Arizona offers some of the best hunting in the country as well as stunning natural beauty and great weather, making it a perfect place to plan your next big hunt. But like any other state, it has plenty of regulations and rules that hunters must follow.

As such, it’s important that you have a clear understanding as to the process and procedures you must follow if you want to hunt in the state. With that in mind, reviewing a few basic things is worth doing.

Types Of Licenses

There are three main types of Arizona hunting licenses. These include:

• Resident – A resident who has lived in Arizona for six months. Their hunting licenses will be lower priced than those who are out of state.

• Non-Resident – Any non-resident hunter 10 or older will need a non-resident license. These cost more than a resident license, but are obtained the same way.

• Youth – While any child under 10 can hunt without a license (not counting big game), They must be accompanied by an adult. Those from 10 to 17 years of age must purchase a youth license, which includes hunting and fishing.

How To Get Your License

There are just a couple of basic steps that are needed to get a license to hunt in Arizona, whether you are a resident or a nonresident. These are:

• Complete the hunter education certification requirements. There is an online course that you will pay $17.95 to take and complete.

• Choose the license you need.

• Pay for the license via the online website for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. You can also purchase them from any approved dealer in the state.

It is worth noting that for big game, hunters must enter a lottery system. Those who are chosen for the lottery will be able to receive tags for the big game that they have been chosen for. Without winning the lottery, hunting big game won’t be allowed.

Seasons

Just like any other state, there are several hunting seasons for big game in Arizona. Here’s a rundown of the 2018 seasons, which will be very similar to 2019.

• Bison– November 30 – December 17

• Black Bear – August 10 – December 31

• Mountain Lion – August 24 to May 31

• Bighorn Sheep – November 16 – December 21

• Javelina – August 24 – September 13

If you’ll keep the basic guidelines in mind, you should have no problem planning your trip to Arizona and enjoying one of the best hunts of your life.