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From the Arizona Game and Fish Department GOULD'S TURKEY REINTRODUCTION UPDATE: An aerial survey in the Chiricahua Mountains by Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists shows high survival rates for the Gould's turkeys released in early April. Fourteen of the 39 released turkeys were radio-tagged. The radio-tagged turkeys were located in three distinct flocks. Only a single mortality signal was detected. Post-release turkey survival has been higher than that observed in many past Gould's releases. The area immediately surrounding the release site has good water and roosting habitat. Predation has not been an issue yet. LOST BOY FOUND: Game and Fish officer Dan Caputo assisted with the search for a lost 6-year-old boy in Unit 5A near Flagstaff. There were 38 Forest Service employees, four Coconino County Sheriff's deputies, a Department of Public Safety helicopter and a Coconino County Search and Rescue unit involved in the search. Officer Caputo's team located the boy. The little boy was very scared but happy to see his mom. BEAR RELEASE: Wildlife Manager Brian Anthony released a rehabilitated bear in the Mount Ord area. The bear came from the Southwest Wildlife Center. Two other bears captured this past summer will not be ready to go until fall. One young bear tested positive for valley fever. KAIBAB TRIBE HELP: Game and Fish Department biologists are working with the Kaibab Paiute Tribe to find funding to enlarge and enhance a trout pond located on the reservation. Department personnel also worked with the tribe on its annual fishing clinic in Moccasin, providing fishing poles and tackle. Approximately 50-60 kids and adults participated in the event. BOAT KILLS BEAVER: Wildlife Officer Heather Jaramillo met with Bullhead City Animal Control about a dead beaver that washed up on the shore of the Colorado River. The beaver had its tail cut off. The tail was found on the porch of a residence along the river. It was determined that a boat propeller killed the beaver. LOUSY FISH SURVEY: Game and Fish Department biologists Jeremy Voeltz and Laura Lutz led crews into Larry Creek and Lousy Canyon to monitor reestablished native fish populations. The crews consisted of personnel from Game and Fish, the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and volunteers. The two sites on the Agua Fria National Monument were stocked with Gila chub in 1996. Lousy Canyon was stocked with Gila topminnow and desert pupfish in 2000 and 2001. Native fish populations at both sites are thriving. Lowland leopard frogs, black hawks, zone-tailed hawks and a speckled rattlesnake were also observed during the surveys of these rugged areas close to Phoenix. PHEASANT SURVEYS: Game and Fish biologists Mike Sumner and Bob Henry conducted pheasant surveys in the Yuma Valley. The results from the pheasant surveys are not extrapolated to give a population estimate but rather are used as an indicator of the population trend. Each of our two routes in the Yuma Valley was run twice. They averaged about 20 and 12 pheasants heard. This is on par with data from the previous year, thus suggesting a stable population. Permits for next season should stay the same at 80 general permits (two tags each) and 20 juniors permits (also two tags each but juniors may take any pheasant). MOUNTAIN LAKE SURVEYS: Arizona Game and Fish spring surveys at mountain waters show that trout carryover from last year's stockings was good at Woods Canyon and Willow Springs lakes. Both lakes should continue providing good fishing. Carry-over was not as good at Bunch Reservoir near Greer, Becker Lake in Springerville or Luna Lake near Alpine. However, those lakes have been stocked with catchable-size trout since the surveys were conducted. WILLOW LAKE PRONGHORN: The Willow Lake pronghorn herd near Prescott continues to concentrate on the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Reservation. However, bucks are dispersing to grassland patches among the residential housing and golf courses. Fawning should start any time. DESERT TORTOISE FORAGING STUDY: Game and Fish biologists, a Smithsonian Institution researcher and paid contractors conducted a desert tortoise foraging study at Sugarloaf Mountain on the Tonto National Forest near Fountain Hills. Part of the study involves recording plant species that tortoises consumed compared to the plants available to them. The Smithsonian Institution will compare nutrient compositions of selected and non-selected plants in the laboratory. ADOPT-A-LAKE: Wildlife officers Tim Pender and Troy Christensen assisted the Ash Fork Development Association with its first-ever Ash Fork Stone Dam clean-up project. The cleanup was part of the Game and Fish Department's first "Adopt-A-Lake" program. Twenty-six volunteers from the Ash Fork area participated in the project. The 104-acre property, including Stone Dam, was recently deeded over to the Ash Fork Development Association by developer John F. Long. CANYON CREEK PROGNOSIS: Mesa Regional Fisheries Program Manager Jim Warnecke did a walk-through survey at Canyon Creek, which was severely impacted by the Rodeo-Chediski Fire last summer. Flows from spring run-off appear to be up and are providing some flushing of the silt deposited during last summer's monsoon rains. The U.S. Forest Service is closing public access to roads in the area because of safety concerns and burnt timber removal, therefore there will be no