APRIL 22, 2011
Leftover process for few remaining elk, antelope tags opens Monday
Only applications sent via U.S. mail to be accepted
PHOENIX – For those hunters with hopes of getting one of the few remaining hunting permits for elk and pronghorn antelope, the first-come, first-served process, issued through application by U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) only, begins on Monday, April 25 after 8 a.m.
To apply for these permits remaining after the drawing process, a valid hunt application must be sent via U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) to:
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Attention: Draw/First Come
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ, 85086
Game and Fish officials caution applicants not to use the standard envelope provided with the hunt application form. The PO Box address listed on that preprinted envelope is for the draw process only and should not be used for the first-come, first-served leftover process.
Applications received by any other delivery method, at any other address, or prior to 8 a.m. Monday, April 25, will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicant.
Absent an electronic service, the most equitable way to achieve a first-come, first-served process is by U.S. mail (U.S. Postal Service) only. The U.S. mail-only process allows applicants the same chance at being first in line regardless if they are from the far reaches of the state, from out-of-state (resident or nonresident), or from the Phoenix metro area.
A detailed listing of the leftover permits remaining and their associated hunt numbers is posted at the Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.gov/draw under the link “Leftover Permits for 2011 Elk and Pronghorn Antelope Hunts.”
For those who qualify, there are military hunts available at Camp Navajo. For more information, contact Camp Navajo at 928-773-3158 or at www.campnavajo.com.
There are three archery-only antelope permits. For general elk, there are seven bull elk permits remaining and six antlerless tags remaining. For archery-only hunts, there are eight bull elk permits and five permits for antlerless elk hunts.
Also available are 335 limited opportunity general antlerless elk tags, two limited opportunity general any elk tags, and 199 limited opportunity archery-only antlerless elk tags.
Applicants should note that hunt numbers in the 3800 series shown on the leftover permit list are not listed in the 2011 Pronghorn Antelope and Elk Hunt Draw Information booklet. These hunts were Hopi hunts only during the draw process and did not carry a public hunt number in the regulations. However, for the first-come process these hunts are now open to all hunters (tribal and non-tribal members).
Therefore, to match the 3800 series numbers in the regulations, applicants will have to carefully match the hunt type (general, limited opportunity), the season dates, the open areas, and the legal wildlife gender (bull, antlerless) to find any other notes applicable to that hunt of interest.
If any tags remain following the first-come, first-served by U.S. mail (Postal Service) only process, these tags will become available for purchase in person over-the-counter at any of the seven Game and Fish offices across the state after 8 a.m. on May 2.
However, leftover tags for these coveted hunts go very quickly, considering the demand for these hunts far outweighs the available resource by more than 4 to 1. During the draw process, more than 121,000 people applied for the approximately 26,000 total permits allocated for the 2011 elk and pronghorn seasons.
To learn more about leftover tags, hunting regulations, drawing process, bonus points, future drawing cycles and more, please visit www.azgfd.gov/draw
