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Arizona Boys Hunt California Valley Quail
San Carlos, AZ Quail Hunt
The Call of Quail Season
A Wet Year Amid a Long Drought
Arizona Quail Hunting 101
Arizona Boys Hunt California Valley Quail
Written by Jim Niemiec/WON Staff Writer
Published by www.wonews.com
© November 22, 2011, www.wonews.com.com.
SHOT LIMITS OF CALIFORNIA VALLEY QUAIL — Kirby Bristow and Brett Browning of Tucson, Arizona hunted valley quail for the first time ever and both shooters walked out of Short Canyon, located above Inyokern, with limits of quail.
Photo by Jim Niemiec
INYOKERN — When it comes time to return a favor a hunter needs to contact as many sources, guides, outfitters and quail specialists as possible. Such was the situation this past week when this hunting editor received an urgent e-mail from Kirby Bristow, a biologist with the Arizona Department of Game and Fish, asking for help in finding a place to hunt California valley quail over Veteran's Day.
Bristow had hosted Western Outdoor News on a number of successful Mearns and Gambel's quail hunts over the past few years and now it would be time for this hunter to repay Kirby for all the successful hunts we enjoyed walking out steep canyons of the Coronado National Forest just southwest of Sonoita. This region is public land and up until the drought hit, this part of Arizona held good numbers of Mearns quail to be hunted. With a downward spiral of quail populations around Tucson and the good quail hatch for California, Bristow opted to head this way for his first ever California valley quail hunt and high hopes of also shooting a mountain quail with his hunting partner Brett Browning and their fine German shorthair pointers.
It was time to "push the panic button" as finding good public land to hunt quail on is not the easiest thing to accomplish in California. As all upland game bird hunters know when a wing shooters finds a good spot to hunt quail he is very hesitant about passing on that information and location to other hunters.
The first call was made to Robert Armijo of Habitat Chairman for the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited who over the years has volunteered much of his time to working on guzzlers and other habitat for upland game birds in the local national forests. Armijo was very supportive of helping out a game biologist from Arizona and he exchanged good information to Bristow, but cautioned him on the pending winter storm that was expected to hit the San Bernardino Mountain and Angeles National Forest this past weekend. As an option WON contacted High Desert Guide Service master guide Harold Horner, but he came back stating that he was booked full with chukar hunters.
At the same time this hunting editor decided to e-mail Jim Matthews "Mr. Quail Guy", who publishes the quail hunting newsletter Western Birds and probably knows more about quail and chukar in Southern California than does any other sportsman or conservationist. Not only is Jim a fine writer and owner of Outdoor News Service, but he also hosts upland game bird seminars, one of which is called "Public Land Upland Bird Hunting For Beginners". This had to be the go-to man for Bristow, as the upcoming quail hunt needed to be moved to the high desert, where there was less of a chance of getting rained out.
Matthews suggested that Bristow hunt out of Inyokern as there were a number of canyons that held California valley quail, mountain quail and chukar and it was all public land. WON would meet up with Bristow and Browning at a coffee shop in the tiny rural town and head off into the southern slopes of the High Sierra. Spreading out BLM maps and a DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer on the table between a few cups of coffee and OJ, we decided to try Indian Wells Canyon first and then as a backup head over to Short Canyon, which was just a few miles to the north.
Bristow knows quail and Browning had just returned from 10 days of hunting chukar and Huns in Idaho, but neither knew that much about valley or mountain quail. Prior to heading up the canyon there was an exchange of information on habits of valley quail and the prospects for finding a mountain quail.
This editor's advice to the lead vehicle was, "If you see a covey crossing the dirt road pull off and get on that covey with your dogs as quickly and safely as possible." Such was the case as a small covey of valley quail broke in two and flushed up the mountain before even getting deep into this canyon. By the time the dogs had their collars on and guns and gear were ready, the covey had moved way up the steep side of the mountain covered in sage, thorn brush and Joshua trees.
