The use of OHV’s, or off highway vehicles, like ATV’s and side by side's, is exploding across the west, including here in Arizona. However, as the number of people out enjoying themselves on the trails increases, safety becomes a bigger and bigger priority. To learn more about what you can do to keep you and your family safe while out riding, Kim Jackson, AZGFD's boating and OHV safety education program manager, joins the show to teach basic safety tips and more.

 

 

Click HERE to find out more about OHV riding in Arizona

 

On this episode of Wild About Arizona, host Michael Colaianni chats with Game & Fish Commissioner Marsha Petrie Sue about the monumental role the 5-person panel plays in making high-level decisions for the department.

 

 

Click HERE to find out more about the Arizona Game and Fish Commission

If it improves outdoor recreational opportunities or helps restore wildlife habitat, you can bet the Arizona Game & Fish Department is on board. On this episode we chat with Dan Sturla, AZGFD landowner relations and habitat enhancement program manager, to learn more about the role the department plays in providing hunting opportunities across the state. We also discuss the $24.5 million grant recently awarded to the department to conduct several large-scale land conservation projects to improve wildlife habitat and protect watersheds.

 

 

Click HERE to find out more about how we protect habitat and recreational opportunities in Arizona 

Jeff Meyers and Cheyenne Towne back are back! They bring our wildlife viewing program to life here at the department. Find out our about wildlife experiences you can enjoy and how to sign up for events we hold online and in person!

 

 

Visit our wildlife viewing page:  azgfd.gov/wildlifeviewing

Anne Justice-Allen is the agency's wildlife veterinarian and she joins us to discuss her role here at Arizona Game and Fish, and how the hunting community can help the department monitor the threat of chronic wasting the disease on wildlife populations in the state.

 

 

Click HERE to find out more about wildlife health in 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