PHOENIX — Do you want to get a little slice of Arizona's wilderness in your life? The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) just released their 2024 wildlife calendar, and it looks absolutely adorable.
The calendar was made from the 12 winning photographs of their 2023 wildlife photo contest and will be published in the November-December 2023 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. You can also buy a copy for $3 at all Arizona Game and Fish offices starting in mid-November.
The wildlife photo contest saw a huge turnout with nearly 800 entries, according to the AZGFD website. Ultimately, they had to narrow it down to just 12 photographs to feature in the calendar.
Anne James won best in show with her photo of a ringtail — Arizona's state mammal — taken south of Payson.
“I knew few entries would include a ringtail because of their nocturnal nature and that it wasn’t an ordinary image,” James told the department.
Here are the 12 winning photographs according to the department website:
- Jim Burns, Scottsdale: Round-tailed ground squirrel kits
- Bill Ferris, Flagstaff: Elk
- Isabel Guerra Clark, Phoenix: Desert bighorn sheep
- Anne James, Payson: Ringtail
- Kristen Kabrin, Fallon, Nevada: Coati
- Paul Martin, Mesa: Red-naped sapsucker
- Jeff Martineau, San Tan Valley: Banded rock rattlesnake
- Kathleen Murphy, Payson: Clark’s grebes
- Lee Scherer, Marana: American pronghorn
- David Vincent, Tucson: Bobcat
- William Wells, Surprise: Woodhouse’s toad
- Sue Welter, Peoria: Common chuckwallas
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
AZGFD also released a list of 20 honorable mentions that will be featured in the calendar issue of Arizona Wildlife Views:
- Julie Curtis, Golden Valley: Harris’s antelope squirrel
- Tom Jones, Phoenix: Gila woodpeckers
- Yvonne Kippenberg, Scottsdale: Desert bighorn sheep
- Leslie Leathers, Tucson: Vermilion flycatcher
- Robin Merrill, Cornville: American beaver
- Mandy Montooth, Flagstaff: Long-tailed weasel
- Christine Nolan, Phoenix: Great egret
- Pamela Parker, Mesa: Gambel’s quail
- DeeDee Purcell, Phoenix: Mule deer
- David C. Ring, Tucson: Great horned owl
- Kathy Ritter, Happy Jack: Steller’s jays
- Tam Ryan, Mesa: Black-necked stilts
- Josh Sellke, Scottsdale: Black-tailed jackrabbit
- Stephen Vaughan, Tucson: Rufous hummingbird
- Faith Walker, Flagstaff: Hoary bat
- Dan Weisz, Tucson: Varied bunting
- Alfred Weling, Scottsdale: Snowy egret
- Sean Wickenheisser, Lake Havasu City: Verdin
- Russell Wynter, Scottsdale: Western screech-owl
- Marc Zebell, Springerville: Bull elk
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
WE ❤ ARIZONA
Explore amAZing people, places and things across our state on our 12News YouTube playlist here.