Make sure to get ducks in order before June 6 deadline
PHOENIX — Only a few days remain to apply for 2023 fall hunt permit-tags, which means hopeful hunters now fall into one of two camps:
Those who are chronic putter-offers, telling themselves that they have plenty of time before the June 6 deadline, and those who jumped on their computers and filled out an application the moment that the draw opened three weeks ago.
Whether a person plans to apply in the coming days, or already has done so, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) offers the following tips:
For those who have yet to apply:
Visit www.azgfd.gov and click on “Apply for Big Game Draw.” All applications must be received by AZGFD no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, June 6.
Applicants must possess a valid Arizona hunting license (or combination hunt and fish license) to apply online for a hunt permit-tag. That license must be valid on the last day of the online application period (June 6). Licenses are available onlineand at license dealers statewide. When purchasing an Arizona hunting (or combination hunt and fish) license online, the license number will appear at the bottom of the customer’s receipt. Don’t throw it away! That license number will be required as part of the draw application process.
Know your Customer ID. This is a must to submit an application. There are four ways to locate a Customer ID: 1) Log into your AZGFD portal account, and click on “View Details” under “My AZGFD Dashboard; 2) Check your hunting or combination hunt and fish license, if it was purchased online; 3) A Customer ID number can be retrieved by visiting customerlookup.azgfd.com/. If the account is located, AZGFD will send the Customer ID number to that email address; 4) Call AZGFD at 602-942-3000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Check your AZGFD portal account. This is the perfect time to review your personal data, including your application history and total bonus points (bonus, loyalty, hunter education). If something seems amiss, call AZGFD at 602-942-3000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
View “What You Need to Know,” a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), at www.azgfd.gov/draw.
For those who have applied:
Check your AZGFD portal account. This is the perfect time to review your personal data, including your application history and total bonus points (bonus, loyalty, hunter education). If something seems amiss, call AZGFD at 602-942-3000 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Plan to purchase a PointGuard product. Choosing PointGuard Plus, or the standard PointGuard, ensures that applicants can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason, and the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated. A portal account is no longer required to purchase a PointGuard product. Information: www.azgfd.gov/pointguard.
Make sure credit card and debit card account information is current. If payment is declined at the time of the draw, the application will not be drawn. The department does not call applicants to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards or debit cards have failed. Applicants who have been issued a new credit card or debit card, a new expiration date, or had a change to their card’s number should visit https://draw.azgfd.com/Payment/Update.
More about keeping credit card and debit card account information current. The last name and order number on the applicant’s draw receipt (sent by email after submission of the application) are required to update the credit card or debit card on file. For applicants who can’t locate their draw receipt, or might have deleted it from their email account, AZGFD is available to update card information by calling 602-942-3000, option “5,” from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Note: It is important to update payment information for each species for which an application has been submitted. Also, if a credit card or debit card has been used for multiple applications, notify the appropriate banking institution that multiple charges from AZGFD could be processed simultaneously.
For an overview of the application service, including license requirements, applying for bonus points and payment information, see Page 26 of the “2023-2024 Arizona Hunting Regulations” booklet. The booklet can be viewed at www.azgfd.com/Hunting/Regulations/. Printed versions are available at license dealers statewide.
