Oct. 22, 2002
Vol. 50 No. 41
EDITOR: Rory Aikens, (602) 789-3214, [email protected], or Marijke Van Fleet at (602) 789-3377, [email protected].

Note: The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes they have been discriminated against in any Game and Fish program or activity, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the Game and Fish Deputy Director, 2221 W. Greenway Rd., Phx., AZ 85023, (602) 942-3000 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the Game and Fish Deputy Director as listed above or by calling TTY at 1-800 367-8939.

Lees Ferry Regulations Modified For 2003

PHOENIX - If you plan to fish for trout at the renowned Lees Ferry in northern Arizona in 2003, there have been some regulation changes that will allow you to improve the health of this world-class fishery by harvesting more non-trophy sized rainbow trout.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission on Oct. 19 adopted a variety of fishing regulation changes for the 2003 year, including modifications to the special regulations at this classic tail-water fishery tucked between Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon.

Fisheries Chief Larry Riley told the Game and Fish Commission that any regulation change at this world-renowned fishery at the river entrance to the Grand Canyon is by its very nature a source of controversy, a lot of different factions have strong ideas and philosophies when it comes to the fishery, and the adjacent Grand Canyon river ecosystem.

Despite all those varying opinions, there were no voices raised at the commission meeting in opposition to the proposal to increase the harvest of smaller trout to allow for better grow outs of trophy fish.

The fishing regulation changes adopted for Lees Ferry starting in 2003 include:

• Increasing the bag limit and reducing the maximum size limit for trout. From the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam to the upstream end of the Paria riffle, trout over 12 inches can't be possessed starting Jan. 1, 2003. The daily bag limit will be four trout per day and eight trout total in possession. Trout taken from this area shall be killed immediately and retained as part of the bag limit, or immediately released. Current regulations for this reach of river are a 16-inch maximum size with two trout per day and a four-trout total possession limit.
• The special regulation boundary for the Lees Ferry "Blue Ribbon" trout fishery has been moved from the Marble Canyon Bridge upstream to the upstream end of the Paria riffle.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, mean fish size was above 400mm, but now mean fish size is below 300mm. Fisheries management of Lees Ferry has evolved from a put-and-take strategy in the 1970s to current regulatory programs that are more consistent with "blue ribbon" fishery concepts (i.e., restrictions on harvest, maximum size limit and allowance of only barbless artificial lures and flies).

Riley said that most management schemes implemented thus far have been aimed at producing quality angling experience, such as preserving high standing stocks of healthy, catchable, wild-spawned fish with restrictions on take of "trophy" sized fish.

"However, high levels of natural reproduction, survival of fry and subsequent abundance of adult fish associated with stabilized flows in the 1990s have led to increasing numbers of trout, declining fish growth rates, a surplus of small fish less than 12 inches long, and diminished body condition. These problems have been especially pronounced during recent years when dam discharge and subsequent fish habitat and food quantities have declined," Riley told the commission.

Given the preponderance of small fish currently in the system, the changes were needed to provide some new recreational harvest opportunities that have not existed at Lees Ferry for some time and to help alleviate problems stemming from high trout densities.

The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program developed by multiple agencies including the department, has set trout objectives for the Colorado River stretch from Glen Canyon Dam to the Paria River. These objectives include maintaining and managing rainbow trout numbers for 100,000 age II+ fish.

Electro-fishing data has also shown that since 1993, rainbow trout densities have reached and/or exceeded the amount of available habitat as reflected by mean annual stream flow," Riley said. In 2000 the Lees Ferry rainbow trout population was estimated at 256,000 age II+ fish, suggesting the population had more than doubled since the early 1990s.

As is typical with dense populations of trout, the data shows that since 1994 both condition factor (relative plumpness of fish) and proportional stock density (the proportion of fish 16 inches and larger within the population have steadily decreased.

"Too many fish means smaller fish, and larger fish are sometimes in poor condition.

Furthermore, data on growth rates of wild fish from recent years indicate that fish growth rates have been declining since fish densities reached a peak in 1997-1998," Riley pointed out.

Compounding the issue of high density and very successful recruitment was a reduction in discharges during recent years. Due to low inflow to Lake Powell daily minimum flows dropped to 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) on several occasions during 2001, as provided for in the Record of Decision. There is a likelihood that such flows negatively impacted productivity of the trout food base, thus reducing the available food supplies.