Browning's gun dog Koby locked up on a hard point, that was quickly honored by Bristow's dog Shorty. Kirby moved up into shooting position and a single valley quail flushed down hill, but the hunter was on target and Shorty retrieved the male valley quail to hand and a big smile came over Bristow's face...as he had shot his first California valley quail off the very first point and he was just minutes into the hunt. That canyon was not kind to the party as only one other quail was bagged, as the rain, sleet and wind kicked into our faces and held what birds were in that canyon down in the bottom protected by thick cover.
It was just a little drive to the bottom of Short Canyon where we parked and hiked up to the rim of a ridge that over looked a huge bowl of very nasty looking terrain. Bristow and Browning split up with their respective dogs working ahead of them as they methodically cris-crossed a maze of mixed cover, big boulders and huge rocky out croppings. Shot after shot echoed across the canyon as a number of small coveys were flushed. Browning had shot 9 valley quail and Bristow had bagged 7 quail, as both hunters were well on their way to limiting out on public land on their first ever California valley quail hunting experience.
After a quick lunch the hunters split up and hunted an eastern canyon that came out of a dry wash. It didn't take long for the dogs to get scent of running quail and after a couple of fine points Bristow had bagged his last three quail, of which one was a double, and Browning shot his last bird out of covey of 10 birds that flush up the side of the canyon. Both hunters walked out of the canyon with a big smile on their face. They had just accomplished what few other hunters, whether they be local or non-resident upland game bird hunters, and that was "to shoot a limit of California valley quail on public land." No mountain quail were harvested our even seen and chukar stayed way up on top of the rocky ridges but none were shot that day. As WON headed home after the photo shoot, the two Arizona boys were starting to clean quail and decide where they would spend a cold night camped out on that mountain. This Western Outdoor News hunting editor would like to thank Matthews and Armijo for sharing their knowledge of where to hunt California valley quail on public land.
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San Carlos, AZ Quail Hunt
User submitted at www.allcoast.com
© October 5th, 2011, www.allcoast.com
So I get a phone call from one of my friends asking me if I would like to go hunt San Carlos. I have never been there but heard stories about how great the quail hunting is. I had less than a day notice to take 3 days off of work (that was the easy part). I rushed to get my stuff together and drove to his house to hit the road.
We drove all night and arrived at the Bashra grocery store to get our permits at 6:30am. I had been up for 26 hours at this point. We get our permits and hit the grounds. The first area my friends wife spots some Scaled quail. We jump out with the dogs and start to work the desert. Within a few minutes a 6' rattlesnake struck at my friends wife. I saw the whole event take place. She freaks out and jumps back lterally shaking. I run over and took care of the snake with some 7 1/2 shot. Normally I would not kill a snake but with the dogs in the field I took care of it. I should have taken a picture. This was a fat snake with a giant head. The rattle wasn't too large but I am thankful she didn't get bit.
I have never hunted this type of quail before. When the dog finally got on point the birds took flight and scattered in every direction. It looked like high school kids leaving a house party when the cops show up. I took one shot and missed. It was a hail mary shot at 70 yards or so. My shell could have had no shot too. Considering I had no sleep I think I missed. We worked the area for about 20-30 minutes and never saw another bird. I think they had a network of tunnels to escape and evade us.
The next spot was a Gamble quail area. I decided to take a power nap so my buddies wife and another friend hunted the area while we slept (they slept the entire drive out). I woke up hearing them take some shots and decided to hunt. I charged up the hill and started chasing birds. The covey split up into singles and pairs. These birds really like to run. When I finally went to take a shot at a flyer I rolled my ankle and fell into some lava rock cutting my knee and pants open. It must have been a sight to see. This giant white guy taking a tubmle on the side of a hill. I got up did a quick assesment and made sure nothing was broken. My gun never touched anything. Walked 10 yards and flushed the bird. I downed it right into a thick cactus Thankfully our friends dog is this 8 time national champion German Wirehair and she was able to retireve the bird without getting stuck. She is a superstar hunting dog. Just unreal how well she hunts. You would never guess she is 9 years old watching her work. The rest of the dogs are awesome but she is just that many notches above them. I tried to take her home but was told no.
