Read the full stored bill text
HB2158 - 572R - H Ver
House Engrossed
predatory animals;
definition
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
HOUSE BILL 2158
AN
ACT
amending section 17-101, Arizona
Revised Statutes; RELATING to Game and fish.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section
1.
1. Section
17-101, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
17-101.
Definitions
A. In this title, unless the
context otherwise requires:
1. "Angling" means
taking fish by one line
and
not more than two hooks, by one line and one artificial lure, which may have
attached more than one hook, or by one line and not more than two artificial fl
ies
or lures.
2. "Bag limit" means
the maximum limit, in number or amount, of wildlife
that any one person may lawfully
take during a specified
period of time.
3. "Closed season"
means the time during which wildlife may not be lawfully taken.
4. "Commission" means
the Arizona game and fish commission.
5. "Department" means
the Arizona game and fish department.
6. "Device" means any
net, trap, snare, salt lick, scaffold, deadfall, pit, explosive, poison or
stupefying substance, crossbow, firearm, bow and arrow, or other implement used
for taking wildlife. Device does not include a raptor or any equipment used in
the sport of falconry.
7. "Domicile" means a
person's true, fixed and permanent home and principal
residence. Proof of domicile in this state may be shown as
prescribed by rule by the commission.
8. "Falconry" means the
sport of hunting or taking quarry with a trained raptor.
9. "Fishing" means to
lure, attract or pursue aquatic wildlife in such a manner that the wildlife may
be captured or killed.
10. "Fur dealer" means
any person engaged in the business of buying for resale the raw pelts or furs
of wild mammals.
11. "Guide" means a
person who meets any of the
following:
(a) Advertises for guiding
services.
(b) Holds himself out to the
public for hire as a guide.
(c) Is employed by a commercial
enterprise as a guide.
(d) Accepts compensation in any
form commensurate with the market value in this state for guiding services in
exchange for aiding, assisting, directing, leading or instructing a person in
the field to locate and take wildlife.
(e) Is not a landowner or lessee
who, without full fair market compensation, allows access to the landowner's or
lessee's property and directs and advises a person in taking wildlife.
12. "License
classification" means a type of license, permit, tag or stamp authorized
under this title and prescribed by the commission by rule to take, handle or
possess wildlife.
13. "License year"
means the twelve-month period between January 1 and December 31,
inclusive, or a different twelve-month period as prescribed by the commission
by rule.
14. "Nonresident", for
the purposes of applying for a license, permit, tag or stamp, means a citizen
of the United States or an alien who is not a resident.
15. "Open season" means
the time during which wildlife may be lawfully taken.
16. "Possession limit"
means the maximum limit, in number or amount of wildlife,
that any one person may possess at
one time.
17. "Resident", for the
purposes of applying for a license, permit, tag or stamp, means a person who
is:
(a) A member of the armed forces
of the United States on active duty and who is stationed in:
(i) This state for a period of
thirty days immediately preceding the date of applying for a license, permit,
tag or stamp.
(ii) Another state or country but
who lists this state as the person's home of record at the time of applying for
a license, permit, tag or stamp.
(b) Domiciled in this state for
six months immediately preceding the date of applying for a license, permit,
tag or stamp and who does not claim residency privileges for any purpose in any
other state or jurisdiction.
(c) A
youth who resides with and is under the guardianship of a person who is a
resident.
18. "Road" means any
maintained right-of-way for public conveyance.
19. "Statewide" means
all lands except those areas lying within the boundaries of state and federal
refuges, parks and monuments, unless specifically provided differently by
commission order.
20. "Take" means
pursuing, shooting, hunting, fishing, trapping, killing, capturing, snaring or
netting wildlife or placing or using any net or other device or trap in a
manner that may result in capturing or killing wildlife.
21. "Taxidermist" means
any person who engages for hire in mounting, refurbishing, maintaining,
restoring or preserving any display specimen.
22. "Traps" or
"trapping" means taking wildlife in any manner except with a gun or
other implement in hand.
23. "Wild" means, in
reference to mammals and birds, those species that are normally found in a
state of nature.
24. "Wildlife" means
all wild mammals, wild birds and the nests or eggs thereof, reptiles,
amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans and fish, including their eggs or spawn.
25. "Youth" means a
person who is under eighteen years of age.
26. "Zoo" means a
commercial facility open to the public where the principal business is holding
wildlife in captivity for exhibition purposes.
B. The following definitions of
wildlife shall apply:
1. "Aquatic
wildlife" means fish, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans and soft-shelled
turtles.
2. "
Big
game" means wild
turkey, deer, elk, pronghorn (antelope), bighorn sheep, bison (buffalo),
peccary (javelina), bear and mountain lion.
3. "Fur
-bearing
animals" means
muskrats, raccoons
, otters, weasels, bobcats, beavers, badgers
and ringtail cats.
4. "Game fish" means
trout of all species, bass of all species, catfish of all species,
sunfish of all species, northern pike, walleye and yellow perch.
5. "
Game
mammals" means
de
er, elk, bear, pronghorn (antelope), bighorn sheep,
bison (buffalo), peccary (javelina), mountain lion, tree squirrel and
cottontail rabbit.
6. "Migratory
game birds"
means wild waterfowl, including ducks, geese and swans, sandhill cranes, all
coots,
all gallinules, common snipe, wild doves and bandtail
pigeons.
7. "Nonga
me
animals" means
all wildlife
except game mammals, game birds, fur-bearing
animals, predatory animals and aquatic wildlife.
8. "Nongame
birds
" means all
birds except upland game birds and migratory game birds.
9. "Nongame
fish" means all
the species of fish except game fish.
10. "Predatory
animals" means
foxes
, skunks, coyotes
, bears, cougars, mountain lions
and bobcats.
11. "Raptors"
means birds that are members of the order of falconiformes or strigiformes and
includes falcons
, hawks, owls, eagles and other birds that
the commission may classify as raptors.
12. "Small
game" means
cottontail
rabbits, tree squirrels,
upland
game birds and migratory game birds.
13. "Trout"
means
all species of the family salmonidae, including
grayling.
14. "Upland
game
birds"
means q
uail, partridge, grouse and pheasants.
END_STATUTE