"Trout densities need to be reduced in order to increase growth, average fish size, and improve the overall quality of the fishery. With an abundance of small trout and PSD steadily decreasing, there is a unique opportunity to provide greater harvest while possibly improving the fishery," he explained.

While maximum size limits typically reduce harvest, the suggested increased bag /possession limits will allow greater harvest of small rainbow trout, which are thought to form the "bottleneck" in growth to larger sizes. Fish below 12 inches are not considered desirable by many Lees Ferry anglers, so risks of compromising the quality of the fishery (as it stands right now) through over harvest are small.

Additionally, the increase in bag/possession limits may attract some new recreational users to the Lees Ferry fishery, thus further increasing harvest of trout, specifically trout not desired by the traditional Lees Ferry angler.

"Therefore, we will now be providing local residents a legal recreational experience they desire -- increased bag limit and bait fishing -- while managing for native humpback chub, which is reducing trout densities," Riley said.

G&F Needs Help Solving Elk Poaching

Arizona Game and Fish Department Officials are looking for information regarding the poaching of an adult bull elk between 6:30 and 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 along Highway 87, one-quarter mile south of the Blue Ridge Ranger Station in the Coconino National Forest.

Investigating Game and Fish Officers believe the individual(s) involved shot several times based on reports from people who were in the area. Evidence at the scene indicates that the elk was field dressed on site and then the entire animal was loaded into a vehicle and removed.

After the poaching occurred the suspects left the area and possibly traveled south on Highway 87. At the time this violation occurred, there were no bull elk seasons in progress in that area. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700. A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the individual or individuals involved.

Permanent Deer & Elk Import Ban Sought

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is seeking to make permanent its current emergency ban on the import of deer and elk to help protect the state's native and captive cervids from spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD).

The Game and Fish Commission has begun the formal rule process to make its temporary "emergency ban" permanent on the importation of cervids (elk and deer family).

"This is an animal health issue, not one dealing with human health risks," emphasized Research Branch Chief Jim deVos. "Both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have said that there is no scientific evidence that links CWD with human health risks."

DeVos added that much of the information on this disease comes from the endemic area of northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming where it appears that, on average, CWD probably infects about five to 15 percent of the deer.

In addition to cases involving captive research and free-ranging deer and elk, CWD has been diagnosed in privately owned elk on game farms in several states beginning in 1996. "At this time, the detection of CWD in new areas is expanding rapidly. There have been detections of CWD in free-ranging deer in additional areas of Nebraska, Alberta, Wisconsin, New Mexico and South Dakota during 2002.

"Infection has been particularly severe in a group of interconnected facilities near Rapid City, South Dakota, that appear to be the original source of infection for other South Dakota game farms, as well as the Sakatchewan epidemic. In contrast, infected elk on two of three Nebraska farms originated in Colorado. Infected elk in Oklahoma apparently originated in Montana," deVos said.

In addition to the problems associated with this disease in wild populations, there is also a significant economic impact with the detection of the disease in both free-ranging and captive herds. "As an example, Sakatchewan has spent approximately $30 million in attempts at eradicating the disease in infected game farms. In Wisconsin, it is costing millions of dollars for additional detection of the disease and for information dissemination," deVos said.

Further, managing this disease in Wisconsin calls for removing approximately 15,000 white-tailed deer to reduce densities in the area where this disease was detected. If CWD were to become established in Arizona, Game and Fish officials would expect to see a decrease in the demand for deer and elk permits.

"There could also be a significant loss to local, mostly rural, economies if fewer hunters were afield. In addition to the loss of revenues, Game and Fish would also be faced with expending hundreds of thousands of dollars in increased surveillance and other management issues associated with this disease. This is not a budgeted item and would result in the loss of many existing programs the department maintains," deVos explained.

Game and Fish has already mounted some surveillance activity beginning in 1998 and continuing this hunting season to spot check harvested animals. This is done by collecting spinal and brain tissue from harvested animals and submitting samples for laboratory testing.

Department biologists added that the importation ban only applies to "live" animals, not animals legally harvested in other states. "Yes, if you harvest an elk or deer in some place such as Colorado, you can bring the meat home with you, but make sure to check the regulations in areas where you hunt. Some states are requiring hunters to submit heads for testing. Many states recommend removing the head and spinal column from the deer before removing it from the area where it is harvested," deVos said.

7,000 Shooters Sign Shooting Range Petition

A petition signed by 7,000 individuals was provided to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission by the Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association Oct. 18 asking that no portion of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility be sold and that no portion be developed that "does not enhance the range."

