Don’t go hunting in Arizona without first familiarizing yourself with Arizona hunting laws. This article will help you get started.
Arizona Hunting Laws and Regulations
This article was originally posted over at OutdoorWarrior.com and is shared with full permission
Open season is just a few weeks away for most of the United States. It’s an exciting time of year for veteran hunters beginners alike. But before heading out on your first hunt, make sure you’re familiar with Arizona hunting laws.
Hunting laws evolve on an almost yearly basis, mainly to address public safety for the benefit of the hunter and the hunted. It’s a must to keep up to date on Arizona hunting laws before heading out on your first hunt. Studying your state’s hunting laws might be a bit time consuming, and we know you’re impatient to get out there and start shooting. But breaking the law and having to pay a fine can put a serious damper on hunting season.
Keep reading to learn about Arizona hunting laws including dates, which animals you’re allowed to hunt, which weapon you’re allowed to use, how to get a hunting license, and much more.
The State of Arizona provides more or less 10 big-game species and rich small-game selections, which includes waterfowl. The hunting opportunities are said to be the best, and most unique, in the nation. Let’s focus on the three most popular species: deer, ducks and black bears.
Deer Hunting in Arizona
Deer are said to be the most popular, numerous and widespread big-game species in Arizona.
There are three distinct types of deer present in this state:
The Mule Deer
- Mule deer are the most abundant deer in Arizona. This type of deer can be commonly found in rugged country sometimes on sparse, low deserts to high forested mountains.
The White-Tailed Deer
White tail deer have a preference for woodlands of oak, pine, and chaparral with interspersed clearings. They can be most commonly found in these terrains.
It is of very important to know which deer is legal to hunt according to antler point restrictions.
Elk
This species is one of the largest of the deer family and should not be confused with the Moose, which is much larger.
They mostly inhabit the summer range as high as 7,000 to 10,000 plus feet.
Hunting Season
The general hunting seasons ranges from mid-August to the end of January.
This depends on the type of hunt (meaning the type of firearm being used) and areas you will be hunting in.
Legal Weapons and Ammo
- Modern guns
- Centerfire Rifle
- Centerfire Handgun
- Muzzleloading Rifle
- Other Rifle Shooting Black Powder or Synthetic Black Powder
- Black Powder Handgun
- Crossbow
- Archery
For more specific details on the types of firearms and ammo that one can use to hunt deer.
License, Special Licenses, and Permits
Acquiring a license will depend on your specific needs as a hunter, be it a regular license, a special license or various permits for hunting, even disabled veterans’ license.
For specific details regarding licenses, and permits just click the following word: licenses, special licenses and permits.
Duck Hunting in Arizona
There are about 15 species of waterfowl in the state of Arizona.
Hunting Season
Open season generally starts in October and ends in January.
Hunting for ducks is divided into two seasons which are as follows:
General Waterfowl Seasons:
October 21, 2016 – January 29, 2017
October 7, 2016 – January 15, 2017
November 5, 2016 – January 29, 2017
October 22, 2016 – January 15, 2017
Youth-Only Waterfowl Seasons:
February 4 – February 5, 2017
October 1 – October 2, 2016
To learn more about the possession limits and other details.
Legal Guns and Ammo
Shotgun, crossbow, bow and arrow or falconry as prescribed in R12-4-304.
For details on the hunt zones, shooting hours, bag limit and licenses required.
Black Bear Hunting in Arizona
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-55201 size-full" src="https://survivallife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Arizona-hunting-laws-and-regulations-black-bear.jpg" alt="Black Bear Hunting in Arizona