trout stocking at Canyon Creek this summer season. Fish and habitat surveys are planned to assess existing trout populations in the stream and vegetative regrowth in the riparian area. BIOLOGISTS MONITORING BLACK CANYON LAKE: Game and Fish biologists have taken water samples at Black Canyon Lake and will continue monitoring the water quality. This popular fishery is located in the Rodeo-Chediski Fire area. The water quality at the lake is OK at this time, and it has been stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout this year. However, the lake's watershed was burned severely last summer. The lake is accessible and full. The boat ramp is in the water. ADOPT-A-RANCH: Game and Fish personnel assisted with the Adopt-A-Ranch cleanup at the Grounds Ranch. The Bullhead 4-Wheeler Club has participated in the Arizona Game and Fish Department sponsored event for seven consecutive years. Approximately 15 volunteers participated. One commercial size dumpster was filled with a multitude of debris and a pickup truck was filled with used tires. The rancher, Hub Grounds, appreciated the effort. LEES FERRY SAFETY INSPECTIONS: Game and Fish Department officer Garrett Fabian assisted the National Park Service with watercraft safety inspections at Lees Ferry. Thirty-five boats were inspected. Five boats had safety violations. KAIBAB PIPELINE PLAN: Game and Fish personnel are working with the Kaibab National Forest, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Tusayan Sanitary District to provide a pipeline to 12 wildlife waters on the west side of Unit 9. The delivery system to the wildlife waters will rely on treated effluent. BALD EAGLE BANDING ON RESERVATION: Game and Fish Department eagle biologists James Driscoll, Kenneth Jacobson and Jorge Canaca hosted 10 Bureau of Indian Affairs endangered species coordinators during a bald eagle banding trip on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The BIA coordinators learned about the successful relationship between the Native American Tribes and the Game and Fish Department in managing the bald eagles. They also learned about other Arizona bald eagle management programs and witnessed the banding process. COLORADO RIVER PATROL: Arizona Game and Fish Department officers patrolled the Colorado River. The weather was cool and windy, resulting in moderate boating activity. Officers contacted 126 watercraft containing 439 users. Citations were issued for 18 watercraft violations. Officers also checked 321 anglers, issuing 23 citations. That equals a compliance rate of 91 percent. In addition, 26 off-highway users were contacted and four citations issued. KANAB AMBERSNAIL SURVEYS: On April 10-23, the Invertebrates Program, volunteers from Research and Nongame branches and various volunteers from outside agencies conducted Kanab Ambersnail surveys throughout the Grand Canyon. Surveys went as planned. WILLCOX FOUR- WHEELERS HELP: Arizona Game and Fish Department personnel worked with the Willcox 4x4 club doing a clean up along Long Hollow Road, which is on Holcomb's Squaw Creek Ranch. Richard and Karen Holcomb thanked the club's members for their work. This club also worked along the Rattlesnake Mesa Road. The club has adopted both roads. Game and Fish is placing Adopt -A-Ranch signs on each road. UPPER VERDE PATROL: Wildlife officers Scott Poppenberger and Bill Ough patrolled the Prescott area lakes and the Upper Verde River Wildlife Area. Angler activity was high on the lakes and catch rates were good. Several citations were issued for fishing without a license. Off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity was high and several citations were issued to OHV operators driving in the closed riparian area. ALAMO BURRO SURVEYS: Wildlife Manager Dave Conrad conducted feral burro surveys in the Alamo Herd Management Area (HMA) with the Bureau of Land Management. A very preliminary look at the numbers indicates the population appears to be down from the previous survey as a result of burro removals. The density of burrows east of Alamo Dam is greatly reduced with very low current year reproduction. Conversely, the area west of Alamo Dam has a high density of burros with moderate current year reproduction. Burro removals west of Alamo Dam may be more difficult because of poor access and rough terrain. PLEASANT & SAGUARO PATROLS: Game and Fish officers conducting boat patrols at lakes Pleasant and Saguaro checked 488 anglers and 414 boats, writing 85 fishing and 49 boating citations. Two operating under the influence (OUI) boaters were arrested: one on Saguaro Lake and one on Lake Pleasant. One person was arrested on a felony warrant. One personal watercraft was seized. QUIGLEY POND PIPELINE: A Game and Fish Department crew installed 4,300 feet of 18-inch pipeline to convey water from the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation District drainage canal to the Quigley Wildlife Area ponds. The Irrigation District provided critical assistance by lending an excavator and operator for clearing and digging the trench. The pipeline replaced an earthen ditch that had become an ongoing maintenance problem. This project was paid for by Heritage funds. The Heritage Fund was created by a voter initiative in 1990 to conserve Arizona's natural, cultural and historic resources. Since the fund's inception, the Game and Fish Department has awarded more than 500 grants totaling over $25 million. |
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