Payson Roundup

Sportsmen in pursuit of turkey, javelina, buffalo and bear can now find printed copies of the 2009 spring hunting regulations at Arizona Game and Fish Department offices and license dealers statewide.

The deadline to apply for hunt permit-tags is Tuesday, Oct. 14 by 7 p.m. (MST).

"There are some exciting changes to next year's spring hunting regulations including three new over-the-counter nonpermit-tags," said Brian Wakeling, Arizona Game and Fish Department's big game management supervisor.

"These should help get more folks out hunting that might be struggling with fuel costs, time away from work, and other economy-related burdens."

The new over-the-counter (OTC) nonpermit-tags are:

• Juniors-only (17 and under) spring turkey hunts, shotgun shooting shot

• Archery-only spring javelina hunts in metro Units 11M, 25M, 26M, 38M and 47M

• General spring bear in all units, except 6B and Fort Huachuca, and early archery hunts in Units 3B/3C and 33 (annual and hunt unit harvest limits still apply)

"For those new to hunting, javelina are an excellent quarry to learn how to hunt. Javelina often live in herds of seven to 10 animals, and these animals are not as difficult to hunt when compared with deer or elk.

"As table fare, they make very good breakfast sausage, like chorizo, as well as Italian and bratwurst sausages," adds Wakeling.

While the spring of 2009 may seem far away, applicants are encouraged to apply early. The grace period ends Sept. 25 by 5 p.m. If your application has been received by the department by that date (postmarks don't count), and you've made a mistake on your hunt-permit application, the department will attempt to call you three times in a 24-hour period and give you the opportunity to correct the mistake. After that date, mistakes can cause your application to be rejected.

The deadline to submit an application for the spring hunts is Tuesday, Oct. 14, by 7 p.m. (MST) -- postmarks do not count. There is no online application process available for the fall hunts -- it is a manual paper-permit process only.