The rest of the day we spent running spots trying to find birds. This is pretty much how it went. See birds, jump out of the van, chase birds for 1/2 mile to never see them again. They ran and ran and ran. The dogs were trying like hell to find them but the birds never stopped. They never called to each other, never talked when on the ground. They acted like it was the end of the season. We would pick off a bird here and there. We never shot a scaled quail because we never found them again.
The last hunt on the last day I decided I wanted to try an over under shotgun. I hunt with my trusty Benelli SBE II usually. Great gun but it gets heavy walking all over hell trying to chase birds. My buddy handed me a 28 gauge Beretta to try out. My first walk I doubled and went to pull the trigger the 3rd time and forgot I only had 2 shells If they made a 3 barreled O/U I might be interested I really liked the lighter weight gun. I was able to swing on target quicker and it was nice because the shells are lighter, just an overall lighter package. Even being 65 pounds lighter than I was last year it still sucks carrying 3 liters of water on my back, 2 boxes of shells, chokes, pistol and other gear.
We ended the trip with 13 birds for the 4 of us. I shot 6 (all long shots with an IM choke) and lost 3 to thick cactus. I refused to send the dogs into it. We had already picked needles from the dogs several times...and a few from our own bodies. We probably saw 200 birds over 3 days. They were Apache stealth birds. They slipped into the brush to never be seen again. Even with 5 awesome hunting dogs in the rotation they only went on point twice. They pointed and the birds would run away faster than we could get there. On the way out we stop for gas and a local Indian told us how he ground shot 60 birds with one box of shells the week before That would explain why the birds were so scared.
I see the potential of the place. I think we are going to go back in November when it isn't as warm. I plan to paint Indian hieroglyphics on my barrel and tie a couple of feathers to the gun. I'll add some beads to my hunting vest and replace the pistol with a tomahawk. Maybe that will improve my odds There is another quail species that opens at that time that I want to try for. I think its called a Mearn? I had a great time and learned a few things. We ate well and enjoyed the experience even though hunting was tough. I had a great time hunting with serious hunting dogs unlike my friends high school drop out shorthair. He's a great dog but sucks in the field. I really needed a break from work and my personal life. I can't wait to get out on the 15th for our opener. All my areas are holding lots and lots of birds this year. Should be a great season.
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The Call of Quail Season
Written by Max Foster
Published by www.paysonroundup.com
© October 4th, 2011, www.paysonroundup.com.
If birds are your game of choice, you probably were in the field Sept. 30 for the opening day of quail season.
While Game and Fish biologists are not predicting a banner year, there are always diehard Rim Country hunters who will be scouring the lowlands around Tonto Basin and Roosevelt Lake looking for birds.
The quail season continues until Feb. 5.
The Mearns’ quail season opens Nov. 25 and continues until Feb. 5.
Biologists are basing their predictions of a less than average Gambel’s quail season on the lack of rainfall the past spring.
Newly hatched quail need the foliage produced by heavy spring rains and Arizona didn’t receive the precipitation needed for a bumper crop of quail.
If hunters have any luck bagging their limits, it will have to be with the fair number of birds from spring hatches of previous years.
But a fact of hunting life is that carry-over birds are often hunter-wise and may prove difficult targets.
The best time to hunt is in the morning when the quail are calling and moving in the search for food. Some hunters prefer to use a call, and then wait for the coveys to answer.
The strategy saves time and walking.
Quail calls may be purchased at most sporting goods stores. While walking in the field, stop frequently to listen for birds. Gambel’s and scaled quail make a variety of sounds. Learning to recognize the calls they make is the key to success.
