Hunting in Arizona: 4 Animals Designated Nongame, Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Species

While hunting in Arizona, it is important to be mindful of protected species of animals. Attempts to preserve endangered or threatened species have led to a collection of species being designated as nongame, which nobody may hunt.

The Arizona Game & Fish Department defines a nongame species as “all wildlife except game mammals, game birds, furbearing animals, predatory animals and game fish.” Here are four of the many animals it is not legal to take while hunting in Arizona.

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1. The Mexican Wolf
Once seen roaming the plains of Arizona, the Mexican wolf has since reached alarmingly low numbers, according to the Arizona Game & Fish Department. The federal Fish and Wildlife Service has counted the Mexican wolf among one of the many endangered species in the United States since 1976. At the beginning of 2015, only 109 individuals of this species were documented in the wild.

2. The Bald Eagle
In 1978, the national bird of the United States was added to the endangered species list when it was discovered that there were only 11 breeding pairs remaining in the wild, according to the Arizona Game & Fish Department page on bald eagle conservation. Although the species was removed from the national list in 2008, it is still illegal to hunt bald eagles in Arizona due to concern over the still small population and its arguable status as a distinct biological species.

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3. The Jaguar
Most people are unaware that the jaguar is native to the United States, considering it to be an Asian species. However, the jaguar lives in the United States, primarily in Arizona and New Mexico. The Arizona Game & Fish Department has formed a jaguar conservation team to preserve this cat by making hunting it illegal.

4. The Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Since the 1970s, there have been many efforts to list black-tailed prairie dogs as a threatened species, but so far the species has not made the official list, according to the Arizona Game & Fish Department. However, despite the species not being officially threatened, hunting season on prairie dogs has been closed since rehabilitation and release efforts have been in place, to allow the species to become re-accustomed to its natural environment.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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