Common Scenarios Featuring Arizona's Top 12 Rules and Regulations Violations

1. Taking Wildlife without a License (A.R.S. 17-331)

Sally did not have a license and hadn’t intended to hunt dove that day, planning only to watch a football game at her friend’s cabin in a rural area of the state. During halftime, several people were talking about all of the birds in the area. George retrieved a shotgun from the closet; and although several shots were fired by other guests, the Wildlife Manager observed Sally holding the shotgun and then shooting at one of the remaining doves.

• What would you do if you were Sally?
• What would you do if you were the wildlife manager?
• What would you do if you were the host (George)?

2. Taking Wildlife during Closed Season, after Legal Hours, or with Aid of Artificial Light (A.R.S. 17-309a11)

John grew up in a family that shot and ate game meat regardless of the season. As a result of this, John himself now does the same thing. Whenever the freezer starts to get low, he shoots a deer to feed his family. John tells his children that there are plenty of deer—nobody will ever miss them. John gets caught using a spotlight to take a deer at night and is convicted of taking wildlife during a closed season and with the aid of an artificial light.

• Does John have a valid reason for taking wildlife during a closed season?
• Is this ethical behavior?
• Is there any other action John could take to care for his family?

3. Exceeding Bag and/or Possession Limit (A.R.S. 17-309a15)

Mark was finally drawn for a buffalo hunt in House Rock Wildlife Area. He had a great shot at a bull and took it. As he approached the downed bull, he observed a dead cow directly behind, but in line with, the bull. He realized that his shot hit both animals.

• What should Mark do?
• Did Mark violate TAB+1? If so, how?
• When Mark calls the OGT line and reports his mistake, how do you think a wildlife manager will respond, and why?
• What if Mark doesn’t call, leaves the second animal, and is being observed by a wildlife manager or other ethical hunter with a cell phone? How should the wildlife manager respond under that circumstance?

4. Possessing Unlawfully Taken Wildlife (A.R.S. 17-309a17)

Joe and Sam were out deer hunting. They had split up and were hunting separately when Sam heard a shot from Joe’s direction. Sam found Joe with a large, unlawfully taken bull elk. Joe said the bull was the largest he had ever seen and shot it without really thinking. Joe asked Sam to help him pack out the elk, which Sam did since they were best friends. Fortunately, another hunter reported them on the Operation Game Thief (OGT) line. Sam was convicted of possession of unlawfully taken wildlife for his part in assisting Joe with packing out this poached elk.

• What should Joe have done immediately when he realized he shot the elk?
• How could Joe have avoided this in the first place?
• What should Sam have done?

5. Tagging Big Game Improperly (A.R.S. 17-309a1) ( R12-4-302)

It was not a big deer. In fact, it was a spike. Tom had bragged at work before the season that he was going to shoot nothing other than a four-point deer. That was before the spike showed up on the opposite hillside and gave him a shot too good to pass up. After walking up to it, Tom remembered bragging…wanting to save face, he decided not to tag it immediately. After all, he might be able to shoot something bigger. He packed the deer to his truck and drove it to camp untagged, planning to hang it behind his camp and hunt the next day for a larger deer. During a routine camp check, the wildlife manager walked behind Tom’s camp and found the untagged deer. Tom was issued a citation for failure to tag the deer immediately.

• How quickly should wildlife be tagged?
• Was this ethical behavior? Why, or why not?
• Could the game be seized as evidence?

6. Taking Game from a Vehicle (A.R.S. 17-301b)

It was Saturday afternoon, the second day of the deer hunt; and Karen and Mike were tired because they had been hiking a long time. They decided to take a break and drive around during the afternoon. Just before they were going to head for camp, Karen saw a three-point mule deer standing about 40 yards from the road. The deer just stood there while Mike slid a rifle out the passenger window and Karen stepped out and rested her rifle over the hood. They both shot at the same time. Unfortunately for them, the deer they shot was a decoy and they were both later convicted for taking a deer from a vehicle.

• Can a vehicle be used to aid you in the taking of wildlife? If so, under what circumstance?
• Is this fair chase?
• What should you do if you see someone shooting from a vehicle? Why?