Arizona Regulations

[Whip]

Am I just getting too old to figure this stuff out anymore? I have a long awaited AZ elk tag and I'm trying to read up on the hunting regulations. All I've been able to find is 30 pages of legalize language showing the applicable laws toward the end of the regulation booklet.

Isn't there some plain language explaination of what is required? I'm not even certain how to fill out the tag if I do get lucky. And what about proof of sex? Is just having a tag attached to a rack evidence? Or do they want sex organs attached to a part of a quarter like many other states do?
All I've found so far is clear as mud.

What am I missing? Trying to read through everything online and find what I'm looking for is a challenge. I miss the old days of paper booklets written for a common man to understand without hiring a lawyer.

 

[zmatters]

Arizona elk tags are divided into antlerless or antlered. No further proof of sex is needed. Attach carcass tag to antlers as shown on tag. If youre only one transporting then just fill out time, date, description, location, and sign

 

[Dwnw/theAltitudesickness]

Might be mixing up states. Though on the back of the tag there used to have a little graphic if I remember correctly. If you selected E-tag, tag the animal that way and you should be good. Page 4 of the hunting regulation booklet.

 

[zmatters]

Can confirm tags have graphic. Havent used new e tag system though.

 

[BBob]

What are your questions?
Why not list them so people can respond. I don’t know of a simplified list anywhere. This is what the Hunter education course is all about. It’s there to teach you the basic simple stuff that’ll keep you out of trouble.

I’ll add a few:
Don’t shoot from your vehicle.
Don’t shoot from the road. Step off the road.
Don’t shoot across a road, not even a tiny little two track.
Don’t shoot within a 1/4 mi of a potentially occupied building.
If you decide to spotlight you better not have any weapons in your vehicle or on your person.

 

[Dwnw/theAltitudesickness]

The legal spotlighting always got me nervous when I moved here. Thought guys were joking. Not legal where I grew up.

 

[Whip]

What are your questions?
Why not list them so people can respond. I don’t know of a simplified list anywhere. This is what the Hunter education course is all about. It’s there to teach you the basic simple stuff that’ll keep you out of trouble.

I’ll add a few:
Don’t shoot from your vehicle.
Don’t shoot from the road. Step off the road.
Don’t shoot across a road, not even a tiny little two track.
Don’t shoot within a 1/4 mi of a potentially occupied building.
If you decide to spotlight you better not have any weapons in your vehicle or on your person.

Mostly questions about exactly how the tagging process works at this point. The tag says to not fill out the right side unless giving it to someone else to transport. Zmatters above says to just fill out the date, time, place of kill and sign it which makes sense to me. Someone on another forum says not to fill out anything at all unless giving to someone else. Relying on internet forum advice is an easy way to get in rouble, so that's why I was hoping to find some common sense easy to understand directions from Game & Fish.

Many states require evidence of sex to be sex organs so a guy with a cow tag can't just shoot a bull and keep only the meat. But it sounds like AZ doesn't care? Since I have a bull tag I'll be keeping the antlers so guess I should be ok.

There is something on the backing of the tag about completing a harvest survey, but from the sound of it that is optional and there is no requirement to do it within a certain amount of time after a kill?

As for other questions, I really don't know what I might not know, so can't answer that. I did try reading the info on the laws and picked up some stuff from there, but legalize is not my specialty and there is page after page of information that doesn't apply so it would be easy to miss something stuck in between.

I did take hunter Ed, but that was 10-15 years ago. That's a long time for me to forget something or mix it up with another state, not to mention what might have changed in the meantime. But thanks for any help anyone can give!

 

[Whip]

This really is a dumb question, but what do they want under "description of carcass"? Bloody dead elk?

 

[BBob]

If you kill it and transport it yourself you just tag the animal, you don’t have to fill out anything. The carcass tags only come into play if someone else transports all or part of the animal.

No proof of sex required.

For a year or two a long time ago you needed to punch out a date of kill like many states. We all apparently forgot to do that and they had so many offenses they dropped that requirement.

"description of carcass"? Bloody dead elk?

Pretty much!

Harvest surveys for elk (and others) are still optional.

 

[Traindriver]

The processor (if using one) will need the small portion of the tag. They will more than likely help you fill out that portion. Also the taxidermist (if using one). Will be able to help you through that process also. I would always take a picture of the tag on the Animal.

Also try to video record the Animal before you shoot it, confirming their identity.

Nothing would be worse than shooting a Bull that identifies as a cow.

 

[BBob]

I’ve never given a taxidermist or processor the carcass or shipper tag. They just documented the tag number with the rest of my info.