2020 Wildlife Calendar Photo Contest Winners
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is excited to announce the winners of the 2019 wildlife photo contest.
Julie Curtis’s photo of Harris’s antelope squirrels was awarded best in show and will be showcased on both the cover and in the calendar issue of Arizona Wildlife Views.
Curtis, of Golden Valley, was preparing to take a photo of a Harris’s antelope squirrel at the top of a rock when a second one popped up. The surprise addition, as she describes it, was a combination of luck and timing.
“Photos like this don’t come along very often for me,” Curtis says. “When I saw the photo, I just sat back in my chair staring at it and knew it was one of my best so far. Everyone who has a passion for photography knows what I’m talking about.”
More than 300 photographers entered this year’s wildlife photo contest. 12 winning images are published in a full-size 2020 wildlife calendar in the November-December 2019 issue of Arizona Wildlife Views magazine, which is for sale for $3 at all Arizona Game and Fish Department offices.
In addition to Curtis, the other 11 winning photographers are:
- Dominic Ambrosino, Surprise: Bobcat
- Timothy Cota, Mesa: Northern leopard frog
- Joshua Esquivel, Sedona: Rufous hummingbirds
- Darin Guerena, Globe: Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
- Tom Jones, Phoenix: Harris’s hawk
- Bryan Keil, Gilbert: Gadwall
- Kathleen Reeder, Peoria: Mountain lion
- Kathy Ritter, Happy Jack: Bison
- Bruce Taubert, Glendale: Coues white-tailed deer
- William Wells, Surprise: Eastern collared lizard
- Patrick Wundrock, Tucson: Pronghorn
Given the strength and diversity of this year’s nearly 750 entries, the judges singled out 20 images from talented photographers for honorable mention. These photos also are featured in Arizona Wildlife Views magazine:
- RonnieSue Ambrosino, Surprise: Hermit thrush
- George L. Ball, Tucson: Gila monster
- Kristin Bendigo, Tucson: Broad-billed hummingbird
- Michael J. Chan, Kingman: Black bear
- Ken Cook, Casa Grande: Coatimundi
- Ximena Echeverria, Mesa: Canada geese
- Shane Farmer, Mesa: Mule deer
- Bill Ferris, Flagstaff: Coyote
- Dwight Haigh, Cornville: River otter
- Caroline Horowitz, Chandler: Harris’s antelope squirrel
- Dana Kelley, Tucson: Canyon tree frog
- Rocky LaRose, Tucson: Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep
- Melinda Kaye Lockhart, Mesa: Long-tailed weasel
- Thomas Machowicz, Phoenix: Gilded flicker
- Paul Martin, Mesa: Wood duck
- Charles T. Peden, Tucson: American badger
- Jim Rust, Peoria: Desert bighorn sheep
- Tam Ryan, Mesa: House finch
- Gary Schafer, Surprise: Gray hawk
- Robert Shupak, Greer: Elegant trogon
The Arizona Game and Fish Department welcomes new subscribers to the state’s award-winning magazine about wildlife and outdoor recreation. The regular price is $8.50 for six issues (one year), but through Dec. 31, subscriptions are on sale for $7 for seven issues. Orders can be placed online. Those who subscribe by Dec. 31 will receive the calendar issue showcasing this year’s winners and honorable mentions.
