PHOENIX – Winners of the 11th annual "Arizona Big Game Super Raffle" were announced Thursday night at Arizona Game and Fish Department headquarters in Phoenix.
The prizes included a total of 10 Special Big Game Tags, one for each of the state's big game species – bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, bison, turkey, bear, javelina and mountain lion. The permit-tags were awarded by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Raffle tickets ranged from $5 to $25, depending on the species. A New Mexico elk hunt and Swarovski optics package also were raffled.
In the 11-year history of the raffle, more than $5.5 million has been raised for wildlife and wildlife management in Arizona. This year's event generated a record $633,750, topping $598,400 in 2015.
The 2016 winners:
Bighorn sheep: Joseph Sanders, St. Johns, Ariz.
Black bear: James William Childers, Eagar, Ariz.
Bison: Rodney Stevens, Peoria, Ariz.
Elk: Michael Whitmer, Yuba City, Calif.
Javelina: Douglas Greene, Los Osos, Calif.
Mountain lion: Robert Vande Hey, Hilbert Wis.
Mule deer: Carl Metter, Plymouth, Mich.
Pronghorn antelope: Jeffrey Olson, Gull Lake, Minn.
Turkey: John Werner, Kingman, Ariz.
White-tailed deer: Joseph Sullivan, Fort Collins, Colo.
New Mexico elk hunt: Ben Abatti, Holtville, Calif.
Swarovski optics package: Marion Logan, Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Mesa, Ariz.
The raffle is conducted by a nonprofit entity to raise money for wildlife conservation efforts. A volunteer board of directors, comprised of representatives from sponsoring organizations, oversees the operation of the raffle.
Every dollar raised for each species through the raffle is returned to the department and managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee (AHPC) for that particular species. With input from local habitat partners across the state and sponsoring organizations involved in the fundraising, project priorities are determined that will provide the most benefit to each species.
For more information, visit www.arizonabiggamesuperraffle.com.
Contact:
Dale Hajek, Public Information Officer
(623) 236-7215, dhajek@azgfd.gov
