Wildlife officers conducting aerial surveys of big game animals in SE Arizona

The Arizona Game and Fish Department will be conducting aerial surveys of big-game animals in Southeastern Arizona during the first three weeks of January.

The survey findings are used by wildlife managers to accurately set annual hunt permit numbers for various game species.

Surveys, from Jan. 3 to Jan. 18, will take place over the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson, the Sonoita-Patagonia area, the Florence-Oracle area and other locations.

“The species we’re surveying are whitetail deer, mule deer and javelina,” said Mark Hart, spokesman for the Game and Fish Department. “If we see something other than those species, we will note it and annotate the report. But mainly those are the species we’re counting.”

The surveys will involve helicopter flights lasting up to five hours, and fixed-wing aircraft may also be used, Hart noted.

The department provided this list of scheduled survey flights:

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• Jan. 3-4 over the Santa Rita Mountains area;
• Jan. 5-6, Sonoita-Patagonia area;
• Jan. 7-8, Tombstone-McNeal area;
• Jan. 9-10, south of Willcox area;
• Jan. 11-12, Safford-Duncan area;
• Jan. 13-14, Galiuro Mountains area;
• Jan. 15-16, Florence-Oracle area;
• Jan. 17-18, Amado-Tubac area.

Hunters in the field might notice survey activity is some areas.

“Although we attempt to conduct these flights so that there is minimal conflict with ongoing hunts, surveys may overlap with an open hunt,” said Raul Vega, regional supervisor of Game and Fish in Tucson.

Hunters may encounter low-flying Game and Fish Department aircraft conducting big-game surveys during weekdays and on weekends, specifically in the area of Fort Huachuca near Sierra Vista due to weekday flight restrictions that are in place.

It is illegal for any aircraft to pursue wildlife during an established hunting season except for official game management purposes.