The petition drive began after the Game and Fish Commission was working with the department to draft a request for information (RFI) on a small segment of the facility's property to see what commercial development might be possible. That RFI is now on the streets and a copy is available by contacting Karen Boswell at Special Services Branch of Arizona Game and Fish. Throughout the process, the commission has been committed to protecting the range while looking at possible development that would be compatible with range operations.

Terry Allison, president of the state Rifle and Pistol Association, told the commission that "this is not an adversarial petition."

Commissioner Hays Gilstrap, Phoenix, said he sees the petition as a positive thing because it shows there are a lot of people willing to help the commission and the department enhance this world-class range.

During a statewide shooting range update for the commission, Acting Assistant Director Kerry Baldwin advised that political leaders for the City of Phoenix have come forward to help the department in its efforts to protect the range from possible encroaching development.

"Mayor Skip Rimza and City Councilman Dave Siebert have been very supportive of protecting and enhancing the Ben Avery Range," Baldwin said, adding that the Game and Fish Department will be at the table for the various planning and zoning issues in the area, including a proposed commercial development.

However, Baldwin explained, the status of state land adjacent to the southern portion of the range , basically the land across Carefree Highway , has had a recent change in zoning classification that was requested by the State Land Department from commercial and industrial-use only to multi-family dwelling designation.

Baldwin said the department will be working with the State Land Department and the city on the issue to see what can be done.

Game and Fish Director Duane Shroufe told the commission that on another related issue recreational shooting on national forest lands adjacent to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area the department has not reached a positive conclusion with U.S. Forest Service officials on meeting the public's shooting needs "and it looks like we will fall short of the commission's expectations on this issue."

The Tonto National Forest closed portions of the Cave Creek and Mesa Ranger districts during the summer of 2001 to recreational shooting to "reduce user conflicts and address safety concerns in areas of heavy, concentrated recreation use where unsafe shooting practices" were occurring.

In September of last year, a multi-agency task force was formed that included Game and Fish, the Tonto National Forest, and the Bureau of Land Management to explore recreational shooting needs and alternatives in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Game and Fish officials were hopeful that accommodations could be reached to create more small, informal recreational shooting sites in the area to better meet the burgeoning public recreational shooting needs.

Director Shroufe told the commission that the Tonto National Forest is concerned about "liability issu" and has balked at doing anything other than creating formal shooting ranges. Shroufe pointed out that creating a formal shooting range from scratch on national forest lands is a time-consuming, costly process.

Commission Chairman Mike Golightly, who spent many "frustrating" years working on developing a shooting range in the Flagstaff area on national forest lands, pointed out that this region of the Forest Service does not look with favor on shooting ranges, but in the Southeastern United States, they are successfully building ranges on Forest Service lands.

Shroufe told the commission that the department will continue trying working with local and regional forest service officials to better meet the growing recreational shooting needs on public lands and to achieve better consistency with how the Forest Service deals with this issue in the Southwest.

Arizona Ferret Program Bolstered by Wyoming Animals

The Arizona Game and Fish Department's Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction Program received a big boost this past weekend when a new group of ferrets arrived from the Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Laramie, Wyoming. "The hope with these new ferrets is that they'll breed next spring," says Richard Winstead, regional nongame specialist. "We have successfully used pen breeding in the past to increase the number of ferrets available for release into the wild. Eventually these animals will enhance the small population of free-ranging ferrets in Aubrey Valley, helping ensure the continued existence of this species."

Collaboration has been key in the project's success. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked out the logistics of transfer of animals among breeding facilities and in the process secured 12 adult ferrets for Arizona (eight females, four males).

Game and Fish project staff and volunteers have been working for the past three months to repair and upgrade pre-conditioning pens in Aubrey Valley. Pre-conditioning acclimatizes ferrets to their new surroundings while protecting them from predation. Petsmart also aided their efforts by donating bags of Carefresh animal bedding for the ferret nest boxes. The new ferrets were placed in pens on Oct. 19, near Seligman, Arizona.

Media Contacts: Tiffany Volz or Kristen Hoss, (928) 422-0155, [email protected]

Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Update Oct. 1 - 15

This is a brief summary of current information about the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction program in Arizona and New Mexico. Additional information can be obtained by calling (505) 248-6652 or (928) 367-4281 or by visiting our Web site, http://mexicanwolf.fws.gov. Call toll-free at (888) 459-9653 to report suspected livestock depredations, incidents of take or harassment of wolves, or wolf sightings.

