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The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be issuing several special licenses for Mule Deer, Coues’ Deer, Elk and Gould’s Turkey through a special lottery the week of August 15. The tags will be issued through what the department is referring to as a limited-entry permit-tag draw. Each of these special permits allows the holder to harvest the designated species and does not count against annual bag limits. This process will be different than the regular draw; no bonus points will be used in the process and therefore no bonus points will be issued for unsuccessful applicants. Under the rules of this special lottery applicants may apply for as many of the hunts as they choose but are limited to a single application for each hunt. Applications cost $13 for residents and $15 for non-residents.
Among the permits being offered are 3 Elk tags, 4 Mule Deer tags, 4 Coues’ deer tags and 1 Gould’s Turkey tag. The season dates are generous, extending for several weeks and covering nearly the entire rut period for both deer species. The opportunity to hunt rutting desert mule deer with a rifle is rare and allowing seasons to extend into January is unprecedented in the state. Some lucky tag holder is going to have the opportunity to look over a lot of deer in very open country before deciding where to hang their tag. Some of these deer hunts are in more desirable units than others.
Be sure to check out this year’s MRS and TagHub to help prioritize your selections accordingly. The elk hunts offered are in blue chip quality units but the season dates (Dec 15 – February 15) are not desirable for Arizona hunting conditions. For avid turkey hunters, the opportunity to hunt most of Arizona’s Gould’s population from April 1 to May 30 may be one of the most valuable opportunities ever offered.
The application period opened Monday, August 8 and will close at 4:59 on Friday, August 12. Visit the AZGFD website during that time frame for more information on how to apply.
