The updates contained here are compiled from reports of many individuals that I stay in contact with as well as reports of what I see as I hunt throughout the state. The individuals I get reports from are knowledgeable hunters, each with well over 20 years experience hunting Arizona quail.
- Dan Priest
End of January 2012
Gambel's Quail
Not much change since the last update, although here are some interesting observations: With the majority of this season's Gambel's quail being adult:
1. The birds are calling less than in previous years;
2. In most years, a covey will fly or run when a vehicle drives by, but with adult birds, often the covey will just set tight allowing the vehicle to drive by; and
3. There have been instances when you may flush just one or two quail, but in reality was a full size covey (2 dozen birds or more), but being adult birds, they did not fly at all - just scattered, with some running off and some just setting without being seen.
So something to think about in these situations - if you put up just one or two birds, don't leave. Continue to hunt the area because it could very well be that that covey has ran, scattered on the ground, and are setting tight.
Scaled Quail
No changes since last update - there was an "ok" hatch of Scaled quail with some good numbers in the coveys. Also, the same observations noted above in #2 and #3 apply to Scaled quail as well.
Mearns' Quail
Pretty much what was said last time - generally full, good-sized coveys, just fewer of them.
General note:Right now the desert areas, primarily in the northern half of the state, look to be in great shape. Lots of new green growth and the birds are filling up on it. A couple rains in February and a couple in March could put us in better shape for hatches next year. Certain areas still have lots of adult birds to bring off a good hatch.
Christmas/New Year Update
Gambel's
Some recent questions have come up regarding the San Carlos Indian Reservation, but the quail hunting there hasn't really been any better than any other location - seems to be about the same all over the state. An overall impression is that the quail seem to be in "pockets" this season. Go to our tactics page for a brief explanation of why pockets occur.
The best Gambel's quail hunting to date, that I am aware of, has been in the central and southern parts of Region III - from Baghdad to Kingman. Don't forget to use a quail call -- and use it a lot, because even with dogs, calling can be a big help to locate birds, not only new coveys, but for birds that have been scattered. A good quail call is a great asset.
Scaled
There have been reports of some halfway decent Scaled quail hunting - referring to the southern part of the state. Covey sizes for Scaled quail have run somewhat larger than Gambel's, indicating that they did have a bit better hatch. I've been in touch with some contacts through southern New Mexico and most all of that country is way down also.
Mearns'
Not much change from the last update. I suppose if there would be one bright note in it all, it's that at least on the average, the covey sizes have been somewhat larger this year than last, and by large coveys, I mean 8 - 10 birds or more.
**The best quail hunting that I know of anywhere close to Arizona is in southern California, and even some of those reports have been somewhat sketchy. Overall, if a hatch occurred anywhere in the southwest, it's been through southern California. One bonus is a lot of that country also holds Chukars, so the possibility of a mixed bag could be good. Visit our articles page for more on southern California hunting.
All in all though, as far as the birds go in Arizona, there is still enough of them out there to give an individual a fairly productive hunt if they just stick with it.
Mid-Season, 2011
Gambel's
Last year, 80 - 90% of a Gambel's quail bag were juvenile birds, but this year it is more like 10 - 20%. This reflects the biggest difference from last year's season. This year's adult birds, therefore, are much more wary and covey sizes are quite a bit smaller. However, as in past years when there has been a poor hatch, fair numbers of birds can still be found in certain areas, but they will generally be in relatively rough country that doesn't receive as much hunting pressure. So look to walk more, wear out more boot leather, and get into some country that's a little more secluded.
Scaled
Where a hatch of Scaled quail did take place, it was a very late hatch. Generally, the number of coveys are down from what was reported last year.
Mearns'
Mearns quail also had a late hatch, so in the areas that did receive a fair hatch, you will probably see some very young birds, though the hatch overall is way below average. Although the season has only been open for a short amount of time, it looks to be a bit better this year from last year, though still below average. There are some good, full sized coveys out there (coveys of a dozen or more birds). Stay tuned for more information later on.
My assessment at this point in time is, again, to stick with Gambel's quail. Even though the hatch is poor, there are a few areas around, especially in the central part of the state, i.e. Region VI, that they can be hunted. What I have found, and which has been confirmed by most hunters I have talked to, is that with hard hunting, a covey can be found about every hour with the covey size averaging about 2 dozen birds.
