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Summer 2010
The winter rains have brought a great green-up in the desert this Spring. This fact, along with the number of carryover birds (primarily Gambel's) makes this season coming up one you won't want to miss -- it should be above average. There's not much more to report about that -- just looking forward to the type of bird season Arizona hasn't had for awhile.
There are a couple topics, however, that would be intresting to get some hunters' feedback on. It has to do with changing the dates for quail and the limit on Gambel's. Regarding quail season dates, what about changing the season to open the first part of November rather than October, and then extending the season to the end of February or at least through the 3rd week of February. The reasons?
1. It's still too hot in October - for dogs and hunters.
2. In some years, there are still too many half-grown quail in October.
3. Rattlesnake encounters would decrease by November.
4. Lastly, February is just a great time of year to be on the desert. December and January are usually rainy, so by the time February rolls around, we could (in some years) start to see alittle of that beautiful green-up when makes the desert a spectacular place to hunt.
Regarding the limit change, if there's an 8 bird limit on Mearns, why not reduce the Gambel's limit to 8 a day as well. So, with Scaled, Gambel's and Mearns all at an 8 bird a day limit, there would be a 4 day possession limit of 32 quail.
Send your opinion to arizonaoutdooradventures@cox.net. Thank you.
March 2010
Anyone who hunted the last few days of the quail season would have found themselves with boots stained green – a good indication from years past that a pretty good hatch is ahead.
It’s a green desert right now and in most areas there were good numbers of carryover quail. If Arizona gets another couple rains in the month of March, along with good nesting
conditions, it looks to be the best quail hatch we will have had on the desert in the last several years. The central to northwest parts of the state are looking the best right now due to the greater amount of carryover birds as well as rain. As far as Mearns quail goes, what will take place weather-wise in July, August, and September? – it sure will be interesting to see. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated as Spring and Summer unfold.
January 2010
Here we are - ten days from the end of the 2009-2010 Arizona quail season. Mearns' quail continues to be fairly slow as well as Gambel's. Again, the central part of the State has had good, full-sized coveys with plenty of young, but a hunter can walk a long ways between coveys! The third week of January did bring a lot of moisture to Arizona - it has been one of the wettest Januarys in years and years and, together with some good rain in December, has resulted in the desert really beginning to green up. It's very possible to see a good quail hatch next year, if, along with this year's carryover quail, Arizona gets more good rains in February and March. We'll just have to wait and see, but on an encouraging note, in previous years when I've seen the desert floor a solid green in January, there's been a good quail hatch. Now in order to have an excellent hatch, Arizona would have to have two or three back to back years of moisture like what we've had this past December and January. Right now (January 24), I'm at Roosevelt Lake and this last storm completely filled it up in just a few days. The other lakes in central and southern Arizona, as well as stock tanks that haven't seen water in a long time, were filled by this past storm. It's really good to see the desert in its current, increasingly green condition. Something to be aware of if you are planning to get out this last week of quail season is that access to areas above 4-5,000 feet may be questionable due to snow, and the lower elevation areas have had an abundance of water running in otherwise dry washes, so back road conditions could make some areas inaccessible.
This is the last update for this season. Though the quail season may have been average, what never changes and what is always worth your time, is getting out into the amazing, rugged Arizona outdoors to enjoy and absorb the peace and beauty of God's creation - we hope that pleasure has been, is, or will in the future be a regular part of your hunting experience.
Be sure to continue checking in at Arizona Quail Today - though the season has ended, adding to and polishing up this website will continue year round!
December 2009 - 12/26/09
Here's what's going on, what I've seen, and what I hear from reports - of what's going on right now around Christmastime, 2009.
Mearns' quail - some areas of the state have had a hatch. They are, however, very few and far between. Several full sized coveys a day can be found in those areas. On the other hand, most areas have very few coveys and those coveys are small with just 3 or 4 birds. It's kind of what was predicted - that it would be very spotty. Here's the bright picture - there are enough quail around to hunt if a guy will get out and do enough scouting to find them.
Gambel's and Scaled quail - let's start with the bright picture. In many areas of central Arizona a hatch has occurred. Most areas, 70% of the birds will be birds of the year. In one bag of 15 birds just a week ago, there were 12 birds of the year (juvenile birds) out of that, so there's actually quite a few young quail around where hatches have occurred. Then on the other hand, the majority of quail country did not have a hatch and it's tough hunting.
Statewide, the hatch has been a little bit better than predicted, and though it is spotty, there are enough birds around to have an enjoyable hunt.
Then I just want to emphasize here all the best to you for the upcoming new year. Stay current with what is going on with this website because there will be changes taking place all the time and updates all the time. We have a lot planned down the road -- so stay tuned, continue to check in and see what develops.
December 2009 - 12/01/09
Scaled Quail: There has been a very poor hatch in the southeast corner of Arizona, the primary area for scaled quail.
