Ariz. Admin. Code § R12-4-319 - Use of Aircraft to Take or Locate Wildlife

A. A person shall not take, or assist in taking wildlife from or with the aid of aircraft, including drones.

B. Except in hunt units with Commission-ordered special seasons under R12-4-115 and R12-4-120 and hunt units with seasons only for mountain lion and no other concurrent big game season, a person shall not knowingly locate or assist in locating wildlife from or with the aid of an aircraft, including drones, in a hunt unit with an open big game season. This restriction begins 48 hours before the opening of a big game season in a hunt unit and extends until the close of the big game season for that hunt unit.

C. A person who possesses a special big game license tag for a special season under R12-4-115 or R12-4-120 or a person who assists or will assist such a licensee shall not knowingly locate or assist in locating wildlife from or with the aid of an aircraft, including drones, within 48 hours before and during a Commission-ordered special season.

D. This Section does not apply to any person acting within the scope of official duties as an employee or authorized agent of the state or the United States to manage or protect or aid in the management or protection of land, water, wildlife, livestock, domesticated animals, human life, or crops.

E. For the purposes of this Section, "locate" means any act or activity that does not take or harass wildlife and is directed at finding wildlife in a hunt area.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R12-4-319

Amended effective May 21, 1975 (Supp. 75-1). Amended effective May 3, 1976 (Supp. 76-3). Amended effective June 12, 1979 (Supp. 79-3). Amended effective April 22, 1980 (Supp. 80-2). Former Section R12-4-68 renumbered as Section R12-4-319 without change effective August 13, 1981 (Supp. 81-4). Repealed effective April 28, 1989 (Supp. 89-2). New Section R12-4-319 adopted an as emergency effective October 18, 1990, pursuant to A.R.S. § 41-1026, valid for only 90 days (Supp. 90-4). Emergency expired. New Section adopted by final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 211, effective December 14, 1999 (Supp. 99-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 850, effective April 3, 2004 (Supp. 04-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 19 A.A.R. 826, effective July 1, 2013 (Supp. 13-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 25 A.A.R. 1048, effective 6/1/2019. Amended by final rulemaking at 30 A.A.R. 2308, effective 8/10/2024.