The only things that came up when I did a search of the AZGFD web site was where it had been brought up at public hearings for tag allotments and quotas. All they really said about it was that they thought the idea had merit, but it should be brought up to someone else/some other time. It is completely legal to carry a sidarm any time you want in AZ as long as it is exposed, but not sure of the status requirements (loaded, unloaded, one in the chamber, etc...). The exceptions are schools, federal buildings (post office, etc...), and any business that posts a request on their front entrance prohibiting them, such as costco, which is why I don't have a membership there. Even if it weren't the case, I'm sure any enforcement officer would have to common sense to let you slide if you were hunting in any of the units south of I-10 and I-8 unless you were doing something else that broke the law. I'll keep looking into it. Just curious, did you call the headquarters, or happen to run into an officer somewhere?