The reintroduction is a multi-agency cooperative effort among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, USDA-Wildlife Services, U.S. Forest Service, the Turner Endangered Species Fund, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Numbering System

Mexican wolves are given an identification number recorded in an official studbook that tracks the history of all known Mexican wolves. Capital letters preceding the number indicate adult animals two years or older (M = Male, F = Female). Capital letter preceding the letter and number indicate alpha wolves. Lower case letters indicate sub-adults or pups (m = male, f = female).

WOLF PACK NEWS

Bluestem Pack (AM507, AF521, M639, m754, m755, m756, f757, f758): Arizona

The pack has been located near Lost Cienega, PS Knoll, and northeast of Hoodoo Knoll as well as in the Black River near Colonel Spring and the Caldwell Forest Service Station. On Oct. 5, an AZGF wildlife biologist observed all three collared wolves plus four pups chasing elk and deer in a pasture in the PS Knoll area.

Saddle Pack (AM574, AF510, F646): Arizona

The pack has been located near Hoodoo Knoll, as well as near Fish and Conklin Creeks.

Hawks Nest Pack (AM619, AF486): Arizona

The pair has been located near Campbell Flat and in the vicinity of Diamond Rock Campground and in the Campbell Blue Drainage. On Oct. 14, project personnel found an elk carcass that was completely consumed by the wolves. The wolves began howling and at lest two pups joined in howling with the alpha pair, confirming they indeed have pups. Previously, this was the only pack not confirmed to have had pups.

Bonito Creek Pack (AM674, AF587): Arizona

The pair has been located near Pacheta Lake.

Cienega Pack (AM194, AF487, m795, m796, F621): Arizona, New Mexico

The pack continues to use the area near Hannagan Meadow. Project personnel observed the two adults crossing Hwy 191 on Oct. 14. Yearling F621 remains in New Mexico and has been located near Bearwallow Mountain and Corner Mountain.

Francisco Pack (AM509, AF511, F644, m794, m798, f799, f800, m801): Arizona

At the tribe's request, project personnel are currently attempting to remove the pack from the San Carlos Apache Reservation. AM509 was captured on the reservation on Oct. 7. Project personnel fitted him with a new radio collar and relocated him onto the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest. Four wild born pups of the year have been captured since the last reporting period: m798 captured Oct. 5; f799 captured Oct. 7; and f800 and m801, both captured Oct. 9. All pups were fitted with radio collars, vaccinated, measured, weighed, and released . The fate of m797 remains unknown since he slipped out of his radio collar on Oct. 20.

AF511 and m798 have been located together east of Gobbler Point on the Apache National Forest. Yearling male m794 has been located near BS tank on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The remaining pups (m799, f800, m801) have been located near Malay Gap, also on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. They, as well as AM509, have been using the areas around BS Tank, and Malay to the National Forest near Four Drag. Project personnel obtained a visual of six wolves (AF511, m794, m798, f799, m801, plus one un-collared pup) near Loafer Tank on Oct. 11. All wolves looked to be in good health. During the sighting, AF511 howled several times and two wolves responded in the distance, suggesting there are two un-collared wolves with the pack as well (no other radio collar signals were picked up suggesting the wolves were un-collared).

F644 has been located near Sunrise Lake on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Gapiwi Pack (AM584, AF624): New Mexico

The pair has been located along the Middle Fork of the Gila River in the Gila Wilderness. Forest Service personnel reported seeing the two collared adults and one pup near Little Creek on Oct. 3. Luna Pack (AM583, AF562): New Mexico

The pair has been located in the vicinity of White Creek Cabin in the Gila Wilderness. Project personnel obtained a visual of the two adults plus two pups on Oct. 9. AF562 was observed with a slight limp but other than that, all wolves looked to be in good condition. FATE UNKNOWN (indicates wolves that have not been located for three months or longer).

