PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) advises hunters who will be heading north for Friday’s start of the youth-only spring turkey hunts, as well as the general spring turkey hunts that begin April 24, to check the latest road conditions.  
 

The calendar may say it’s spring, but a winter wonderland still exists in some parts of the high country, where the snowpack is significant at higher elevations and many forest service roads remain closed or impassable due to snow or muddy conditions.
 

As of Wednesday, many winter seasonal road closures remained in effect on the national forests. The closures are necessary to prevent damage to roads and habitat. While road conditions are evaluated on a daily basis, and roads are opened as they become passable, hunters should expect limited access into some areas where they might choose to do their hunting or camping. 
 

Best advice? Call the appropriate land-management agency before heading out for a hunt.     

AZGFD encourages hunters to respect closures and not attempt to drive around locked gates or barricades. The act is a violation of the law and punishable by fines.