Wild About Arizona

There are an estimated 5,800 black bears in Arizona living in the higher elevations of the state, and today we are joined by April Howard, a predator, furbearer and large carnivore biologist with the department to discuss bear activity and how to avoid unwanted encounters with black bears.

 

 

Click HERE to find out more about Black Bears in Arizona 

Have you ever thought about getting involved in hunting, but didn't know where to start? Small game hunting could be the perfect fit, and to find out why, we spoke with Small Game Biologist Nathan Fyffe to learn more about how to get started and what you should know before heading out into the wild.

 

 

Check out the links below for more information on the Small Game Challenge and dove hunting opportunities in Yuma:     Small Game Challenge Registration with Valley of the Sun Quail Forever (VOTSQF):  https://www.votsqf.com/small-game-challenges.html AZGFD's Web Page for the Small Game Challenge:  https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/hunt-draw-and-licenses/species-hunt-information/small-game-challenge/ Dove Hunting in Yuma: https://www.yumadovehunting.com/

Since 2020 the Arizona Game and Fish Department has sold over half a million fishing licenses, with hundreds of locations across the state to enjoy fishing. As our temperatures ramp up for the summer, host Michael Colaianni sits down with Chase Newlon, a Fishing Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation Coordinator, to discuss summer fishing opportunities in northern Arizona and how to fish effectively after the sun goes down.

 

 

Visit our fishing page:  www.azgfd.gov/fishaz

 

It is springtime in Arizona and it's great to go out and experience the outdoors as the days warm up, well, snakes, lizards and other reptiles are getting out in the warm temperatures as well!

Host Michael Colaianni talks with Tom Jones, our Amphibians and Reptiles Program Manager about rattlesnakes and other critters you might encounter out on the trails.

 

Learn more about living with wildlife on our web site!

The Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo is the largest event that the department puts on each spring on the grounds of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility.

The event gave host Michael Colaianni a chance to talk with Officer Micah White about off-roading and OHV riding safety, but first he talks about tortoises and our Desert Tortoise Adoption Program with Tegan Wolf.

 

Learn more about   tortoise adoption and OHV recreation

All animals move across the landscape to varying extents in order to acquire the resources necessary for survival: food, water, protective cover, and mates and can roam over vast expanses that can encompass thousands of acres.  Barriers such as roads, urban areas, and railroads can affect each of these movement patterns and may pose a threat to the long-term persistence of wildlife populations

 

Maintaining a natural network of connected landscapes also benefits our human population, perhaps most obviously through increased public safety. Creating wildlife-friendly over- and underpasses can greatly reduce the likelihood of collisions.

On this episode, we get an update from Jeff Gagnon on new projects in the works with AZGFD and partner organizations.

 

 

Learn more about   wildlife habitat and connectivity

They're Back! Host Ben Avechuco welcomes Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne back to the program. Find out about wildlife viewing events you can enjoy all year long. Starting with winter, we step through the seasons and talk about the wildlife you can see in Arizona throughout 2024.

 

 

Visit our wildlife viewing page:  azgfd.gov/wildlifewatching

Host Andy Clark talk trout and so much more with Chase Newlon, the fishing recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) coordinator at the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Alec Young, the R3 coordinator Arizona game and Fish and Trout Unlimited. This podcast features a fall fishing forecast for 2023!

 

 

Visit our fishing page:  www.azgfd.gov/fishaz

The Sonoran desert is home to hundreds of species of butterflies and boasts some of the best butterfly watching in the country along with fascinating migration patterns that create a butterfly highway through the state. On this episode of Wild About Arizona we sit down and spread our wings with Cheri Boucher of the Arizona Game and Fish Department to learn about the importance of the Monarch Butterfly and how special it is. 

 

Visit our web site:  www.azgfd.gov

Taluissnails, Mountainsnails, Woodlandsnails and Ambersnails are just a few of the over 200 native species of mollusks found across Arizona. On this episode, Jeff Sorensen, the Invertebrate Wildlife Program Manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department helps us get to know more about our slimy neighbors.

 

Visit our web site:  www.azgfd.gov