Hunting in Arizona: 4 Animals To Hunt in the Fall

As with any state that allows hunting on its lands, Arizona regulates which animals are in season at various times of the year. A hunter may only apply to hunt animals in season, and the state is ripe for hunting in the fall.

Here are four animals it is legal to take in the fall while hunting in Arizona.

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1. Antelope
The Arizona Game & Fish Department lists the pronghorn antelope as one of the fastest animals available for hunting in Arizona. Their most noticeable feature is their horns, which are fully developed in the summer and therefore ideal for hunting in the fall. Adult males can reach weights up to 120 pounds. By the fall, each male antelope has collected a family of 15 to 20 animals, making the larger groups easier targets for hunting. During the past 25 years, between 500 and 700 bucks have been harvested each season, with archers taking more antelope than gun-users.

2. Bear
Black bears are prime hunting targets in Arizona, found in most woodland habitats and in season during the fall, according to the Arizona Game & Fish Department. The species has practically no natural predators, but it has had a complex history of various month-long, yearlong, open, and closed seasons. In recent years, the hunt has been open in the fall, but the season closes once a certain number of female bears are taken. After capturing a bear, hunters must have it inspected by the Arizona Game & Fish Department.

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3. Chukar
A medium-sized, non-native bird, the chukar is not widely hunted in Arizona. The Arizona Game & Fish Department allows a five-month season for hunting chukars in Arizona, as well as giving each hunter a five-bird bag limit, but the birds inhabit a rough terrain that few hunters are willing to brave.

4. Pheasant
The Arizona Game & Fish Department has been attempting to institute the pheasant, a bird native to Asia, as a game species in Arizona since the 1960s. These relatively small birds are very distinct in their coloring. Hunting permits are limited and distributed based on a draw, with specific regulations subject to change annually.

A more comprehensive list of species for hunt in Arizona by month can be found on the Arizona Game & Fish Department website.

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

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