can enjoy the camaraderie of other women sailors, learn from top instructors both on the water and in the classroom, and have plenty of fun. For 30 years that place has been the Sailing Convention for Women presented by Gail Hine, to be held next on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020 at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, Calif. Something Meaningful For Everyone "The Convention gives women an opportunity to meet other women... Full story
TowBoatUS San Diego responds to an incredibly strange distress call caused by a one-in-a-million missed waypoint. "There are not many times I can say it after 30 years as a towboat captain, but this was a first," says Capt. Rob Butler, owner of the TowBoatUS San Diego. Butler was describing his company's recent response to a 26-foot power boat stuck inside a deep sandstone cave along a southern California cliff wall. Butler's company is one of more than 300 locations across the nation that... Full story
BILL OF RIGHTS DAY, TOMORROW, Dec. 15, IS IN BIG TROUBLE 4th, 5th, 6th And 10th Amendments Also Under Assault For years, only 2A Folks Payed Attention An increasing number of Americans are becoming aware of an ignored "holiday," formerly the purview mainly of gun activists and Second Amendment supporters-the day the Bill of Rights was ratified, Dec. 15, 1791. Articles 3 through 12, proposed amendments to the then new U.S. Constitution, were renamed and became the U.S. Bill of Rights. A landmark... Full story
Outdoor Recreationists, Pilots And Drone Operators Asked To Avoid Bald Eagle Nest Areas Arizona's bald eagles are back and they will soon be working on the next generation of eagles at breeding sites statewide. To assist with the state's continued bald eagle population growth, the Arizona Game and Fish Department encourages outdoor recreationists, aircraft pilots, drone operators and motorized paragliders to do their part by not disturbing the state's 89 eagle breeding areas. As such, some... Full story
The general waterfowl and snipe seasons in the "Desert Zone" (Game Management Units 10 and 12B through 46B, and those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Yavapai County) runs through Jan. 26, 2020. Meanwhile, the general waterfowl and snipe seasons in the "Mountain Zone" (Game Management Units 1-5, 7, 9, 11M, 12A, and those portions of Units 6 and 8 within Coconino County) continue through Jan. 12, 2020. The following are legal wildlife in both Mountain and Desert zones: ducks, including mergansers... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is pleased to be offering two FREE teacher professional development opportunities over the winter break. Both take place in north Phoenix and last 4 hours. So, if you are looking for some exciting learning opportunities or you just want to get out of the house, check out the information below. Building Literacy with Wildlife, Monday, December 30, 9am-1pm Join us for an engaging, hands-on workshop that will introduce educators to practical techniques and... Full story
The National Fish Habitat Through Partnership Act Was Included In This Conservation Legislation Alexandria, Va. – December 17, 2019 – Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) passed bipartisan conservation legislation that includes several wins for the recreational fishing industry, such as authorization of key national and regional fisheries programs and protections for traditional fishing tackle. America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (S. 3051) was intro... Full story
Winter moisture improves overall brood survival. Truth be told, Arizona's quail hunters are also weather wonks - always checking the forecasts, particularly during the winter months, their fingers crossed that the wet stuff is on the way. After all, good doses of timely precipitation that time of year are what give the state's Gambel's and scaled quail populations a much-needed boost, which usually points to better hunting in the fall. Case In Point: Winter 2018 "Unlike the past few years, when... Full story
A wildlife biologist from the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) will be available to answer questions about local game management at two locations: •Dec. 3: 4-6 p.m., AZGFD regional office, 7200 E. University Drive, Mesa. •Dec. 4: 6-7:30 p.m., Chasin’ A Dream Outfitters, 612 S. Beeline Highway, Payson. The public is invited to bring questions and engage in one-on-one conversation about game management. In addition, hunt recommendations for 2020 and 2021 pronghorn, elk, fall turkey and p... Full story