October/November, 2011
Well, here we are, 3 weeks into the 2011 -2012 quail season - one little cool spell for a couple days, but for the most part, the desert has seen 90-100 degree heat. This means 3 weeks of good productive quail hunting opportunities have been lost. Let's all continue to work for a change to a later opening date and a later closing date.
Regarding the quail hatch, most of the bird hunters that I know, and have spoken with, are doing relatively poor. However, summer rains in the southeast corner of the state have been good, and there could be some average Scaled and Gambel's hunting there. The entire Verde River basin has always had a fair quail population, and I'm also hearing some fair reports coming out of Region III (Kingman area). However, once the weather begins to cool off enough to hunt quail, my primary focus would be the Verde basin or southeast corner of the state.
Plans are to know a lot more within the next three weeks and will post another update then. Check out the video "A Day on an Arizona Quail Hunt" that was put up on the website within the last couple weeks. http://www.azquailtoday.com/quail_video.asp
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Until we can get our Weather/Precipitation information more detailed and current on the website, here is some general data gathered via www.rainlog.org:
October 2010 - March 2011:
South-central part of Arizona (Amado to Tombstone): less than 4 inches
Gila Valley area (Safford, Clifton, Thatcher): less than 3 inches
**Verde River basin: 8.4 inches (most favorable for a Gambel's quail hatch)
Congress/Wickenburg area: 1.93 inches
**Hackberry area in northern AZ: 9.01 inches (favorable for Gambel's quail hatch)
**Couple locations in the Cerbats: 9 - 10 inches (favorable for Gambel's quail hatch)
July, August & September, 2011:
**Most of the southeast corner of the state is favorable for a late Scaled quail hatch or
Mearns quail hatch.
Majority of area south of Wilcox: 9 - 11 inches
Between Tubac and Douglas: 8+ inches with some areas as much as 12 inches
July/August 2011
As was mentioned earlier in the Spring (May, 2011 Update), the Gambel's quail pairing seemed to be a bit later than usual which means that, as was the case last year, the 2011 -2012 quail season will start with somewhat immature birds. Right now, the Gambel's quail hatch looks to be below average due to sparse winter rains. We'll know more, of course, by September.
One of the bright spots may be with Scaled quail - so far the summer rain season has been good, and if the rains continue through August and part of September, we could see a late hatch of Scaled quail. Those birds at times, can be late hatchers.
It will be interesting to see what develops further with Mearns quail. Last year, conditions looked favorable, yet the hatch was way below average. Again, we'll have a better idea of the hatch sometime in late September, early October.
At this time, my perspective is that it will be far below average statewide for all three species of quail for the 2011-2012 season. The great thing about it, as always, is that there will be some sections of the state, especially with Gambel's and Scaled, where there will be enough quail around to keep a hunter and dog busy and interested most days. Stay tuned…
June 2011
Arizona Game & Fish Dept is conducting a survey regarding possible changes to
hunting guidelines. One of the questions pertains to changing the opening day of quail
season. There is only one or two questions pertaining to quail season dates, and though
it is not possible to make any additional comments to the online survey, it is an
opportunity to let G&F know a change is favored - go to www.azgfd.gov/huntingguidelines.
To those of you who responded to the AQT survey, your responses have been forwarded
to Brian Wakeling, Chief of Game Management, Arizona Game & Fish Dept.
May 2011
Moving into early summer with Gambel's quail, it looks like the breeding season may have gotten off to a somewhat late start. In some of the desert areas that I've been through in early April, full coveys still existed without any pairing. Though there were some mating calls and pairing as well, in general, it looks like the breeding activity has been later than usual. As we go into the early part of May, one bright spot is that some broods are beginning to show up - baby quail about the size of a bumblebee. The desert is very dry at this point in time, though that is considered normal for this time of year.
Hey Dad (and Grandpas too for that matter) check out this interesting link we've come across: www.outdoorfathers.com.