• M555 (Gavilan Pack last signal 02/12/00)
• M627 (Pipestem Pack last signal 07/02/00)
• F189 (Mule Pack - last signal 02/02/01)
• F127 (Hawk's Nest Pack - slipped out of radio collar; last seen 9/19/98)
• F579 (Mule Pack un-collared pup released 5/24/99)
• M581 (Mule Pack un-collared pup released 5/24/99)
• M586 (Gavilan Pack un-collared pup released 5/22/99)
• M641 (Francisco Pack un-collared pup released 7/15/00)
• M642 (Francisco Pack un-collared pup released 7/15/00)
• M643 (Francisco Pack un-collared pup released 7/15/00)
• M678 (Lupine Pack un-collared pup released 6/20/01)
• F679 (Lupine Pack un-collared pup released 6/20/01)
• M680 (Lupine Pack un-collared pup released 6/20/01)
• Three un-collared Hawk's Nest pups (sexes unknown) released 6/3/99
• m754 (Bluestem Pack un-collared pup released 6/11/02; sighting 10/5/02 indicates at least 4 of the 5 pups are still with the pack)
• m755 (Bluestem Pack un-collared pup released 6/11/02; sighting 10/5/02 indicates at least 4 of the 5 pups are still with the pack)
• m756 (Bluestem Pack un-collared pup released 6/11/02; sighting 10/5/02 indicates at least 4 of the 5 pups are still with the pack)
• f757 (Bluestem Pack un-collared pup released 6/11/02; sighting 10/5/02 indicates at least 4 of the 5 pups are still with the pack)
• f758 (Bluestem Pack un-collared pup released 6/11/02; sighting 10/5/02 indicates at least 4 of the 5 pups are still with the pack)
• m797 (Francisco Pack wild-born pup in 2002 slipped out of radio collar 9/20/02) SEASONAL NEWS

Based on observations and howling surveys, all eight packs are confirmed to have had pups this year. Additionally, all packs with the exception of Saddle Pack are known to have pups still traveling with them. Although Saddle Pack was confirmed to have denned this year, it is not known if there are any surviving pups traveling with the pack.

COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION

Shawna Nelson, along with Forest Service personnel, gave radio tracking demonstrations and short presentations to 80 first graders from St. John's for a field trip on Oct. 9.

On Oct. 12-13, Shawna Nelson, along with Phoenix Zoo Keepers, volunteers, ZooTeens, staff, and The Wildest Club in Town, assisted in radio-tracking demonstrations and spoke with the general public about the Mexican wolf project for Wolf Awareness Week. There were approximately 300 adults and children who participated at different booths set up to promote wolf awareness.

Colleen Buchanan spoke to the general public and school groups at the Rio Grande Zoo on Oct. 12 - 14 for Wolf Awareness Week. Approximately 400 people visited the booth over the three-day weekend. The booth will be set up at the zoo for the remainder of Wolf Awareness Week (Oct. 13 - 19).

Maggie Dwire gave a presentation at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge Annual Open House about the Mexican wolf recovery project on Oct. 12. Approximately 50 people attended.

Brian Kelly attended a fund-raising event at the California Wolf Center in Julian, CA. Oct. 12 -13 and gave three separate presentations about the Mexican wolf project over the weekend. Approximately 150 people attended.

PERSONNEL

Rich Bard started his wildlife-technician position with the Arizona Game and Fish Department on Oct. 2.

REWARDS OFFERED

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the recent shooting deaths of three Mexican gray wolves. An additional $5,000 is being offered by the Center for Biological Diversity. The Lupine Pack alpha female, AF169, was found dead from gunshot wounds on Nov, 15 near Maverick Mountain on the White Mountain Apache Reservation; Saddle Pack yearling female, f645, was found dead from gunshot wounds on Nov. 5, near Forest Road 117, south of Highway 60, in the Greens Peak area near Vernon; and Lupine yearling male, m630, was found dead from gunshot wounds Dec. 3, 18 miles northwest of Springerville, south of Highway 60 in Apache County, Arizona.

Investigations into the illegal killing of four other Mexican wolves are also still being conducted:

• Campbell Blue alpha female, AF174, was shot on Aug. 7, 1998, in the Williams Valley area near Alpine, Arizona.
• Hawk's Nest male, m532, was found dead from gunshot wounds near the Arizona/New Mexico state line on Nov. 7, 1998.
• Hawk's Nest male, m531, was found dead from gunshot wounds on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation on Nov. 23, 1998.
• Francisco yearling male, m590, was found dead from gunshot wounds on Dec. 18, 2000 approximately 1/2 mile north of Highway 12 in the Apache National Forest's Divide wood cutting area near Aragon, New Mexico.

The killing of a Mexican gray wolf is a violation of Federal and State's of Arizona and New Mexico laws. Violations of the Federal Endangered Species Act can invoke criminal penalties of up to $25,000 and /or six months in jail, or a civic penalty of up to $10,000.

Rory Aikens