Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 38, September 20, 2024
A. For the purposes
of this Section, the following definitions apply:
"Companion tag" means a restricted nonpermit-tag valid for a
supplemental hunt prescribed by Commission Order that exactly matches the
season dates and open areas of another big game hunt, for which a hunt number
is assigned and hunt permit-tags are issued through the computer draw.
"Emergency season" means a season established for reasons
constituting an immediate threat to the health, safety or management of
wildlife or its habitat, or public health or safety.
"Management objectives" means goals, recommendations, or
guidelines contained in Department or Commission-approved wildlife management
plans, which include hunt guidelines, operational plans, or hunt
recommendations;
"Hunter pool" means all persons who have submitted an
application for a supplemental hunt.
"Restricted nonpermit-tag" means a permit limited to a
season for a supplemental hunt established by the Commission for the following
purposes:
Take of depredating wildlife as authorized under A.R.S.
§
17-239;
Take of wildlife under an Emergency Season; or
Take of wildlife under a population management hunt if the
Commission has prescribed nonpermit-tags by Commission Order for the purpose of
meeting management objectives because regular seasons are not, have not been,
or will not be sufficient or effective to achieve management
objectives.
B. The
Commission shall, by Commission Order, open a season or seasons and prescribe a
maximum number of restricted nonpermit-tags to be made available under this
Section.
C. The Department shall
implement a population management hunt under the open season or seasons
established under subsection (B) if the Department determines the:
1. Regular seasons have not met or will not
meet management objectives;
2. Take
of wildlife is necessary to meet management objectives; and
3. Issuance of a specific number of
restricted nonpermit-tags is likely to meet management objectives.
D. To implement a population
management hunt established by Commission Order, the Department shall:
1. Select season dates, within the range of
dates listed in the Commission Order;
2. Select specific hunt areas, within the
range of hunt areas listed in the Commission Order;
3. Select the legal wildlife that may be
taken from the list of legal wildlife identified in the Commission
Order;
4. Determine the number of
restricted nonpermit-tags that will be issued from the maximum number of tags
authorized in the Commission Order.
a. The
Department shall not issue more restricted nonpermit-tags than the maximum
number prescribed by Commission Order.
b. A restricted nonpermit-tag is valid only
for the supplemental hunt for which it is issued.
E. The provisions of R12-4-104,
R12-4-107, R12-4-114, and R12-4-609 do not apply to a supplemental
hunt.
F. If the Department
anticipates the normal fee structure will not generate adequate participation,
then the Department may reduce restricted nonpermit-tag fees up to 75%, as
authorized under A.R.S. §
17-239(D).
G. A supplemental hunt application submitted
in accordance with this Section does not invalidate any other application
submitted by the person for a hunt permit-tag.
1. The Department shall not accept a group
application, as defined under R12-4-104, for a restricted
nonpermit-tag.
2. An applicant
shall not apply for or obtain a restricted nonpermit-tag to take wildlife in
excess of the bag limit established by Commission Order.
3. The issuance of a restricted nonpermit-tag
does not authorize a person to exceed the bag limit established by Commission
Order.
H. To participate
in a supplemental hunt, a person shall:
1.
Obtain a restricted nonpermit-tag as prescribed under this Section,
and
2. Possess a valid hunting
license. If the applicant does not possess a valid license or the license will
expire before the supplemental hunt, the applicant shall purchase an
appropriate license.
I.
The Department or its authorized agent shall maintain a hunter pool for
supplemental hunts other than companion tag hunts.
1. The Department shall purge and renew the
hunter pool on an annual basis.
2.
An applicant for a restricted nonpermit-tag under this subsection shall submit
a hunt permit-tag application to the Department for each desired species. The
application is available at any Department office, an authorized agent, or on
the Department's website. The applicant shall provide all of the following
information on the application:
a. The
applicant's:
i. Name;
ii. Department identification number, when
applicable;
iii. Mailing address;
iv. Number of years
of residency immediately preceding application;
v. Date of
birth;
vi. Social Security Number,
as required under A.R.S. §§
25-320(P)
and
25-502(K);
and
vii. Daytime and evening telephone numbers,
b. The species that the applicant
would like to hunt, if selected,
c.
The applicant's hunting license number.
3. In addition to the requirements
established under subsection (I)(2), at the time of application the applicant
shall submit the application fee required under R12-4-102. A separate
application and application fee is required for each species the applicant
submits an application for.
4. When
issuing a restricted nonpermit-tag, the Department or its authorized agent
shall randomly select applicants from the hunter pool.
a. The Department or its authorized agent
shall attempt to contact each randomly-selected applicant at least three times
within a 24-hour period.
b. If an
applicant cannot be contacted or is unable to participate in the supplemental
hunt, the Department or its authorized agent shall return the application to
the hunter pool and draw another application.
c. In compliance with subsection (D)(4), the
Department or its authorized agent shall select no more applications after the
number of restricted nonpermit-tags establish by Commission Order are
issued.
5. The
Department shall reserve a restricted nonpermit-tag for an applicant only for
the period specified by the Department when contact is made with the applicant.
If an applicant fails to purchase the nonpermit-tag within the specified
period, the Department or its authorized agent shall:
a. Remove the person's application from the
hunter pool, and
b. Offer that
restricted nonpermit-tag to another person whose application is drawn from the
hunter pool as established under this Section.
6. A person who participates in a
supplemental hunt through the hunter pool shall be removed from the
supplemental hunter pool for the genus for which the person participated. A
hunter pool applicant who is selected and who wishes to participate in a
supplemental hunt shall submit the following to the Department to obtain a
restricted nonpermit-tag:
a. The fee for the
tag as established under R12-4-102 or subsection (F) if the fee has been
reduced, and
b. The applicant's
hunting license number. The applicant shall possess an appropriate license that
is valid at the time of the supplemental hunt. The applicant shall purchase a
license at the time of application when:
i.
The applicant does not possess a valid license, or
ii. The applicant's license will expire
before the supplemental hunt.
7. A person who participates in a
supplemental hunt shall not reapply for the hunter pool for that genus until
the hunter pool is renewed.
J. The Department shall only make a companion
tag available to a person who possesses a matching hunt permit-tag and not a
person from the hunter pool. Authorization to issue a companion tag occurs when
the Commission establishes a hunt in Commission Order under subsection (B).
1. The requirements of subsection (D) are not
applicable to a companion tag issued under this subsection.
2. To obtain a companion tag under this
subsection, an applicant shall submit a hunt permit-tag application to the
Department. The application is available at any Department office and on the
Department's website. The applicant shall provide all of the following
information on the application, the applicant's:
a. Name,
b. Mailing address,
c. Department identification number,
and
d. Hunt permit-tag number, to
include the hunt number and permit number, corresponding with the season dates
and open areas of the supplemental hunt.
3. In addition to the requirements
established under subsection (J)(2), at the time of application the applicant
shall:
a. Provide verification that the
applicant lawfully obtained the hunt permit-tag for the hunt described under
this subsection by presenting the hunt permit-tag to a Department office for
verification, and
b. Submit all
applicable fees required under R12-4-102.