Gambel's Quail: This is probably the brightest outlook for Arizona regarding winter rainfall, and though the season has only been open since mid-October, it looks like the country around Safford could afford some ok hunting. I wouldn't call it good by any stretch of the imagination, but there will be some Gambel's quail in that country. However, the best hatches may have taken place (though the "best" hatches are in reality poor hatches compared to wetter years) from Globe over through Payson and then into the foothills of the Matazals and the Camp Verde area. There will be some small pockets around, and I would say the better small pockets would be in that country.
Mearns' Quail: This year is going to be what I would consider a very poor Mearns' season. The summer rains that would be conducive to a good hatch just did not happen, and although there were some spots through the southeast corner of the state where summer rains did occur, none of them were to the point to bring off a good Mearns' quail hatch. There will be some very small pockets there where rainfall did occur due to the spottiness of the summer thunderstorms - there can be a ten mile square area that picks up a lot of rain while other nearby areas go dry - but I'm going to call the Mearns' season this year poor because of that. A person is either going to just really have to study some maps and look at where those rains took place, or if a person has a lot of time they can just get into that area of the state and find some of the mountain ranges or foothills with the better grass and the better cover - that's where you can tell the better rainfall took place at this point in time.
Overall, I'm going to call the entire season poor, and by poor, I'd be talking about hunting Gambel's quail hard and shooting good to bag about 8 or 10 birds a day. If a person can do it, steer clear of Mearns' and Scaled quail this year. As Mearns' season progresses along I will have more opportunity to get into Mearns' country and I will be able to give a little more information as to what is taking place. I will also be able to get reports from some different people in different areas.
This is my assessment at this point of what we can look forward to in the upcoming 2009/2010 season. As you know, it's not about numbers of quail or how many quail are in the bag or anything like that, it's just the opportunity to be out and see some birds and enjoy being in the outdoors.
November 2009
Quail hunters: Washes, walking and water are key this season
2009-10 season offers less crowds, exploration and mixed bag
Nov. 6, 2009 - Arizona Game and Fish Department
PHOENIX — Quail check station results from the season opener weekend (Oct. 3-4) vary and suggest populations are below-average in central regions to well-below-average in southern regions of the state reported Arizona Game and Fish Department officials.
Southern region check stations (Freeman & Willow Springs) recorded 1.8 birds per day of which the harvest comprised of juveniles was at 50-57 percent. The central region (Tonto Basin) reported slightly better numbers of 2.9 birds per day and 70 percent juveniles in the harvest.
“Field reports from quail hunters have been mixed,” said Public Information Officer, Doug Burt. “I’ve seen comments of 15-bird limits on chat forums one day and heard hunters state ‘I didn’t see a bird all day’ the next – clearly, hunters will need to search out the honey holes.”
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Don’t despair, there is a silver lining.
“You can still go out and find birds, there’s always Gambel’s quail to hunt in Arizona – we just get spoiled by the great years,” said Small Game Program Supervisor, Mike Rabe. “Hunters will need to focus on core quail habitat in lower elevations, areas with good cover (roosting trees and low ground cover), drainage and water source’s are a plus.”
Rabe added, “Washes are key and can provide upland hunters a smorgasbord of game to pursue including quail, mourning dove (reopens Nov. 20) and rabbits (jacks and cottontails) – all are exciting and challenging to hunt and excellent eating.”
The late season dove and year-round rabbit seasons are overlooked by many hunters says Rabe. “Many hunters are missing out - the weather is fantastic, there are no crowds, and doves and rabbits are plentiful.”
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Cover and habitat for all three game animals are similar and should include a combination of mesquite-lined washes, hackberry bushes, desert brittle brush, catclaw, varieties of desert cacti, (prickly pear is a good indicator) and desert grasses between 1,500-4,500 feet in elevation.
No. 6 shot is recommended during challenging seasons. The same shot is suitable for rabbits and doves flushing through cover too. So load up, be safe and enjoy the great American hunting tradition.
For more reports on the upland hunting season, tips, season dates and more, visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site at www.azgfd.gov/hunting and select "Small Game Outlook, Hunting Dates and more."
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SIDEBAR – If you missed hunting in October, don’t worry: November is better. There are two home-wreckers this month. The first is late dove season, which offers all-day hunting and allows hunters to enjoy evenings where crowds are nearly non-existent and the weather and sunsets are spectacular. The second is the Mearns’ quail season opener. A dog is nearly mandatory for hunting these tight-holding birds, so if you don’t have one, find a friend who does. The Sky Island scenery alone is worth the trip, but there you can bag two types of rabbits and three species of quail, not to mention a duck or two. How’s that for variety?
November season dates: (Regulations can be downloaded at www.azgfd.gov/rules)
Dove late season: Nov. 20 - Jan. 3, 2010
Quail: Oct. 2 - Feb. 7, 2010: (Gambel’s and scaled)
Mearns’ Quail: Nov. 27 - Feb. 7, 2010
Tree Squirrel: Oct. 2 - Dec. 31
Blue Grouse: Sept. 11 - Nov. 15
Chukar: Sept. 11 - Feb. 7, 2010
Waterfowl (ducks and geese): Oct. 9 - Jan. 17 (Mountain Zone); Oct. 23 - Jan. 31 (Desert Zone). Some restrictions apply; see regulations.
