NEWS RELEASE
Sept. 26, 2024
PHOENIX — This is the time of year that Arizona’s small game and waterfowl hunters have been waiting for.
In addition to the start of the band-tailed pigeon season Friday, Sept. 27, followed by the season opener for tree squirrels Oct. 4, hunters can pursue dusky grouse through Nov. 10 and chukar until Feb. 9, 2025. The season for cottontail rabbit runs through June 30, 2025, and the start of the season for Gambel’s and scaled quail is just around the corner (Oct. 18).
In the meantime, hunters should note that the upcoming general waterfowl and snipe seasons will mirror those from last year following AZGFD’s simplification of the 2023-2024 regulations. In response to hunter requests, the department not only combined the previous “Mountain” and “Desert” zones into one statewide zone, but shifted the entire state to a later start date.
This year’s 101-day season begins Wednesday, Oct. 23, and runs through Jan. 31, 2025.
“Hunters up north in the previous Mountain zone could hunt a few weeks earlier, but they would see their season end in mid-January — just when waterfowl were arriving and staying later, and the good hunting would really get going,” said Dr. Larisa Harding, AZGFD’s small game program manager.
“According to federal regulations, we have to maintain general waterfowl season dates that are consistent with California’s Colorado River season in our southern areas (formerly the Desert zone), and that dictates the dates in the current state regulations. It made more sense to shift the whole state to a later start date statewide, so hunters could pursue birds across the state when they were here.
“The federal regulations allow us to have up to a 107-day waterfowl season. That includes a four-day season for falconers, and a two-day weekend hunt for youth. That leaves us with a 101-day season for general waterfowl. Per federal regulations, the general season must end on Jan. 31, so counting back 101 days means that our general season will start Oct. 23 every year. “Thus, the dates don’t change, but the days of the week will change year to year. That’s why this year’s season opens on a Wednesday and not on a Friday, like a lot of hunts do. We get a lot of calls asking if there’s a misprint in the regulations. It’s not a misprint.”
Harding added: “ For scaup, the federal regulations allow for an 86-day season because those birds are managed more conservatively, so that’s why their season starts later (Nov. 7) and still ends Jan. 31, 2025.”
All waterfowl hunters 18 and older must possess a valid Arizona hunting license and Arizona migratory bird stamp, as well as a federal migratory bird stamp (also known as the “Federal Duck Stamp”). All waterfowl hunters 16 and older must also possess a federal migratory bird stamp.
All hunting regulations can be viewed at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/.
Need a license? Visit www.azgfd.gov/license/. Keep in mind that a combination hunt and fish license is only $20 more (for state residents) than the price of an individual hunting or fishing license. As a reminder, a youth combination hunt and fish license (ages 10 to 17) is only $5 and includes the privileges associated with the Arizona migratory bird stamp.
The first step in planning that next successful hunt might be to check out the trove of detailed information that’s just a few clicks away on the department’s website. Visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/where-to-hunt/. Once there, hunters can select the area they wish to hunt (AZGFD divides the state into six geographical regions), then drill down further by choosing any of several Game Management Units (GMUs) located within that region.
For more hunting information, visit www.azgfd.com/species-category/game/.
NOTE: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has expanded hunting opportunities on national wildlife refuges. These opportunities are authorized and provided on USFWS-managed lands in accordance with federal, state and tribal (where applicable) regulations and seasons. For questions on hunting opportunities, consult current refuge hunt regulations.