Also, a good place to hunt is near permanent sources of water.
Always remember, Gambel’s quail are remarkably tough birds and can take a lot of punishment. Crippled birds will run down burrows, into nests, or hide in most any suitable cover.
It’s always a temptation to shoot at additional birds once a quail has been downed — but resist it. The strategy will mean fewer lost birds and more quail in the bag.
For those who grow weary trekking through the hills in search of the elusive quail, squirrel hunting is a popular option. A .22 rifle is probably the weapon of choice for most hunts.
Don’t forget to take along a pair of binoculars to scan the tops of distant trees. They’ll help a great deal.
The bag limit is five squirrels per day.
Another popular hunt is for waterfowl. Many locals locate the ducks on stock ponds during the early morning hours.
Before going hunting, be sure to check out the 2011-2012 Arizona Hunting Regulations booklet that is free at many local retail stores.
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Family recipe
Those hunters lucky and good enough to bring home a limit of quail might try this dinner recipe that has been our family favorite for three generations, it’s called Country Style Quail.
Country Style Quail
About 20 quail
1 pound bacon
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 egg yolks
2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika (more if desired).
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Place sliced onion and quail in the skillet and brown in the bacon fat. Salt and pepper the birds. Remove birds and onions from skillet and place in a warm oven (150 to 200 degrees). Pour off all but three tablespoons of bacon fat. Mix the egg yolks and the half-and-half. Add mixture to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook over low heat just to thicken, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Stir in paprika and serve sauce with quail and fried potatoes.
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A Wet Year Amid a Long Drought
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Arizona Quail Hunting 101
Written by Kirby Bristow
Published by Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona Wildlife News, pgs. 14-17
© November-December 2008, Outdoor Tips, Hunting for Quail.
The year I turned 15, I trained my first bird dog, a German shorthaired pointer named Dudley. After record-breaking precipitation the previous winter, desert plants flourished, yielding a bumper crop of Gambel's quail. Every day after the school bus dropped us off, I left my friends to watch "Gilligan's Island" and solve their Rubik's cubes while I took Dudley quail hunting. That was "Arizona Quail Hunting 101" for me. Thought I'll never again match that season for days afield, over the years I've continued to study the secrets of quail hunting.
Arizona hunters primarily pursue three species of quail: Gambel's, scaled and Mearns' (Montezuma). A fourth species, California quail, is found along the Little Colorado River drainage in Apache County, but number are so low in Arizona that I'll leave it out of this discussion. We hunt quail here from early October (late November for Mearns') to early February. Arizona's great weather offers eager pupils many chances to go afield.
Where to find Quail
Arizona has thousands of acres of public land open to quail hunters, including some remote areas that receive low hunting pressure. However, not all public lands provide suitable quail habitat. Here's what I look for.
Gambel's quail occupy a wide variety of habitats. Their range covers a majority of the state, excluding the highest elevations (above 6,000 feet) and the drier areas of northeastern Arizona. Sonoran desertscrub habitats often are most productive, though in good rainfall years hunting can be excellent in pinyon-juniper, scrub oak chaparral and semi-desert grasslands.
Birds often concentrate along desert washes in dense
Photo by Robert Shantz
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scrubby vegetation and near water sources. Some densely vegetated habitats are difficult to hunt despite good quail numbers, because Gambel's will run, refusing to fly except behind screening cover. Quail populations are affected by winter precipitation (October through March), so local information on winter rainfall from the previous year narrows the hunter's search.
Scaled quail, a grassland species of the Chihuahuan Desert, are found in eastern Arizona. Throughout their range in Arizona, scaled quail habitat overlaps that of Gambel's quail, so mixed coveys are not uncommon. The heart of scaled quail habitat is southeastern Arizona in the semi-desert grasslands near Willcox, Safford, Douglas and Sierra Vista. In these areas, the ratio of scaled quail to Gambel's is about 10:1, as opposed to 1:10 at the edge of scaled quail habitat.
