Wild About Arizona

Founded in 1957, the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (BASF) is one of the largest publicly operated shooting facilities in the country. Our world-class shooting range is a City of Phoenix Point of Pride. It has received a Five Star rating from the National Association of Shooting Ranges. This means that it is the best of the best at providing a quality recreation experience and is the first government facility to receive this designation. Learn more about the facility today in our podcastas we speak with Chris DeChant the Ben Avery Shooting Facility Operations Manager. Learn more at www.azgfd.gov/basf

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

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

The largest hands-on outdoor expo in Arizona is set for March 25-26, at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. March 25-26, Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Admission and parking are free! On this episode of Wild About Arizona we sit down with Scott Lavin from the Arizona Game and Fish Department to talk about everything from wildlife exhibits and family fishing tanks and trying out firearms in a safe, controlled environment on the range at the expo. Find out more: www.azgfd.gov/expo

In Arizona there's a new and modern way to tag your animal when hunting, all done from your smartphone. On this episode of Wild About Arizona we sit down with Luke Thompson, Habitat, Evaluation and Lands Branch Chief to talk about electronic tagging and the new Arizona e-tag mobile app. Find out more: Arizona E-Tag FAQ's (PDF)

The bald eagle in Arizona has experienced significant population increases since the species was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1978, when only 11 breeding pairs had been identified within the state. Today there are more than 90 known breeding territories in Arizona. On this episode of Wild About Arizona we sit down with Arizona Game and Fish Department Raptor Management Coordinator, Tuk Jacobson to discuss bald eagles and where you could catch a glimpse of one. Find out more on our website: www.azgfd.gov