18A Habitat Restoration Project
Arizona Deer Association President Don McDowell was honored to present the Arizona Game and Fish Department with a check for $10,000 to jump start the 18A Habitat Restoration Project.
The ADA Board of Directors voted to adopt the 18A Habitat Restoration Project as an ADA Premier Wildlife Enhancement Project. This project fits the ADA board’s criteria of benefiting all species of wildlife, not just focusing on a single species.
This project involves enhancing water catchments, increasing browse and forage opportunities along with appropriate predator control measure within the project boundaries.
Government Springs Water Restoration Project
Arizona Deer Assocation is working with the Government Springs Ranch and the United States Forest Service to remove and replace fire-damaged infrastructure on the allotment. 70% of the ranch burned in last summer's Telegraph Fire.
If you can join us for the project on January 8, 2022, please RSVP to jim@azdeer.org or by calling directly to 623-764-0249.
Aravaipa Canyon Recreation Project-Cross F Ranch project
I wanted to let you know that The Trust for Public Land (TPL) completed the protection of the Aravaipa Canyon Recreational Access Project/Cross F Ranch in late October 2021 by selling 2,831 acres of private land to BLM and another 323 acres to the US Forest Service.
TPL had purchased the ranch this past August and then we completed some building demolition & removal work and some fencing around some open mine shafts so that the property could be conveyed to these federal agencies.
In my 20 years of land protection work, this was the most complicated project that I have worked on and one that I am particularly proud of.
This project opens up an amazing landscape for recreational access to outdoor enthusiasts in addition to protecting water for Aravaipa Creek and preventing development of a very strategic block of wildlife habitat between two Wilderness areas, the San Carlos Apache reservation and Nature Conservancy preserve lands.
The Arizona Deer Association was one of nine organizations that contributed financially to TPL to help with the success of this project, and we greatly appreciate your support that enabling us to get this one done.
Thanks so much for your support and hope we can work together again on more projects in the future.
Best wishes,
Michael Patrick
Senior Project Manager
The Trust for Public Land
Tonto Basin Water Project-October 2021
We had a great turnout for our water project in the Tonto Basin with 23 volunteers! It was great to see so many first-time volunteers.
Volunteers ran 3.2 miles of polypipe in some really rugged country; the horses couldn’t even get to some areas and we had to pull about a quarter mile by hand.
We set three 3,000-gallon storage tanks and set three new troughs. The solar panels and pump that were installed are producing 7+ gallons per minute!
We had volunteers broken up into three groups and were able to complete two days of work in one.
Big thanks to everyone who supports our mission projects; this one will help supply water for all kinds of wildlife for many years!
Water for Wildlife Check Presentation
Arizona Deer Association President Don McDowell presents a check for $6,000 to AZGFD Commissioner Kurt Davis for the Water for Wildlife Campaign.
Thanks to our members are raffle supporters for making this donation possible.
Arizona Deer Association President Don McDowell presents a check to AZGFD Commissioner Kurt Davis.
new water wagon
Our latest tool to help Arizona’s deer! This new water wagon will be kept busy visiting tanks and catchments that are in desperate need right now.
We want to thank all of our members, banquet attendees and raffle ticket buyers for making this purchase possible.
We are especially grateful to the Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation, who provided a grant to assist in funding this water trailer.
Want to help us get the next water wagon out in the field? You can donate to that cause by clicking here.
H-4 Ranch Pipeline Project in Tonto Basin
Phase 1 Complete
During the weekend of November 14, Arizona Deer Association volunteers ran almost 6 miles of polypipe in some of the roughest terrain we have encountered yet. Over 2 miles had to pulled on horseback, the terrain was just too steep and rocky for Rangers.
Volunteers connected pipe into 7 existing water troughs and water will be flowing to these soon.
We had volunteers from 3 years old to 81; a great group of folks. Thanks to everyone who made it out to help and to the many generous members of the Arizona Deer Association who make these projects possible.
REWARD
Arizona Deer Association Contributes $2,500 Reward for Information on Bull Elk Poached Near Heber
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is investigating the poaching of a bull elk that was killed in late August north of Heber in Game Management Unit 4B.
The elk was located west of Forest Road 153 near Point and Javelina water catchments. The poacher left the meat to waste.
“Someone may have information about this case,” said Arizona Game and Fish Department Wildlife Manager Ken Clay. “We need assistance from the public to find the individual(s) responsible. This is the action of a criminal — it’s theft of wildlife resources from the people of Arizona.”
At the time the poaching occurred, many hunters were scouting for upcoming hunts and other outdoor recreationists were in the area, meaning they may have seen something or have valuable information about this crime.
Anyone with information about this case can call the AZGFD’s Operation Game Thief hotline at (800) 352-0700 or visit www.azgfd.gov/thief and refer to case #19-003199.
Callers may remain anonymous upon request and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,500 in this case upon arrest. An additional $2,500 reward is being offered by the Arizona Elk Society and $2,500 by the Arizona Deer Association upon arrest and conviction of the poachers.