Generally, scaled quail are less concentrated along washes, preferring more open upland areas, although they seek out dense, scrubby vegetation in these areas. Yuccas and mesquite scrub are good habitat indicators. Avoid areas with dense woodland.
Scaled quail take advantage of both summer and winter precipitation, so their numbers are harder to predict than those of other quail species. Predictions may be less accurate unless based on field observations and hunter reports after the season opener in October.
Mearns' quail inhabit the mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona. While the Santa Rita, Huachuca and Atascosa mountains are among the most popular Mearns' hunting areas, any oak woodland or savannah on the Coronado National Forest can hold birds. Look for oak woodland with good grass cover and concentrate efforts on forested hillsides and drainage bottoms. Mearns' numbers can be high in thickly vegetated habitat. Some is so remote, thick and steep it gets little to no hunting pressure.
Sporadic, localized summer rainfall determines Mearns' quail numbers, which can be good in one mountain range and poor in another. Except in the best summer rainfall years, predictions about Mearns' quail numbers based on precipitation are less reliable than site-specific field observations. Mearns' quail breed much later than Gambel's or scaled quail, so the hunting season starts later (mid-November) to allow chicks to mature.
Equipment
A quail hunter needs only a few equipment items: a shotgun, boots and a vest. A good dog and a call can improve enjoyment, but are not necessary for success. Compared to just about any other outdoor activity, quail hunting requires a smaller initial investment.
Shotguns for quail hunting should be lightweight. A lighter shotgun comes up to the shoulder and points quickly, and is easier to carry all day. Among flushing game birds, quail accelerate fastest and seem to have an uncanny ability to put obstacles between themselves and the shooter. Many quail hunters go afield with the same long-barreled 12-gauge "Grandpa used for geese," but that is a mistake. Some lightweight 12-gauge shotguns are suitable for quail hunting, but generally the smaller-gauge guns are lighter.
The shotgun must fit properly to ensure the shooter can consistently and quickly mount the gun. Many factors affect shotgun fit. A knowledgeable salesperson can guide your decision, so ask for help before making a purchase.
Reliability, weight and fit are more  important than action type for a quail-hunting shotgun. Any type of action works here, though few people hunt with single shots. Purists choose double-barreled firearms (side-by-sides, and over-and-unders), but these can be expensive. Semiautomatics are a decent choice, but for price and performance, it is hard to beat a pump gun.
For quail hunting, the choke (the amount of constriction on the shot pattern) should be open. A modified, improved cylinder or skeet choke works best. Lighter shot loads (1 ounce and lower) are sufficient. An added benefit of lighter loads is that the shotgun will kick less than it would with heavy loads. Many hunters use heavier loads to reduce the number of birds hit but not killed, but shot size is more critical to ensuring clean kills: No. 7.5 or No. 8 shot is commonly used. For late season birds, I even use No. 6 shot. I find No. 9 shot results in more crippled birds and is best-suited for clay targets.
The second piece of equipment required for quail hunting is a pair of lightweight boots. Success at finding quail is proportional to the numbers of miles walked, which can be brutal in poorly fitting, heavy, insulated boots. Try on boots before you purchase them. Boots that are uncomfortable in the store will be tortuous in the field. I prefer medium to high-top (8 to 12 inches) boots for ankle support and to keep grass seeds out of my socks. Leather boots fend off cactus spines. Waterproof boots are nice, but not necessary.
Unless you intend to carry birds and shotgun shells in grocery bags - don't laugh, some hunter do - a good shooting vest is a necessity. I prefer strap vests that suspend the game bag and shell pockets from the shoulders with crisscrossing straps. Having less fabric, these vests are ideal on warm days. You can wear a light jacket underneath when temperatures drop.
