February Is A Month To Both Pause And Reflect — And To Act
February 5
Celebration Of Life
Austin Deuel
Saturday, Feb. 5
VFW Post 3513
7220 E. Wilshire Drive
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85257
February 5 through April 3
Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival and Artisan Marketplace: a 16-stage theater, an outdoor whimsical village, a 50-acre circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament, and a feast — all rolled into one nonstop, daylong adventure. Nine consecutive weekends, Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents’ Day Monday, from February 5 through April 3. The Festival runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., open rain or shine.
See more on page 1 of this issue.
February 6
Arizona’s Quail Season Flying By
Hunters need to make most of remaining opportunities.
There’s still time for Arizona hunters to take aim at some of the best wing-shooting opportunities the state has to offer — but the clock is ticking. (The general waterfowl season in the “Mountain Zone” and Desert Zone has closed.)
In the meantime, quail hunters might want to circle Sunday, Feb. 6, on their calendars. That’s when the season ends for the state’s three main species — Gambel’s, scaled and Mearns’. The general bag limit is 15 quail per day in the aggregate, of which no more than eight may be Mearns’ quail. The general possession limit is 45 quail in the aggregate, of which no more than 15 Gambel’s, scaled or California quail in the aggregate may be taken in any one day. The 45-quail possession limit may include 24 Mearns’ quail, of which no more than eight may be taken in any one day.
As a reminder, all hunters 10 and older must possess a valid Arizona hunting or combination license. Those 18 and older also must possess an Arizona Migratory Bird Stamp ($5) to hunt dove or waterfowl. Also, hunters 16 and older must possess a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp to hunt waterfowl.
February 8
Apply Now For 2022 Pronghorn, Elk Hunts
Deadline is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is accepting applications for 2022 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for pronghorn and elk.
To apply, visit www.azgfd.gov and click on “Apply for a Draw.” For an overview of the application service, including license requirements, applying for bonus points and payment information, see Page 8 of the “2022 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information” booklet. The booklet can be viewed at www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/.
The deadline for the department to receive all applications is 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.
In the meantime:
- Applicants must possess a valid Arizona hunting license (or combination hunt and fish license) to apply online for a hunt permit-tag. That license must be valid on the last day of the online application period (Feb. 8). Licenses are available online, and at any department office. When purchasing an Arizona hunting (or combination hunt and fish) license online, the license number will appear at the bottom of the customer’s receipt. Don’t throw it away! That license number will be required as part of the draw application process.
- Beginning Jan. 1, license dealers statewide no longer will sell traditional paper licenses, but many of them will offer to sell licenses through AZGFD’s online purchase system. AZGFD has provided a list of dealers offering online license purchases at www.azgfd.com/license/.
- Know your Department ID or Customer ID. This is a must to submit an application. There are four ways to locate a Department ID or Customer ID: (1) Use the new “Customer ID Retrieval Tool” that can be found either at www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Draw/, www.azgfd.com/license/ or when adding applicants when applying for a hunt permit-tag; (2) Log into your AZGFD portal account and click on “View Details” under “My AZGFD Dashboard;” (3) Check your hunting or combination hunt and fish license if it was purchased online; or (4) Call AZGFD at 602-942-3000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Check your AZGFD portal account. This is the perfect time to review your personal data, including your application history and total bonus points (bonus, loyalty, hunter education). If something seems amiss, call AZGFD at 602-942-3000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Open an AZGFD portal account. AZGFD portal accounts now are the sole source for finding out draw results and viewing bonus points. Customers are encouraged to create a portal account at accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register, as family account features are now available, and complete the required fields. Draw results no longer will be provided through the automated phone system.
- Plan to purchase PointGuard. This allows hunters to surrender their hunt permit-tag(s) for any reason without losing their bonus points. A portal account is no longer required to purchase PointGuard. Information: www.azgfd.gov/pointguard.
For more information, check out “What You Need to Know,” a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), at www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Draw/.
February 18-20
AYC’s “First in the Nation” Leukemia Cup Regatta (LCR) raises funds to fight the number one cancer in children, during their biggest event of the year, the AYC Birthday Regatta, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18-19-20, 2022.
See more on page 1 of this issue.