Rabbits (jackrabbits and cottontails): Open year-round
Predators/Furbearers (coyotes, foxes, etc.): Open year-round
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October 2009
2009-10 Quail Hunting Outlook
Quail
Poor - Fair
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Scaled quail = Fair to Average: "Last year was fair and the timing and amount of seaonal rains fell short of average and will have this year looking much the same for this bird found in the southeastern reaches of our state."
Mearns' quail = Below-average to Average: "After two back-to-back season, due to spotty to poor summer rains resulting in a poor nesting season, predictions are for a below-average to average Mearns' quail season." |
This winter’s precipitation was average but the spring and summer rains were poor increasing mortality to broods. The Gambel’s quail season will not be improved from last year at below average to poor.
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September 2009
Summer '09 third-driest ever recorded for Arizona
by Shaun McKinnon - September 16, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Summer 2009 was the third-driest on record across Arizona, but June, July and August have been much drier here in Phoenix.
The statewide ranking showed up in end-of-summer statistics issued by the National Climatic Data Center.
According to the NCDC, the statewide rainfall total for the three months was 2.17 inches. The long-term average is just shy of 4.5 inches.
Only twice in 115 years have Arizona summers ended drier; surprisingly, one of them was not 2002, which was the driest year on record.
In 1962, the statewide figure was 1.96 inches and in 1900, the summer rains brought just 1.48 inches.
The statewide total for 2002 was 2.51 inches, the sixth-driest summer on record.
Summer rains aren't big players in the water-supply game; Arizona depends much more on winter snowmelt.
But the lack of rain extended the wildfire season and built the longer-term moisture deficit in the ground.
Drier ground means less runoff into streams and rivers until the deficit is filled.
In Phoenix, the National Weather Service recorded 0.71 inch of rain during June, July and August. That's less than half the average of 2.02 inches for the period and the 14th-driest in 115 years of record-keeping.
The driest summer in Phoenix was 1924, when 0.23 inch of rain fell. By comparison, summer 2002 - again, the driest 12 months on record - was a gully-washer, with 1.18 inches of rain.
April 2009
October through March rainfall is what is important when it comes to good Gambel hatches. December, 2008, and January, 2009, received good rain, but then things went dry in February and March. Right now, the best areas for hatches look to be Globe to Payson and the Kingman area. But stay tuned------------sometimes even with the best rains, other factors come in to play. The Mearns hatch will be tied to the July through September rains. Below I have included a recent interesting article about Arizona's precipitation.
March weather dries up chance to end drought
by Shaun McKinnon - Apr. 2, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
Better hold on to the eulogy for Arizona's long dry spell.
A series of winter storms built up snowdrifts - and hopes - in December and January, but an abrupt onset of drier conditions diminished chances of ending the drought, which has persisted for more than a dozen years.
March ended as one of the driest on record across the river basins that supply water for Valley cities, and those rivers will likely produce only about two-thirds their typical flow into storage reservoirs.
It's a sharp turnabout after those early winter storms piled snow high in the mountains and somewhat surprising after watching water spill out of Roosevelt Lake.
"I think when it's over, they're going to say La Niña really took hold," said Charlie Ester, water-resources manager for Salt River Project, which stores and distributes water from the Salt and Verde rivers.
La Niña, a lowering of water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, often produces dry winters in Arizona and the Southwest. Climate experts spotted it late last year and factored it into their forecasts.
Its influence seemed muted at first, as storms in December boosted mountain snowpack. But the storms slowed by February and produced next to nothing by March. Just 0.12 inches of precipitation fell on the Salt and Verde watersheds in March, Ester said.
The average for the month is almost 2.5 inches.
SRP now estimates the season-long runoff on both major river systems to top off at about 67 percent of the long-term median.
Roosevelt Lake filled in part because its levels were high to begin with. Then rain-fed runoff raised levels quickly before water demand could keep up. SRP was forced to release water for more than a month to keep the reservoir below federal flood-control limits.
Horseshoe and Bartlett lakes on the Verde River never filled and sit at 79 percent of capacity.
SRP will draw its water supplies from the Verde this spring in an attempt to lower water levels at Horseshoe Lake, which operates under a special wildlife-habitat plan. The lower levels are required to prevent non-native fish from reproducing.
Conditions turned similarly dry in Phoenix, where Sky Harbor International Airport hasn't recorded measurable rain since Feb. 17. The airport has received 1.47 inches of rain since Jan. 1, about 1.2 inches below the 30-year average for the first three months of the year.
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2009-2010 Arizona Quail Season
Mearns' Quail: November 27th 2009 - February 7th 2010
Gambel's and Scaled Quail: October 2nd 2009 - February 7th 2010
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