I like roomy pockets up front for the carrying shells. Shell loops are handy but wear out quickly and shells fall loose in your pockets anyway. Pocket flaps keep out some of the small branches and leaves that accumulate as you wade through brush.
Many lightweight vests are made of cool, mesh material, but mesh can shred after one season in our quail country. I prefer sturdier material in hunter orange for enhanced safety. The game pocket should have a lining impervious to blood. Those that zip or snap completely open are easier to clean.
Recent innovations have produced fancy vests with internal hydration systems and various configurations of pockets and game bags. These features can be convenient but are not required and may add unnecessary cost and weight.
Techniques and Tips
The hunter should be familiar with the habits of his quarry, especially the calls. Gambel's and scaled quail make distinctive calls that can be heard from great distances. Knowing these calls and being able to imitate them cab be invaluable in locating coveys. Hunters should concentrate efforts in commonly used habitats (mentioned preciously). If hunting with a dog, trust the dog - its ability to locate birds is better than yours.
Found a covey? The next problem is getting in position for a shot. With Gambel's and scaled quail, this can be tough, as the birds tend to run and flush out of range. Once the covey is broken up into singles, Gambel's and scaled quail often hold very tight, flushing in a startling whir of wings as you approach the cover in which they are hiding. Carefully watch where the flushing covey flies to, rather than waste ammunition and distract your attention on questionable long-range shots. This is difficult to do, though, as the desire to bag birds after a long search can override logic in the heat of the moment.
When following up on a covey, look for likely cover where birds may settle, even if you don't witness birds landing. Often, coveys settle just over the top of a ridge when flying uphill. Tight-holding singles will let the hunter walk by if every piece of cover isn't investigated. Large coveys seem to evaporate as individual birds hide from the hunters. Be persistent: Learning to kick cactus and other cover to flush tight-holding birds offers some of the most exciting moments in quail hunting.
For Mearns' quail, the covey rise often is the only shooting opportunity. Mearns' coveys are usually small (five to 15 birds), and the wooded, steep areas where they're found make following up on single birds difficult. Also, you are almost entirely dependent upon your dog to find Mearns' quail, and because one bird gives off less scent then 10, even the best Mearns' quail dogs have difficulty finding singles. It is better to search for a new covey than to waste time searching for a lone bird.
When a shot opportunity presents itself, be prepared to capitalize on it. Once a bird flushes, you have only a few seconds to mount your gun, acquire the target, swing and shoot. Being forewarned is one of the biggest assets of hunting with a dog. The alert hunter can read his dog's behavior and know when a bird is likely to flush, even if the dog has not pointed. Hunters without dogs should try to predict when a bird is likely to flush. Carrying the gun with the muzzle pointed at the ground or in the air enables the hunter to mount the gun quickly.
When a bird is hit, mark it down and retrieve it as soon as safely possible. Birds can move after they land. Often times your bird will be found five to 10 yards past where you'd marked it down. Be persistent - look for feathers to help locate the kill. Sometimes marking the spot where you were standing at the shot will help you line up with landmarks and locate a downed bird. Wounded birds often run after landing, and shooting a wounded bird when it's on the ground is not considered bad form when done safely. Avoid being distracted by other shooting opportunities until the downed bird is located - you'll bring home more birds and less frustration.
I've enjoyed hunting quail ever since Dudley and I first took "Arizona Quail Hunting 101" together. One thing I like about it is that success relies more on skill than luck. We've all heard stories about the fortunate neophyte (aka lucky idiot) who stumbles into taking a nice buck, but no one stumbles into bagging a limit of quail. Another great thing about quail hunting is that it's pure pursuit. There is no sneaking, stalking or crouching in camouflaged concealment. Generally the hunter who walks the most and shoots well is the one who earns an "A."
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2011-2012 Arizona Quail Season
Gambel's & Scaled Quail:
September 30 - February 5
Mearns' Quail:
November 25 - February 5
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