If anyone has developed or knows a good quail recipe, please send it over to add to the website - arizonaoutdooradventures@cox.net
Here's an interesting video that is a well-communicated viewpoint about hunting, hunters, and their benefit to conservation and the environment:
March / April 2011
At this point, the rain has been on the slim side. There is a slight green-up on the desert despite the lack of rain over the last several weeks. Hopefully we'll see another couple rains before the 100+ degree temps hit. A couple other items of interest:
1. In the last several days, some discussion has taken place on "Upland Journal" regarding the decreased Mearns quail population. Some of you may find it interesting -- Click to read discussion.
Discussions like these have taken place in the past and, in general, they're good for everyone involved. It is a fact that Arizona's Upland bird populations have declined over the past 20 - 25 years or so, however, we also continue to be, though with some improvement, in a long-term drought and wildlife populations will always fluctuate, whether animals or birds. Another observation is that there are good numbers of Mearns quail in areas outside the southeast part of the State (Coronado National Forest), and those populations also fluctuate, even with little or no hunting pressure. However, despite the natural changes and fluctuations in weather, animal, and bird populations, AQT does agree that 'something' should be done to control the hunting pressure in the most well known Mearns areas in southeastern Arizona. Frankly, I don't know what the answers are, but I would like to say this: Over the years, my perception of the overall management of the AZ Game & Fish Dept. has been good. They, along with the Commissioners, do have the best interest of hunters and wildlife at heart. Much of the G&F and Commission personnel, past and present, are avid hunters themselves and want to see the best for the State's wildlife. Also, in my view, Arizona's Mearns quail are much heartier than some would think.
2. A new White Mountains Wildlife 2011 Video is in the Media Section > Video. Take a few minutes to sit back, relax, and listen to the music while enjoying God's creation.
February 2011
Gambel's / Scaled
Well, here it is, the tail end of the 2010-2011 season and there are still some big coveys of quail around, but it had just seemed that it was going to be one of those seasons that you would be able to see and hear quail by just driving around on a back country two track in good quail country. But it was not to be. Even though there have been large coveys of quail with generally 80% or more being birds of the year, a hunter had to get out and hunt hard to find those pockets. In general, with hard hunting, a hunter could find a good sized covey about every hour or so. But, again, it just didn't turn out to be the first-rate season that seemed to be shaping up considering the kind of conditions that were present from all our winter rains and green up. We'll see what develops over the next few months with more moisture - as I put this together, there's supposed to be another little storm on the way in. Hopefully, it will provide some generous rain.
Mearns'
No other description for this year's Mearns season fits, but that it was "poor". Again, as with Gambel's and Scaled, it started out looking like it should have been a good Mearns hatch because of the wet, green conditions - and in previous years even when the bird population was down but good conditions existed for a good hatch, there were enough quail around to hunt. But whether the timing of the rain was a factor together with other factors such as predators, storms, or whatever, it just didn't happen in 2010-2011.
So the Arizona quail seasons were "ok", but a guy can't be down because what is always better than just "ok" is the opportunity you have at the start of each new day to be in the outdoors hiking through the desert vistas stretching out before you, and whether it's sun, rain, or wind in your face, you know that that day will be stored in the old memory bank as a unique and irreplaceable day of adventure in the deserts of Arizona.
Stay tuned to this website during the off season - the plans are to add more pictures, videos, information, and periodic updates till it's time to head out and find out what the 2011-2012 season has in store for us.
January 19, 2011
Gambel's / Scaled
The 2010 - 2011 season sure has turned out to be less than what it was expected to be - even with the increased amounts of rainfall last spring and summer. Apparently there are more indicators of a good season than just rainfall because there were a good number of carryover birds from last spring. As this is written, I'm hunting in the east-central part of the state. There are lots of birds of the year here, but not very many coveys, though the sizes of the coveys that are here are good - usually a couple dozen birds or more. From what I have found, and from what has been reported, the best numbers of birds have been in some of the rougher terrain and back away from roads. Most avid bird hunters, with hard hunting, have been finding about 4 coveys a day.
Don't forget to use a good quail call. It can be used anytime of the day to locate coveys, but the morning and late afternoon hours are the best. I would recommend a Lohman call. Another recommendation would be to use a heavier shot in the late season, like #6 shot with a heavy load.
Also, just as an aside, the winter storm that came through end of December/first part of January, was good for the desert and a slight production of green sprouts has been evident.
Mearns'
The Mearns outlook is poor statewide. Sticking with desert quail will be more productive this late in the season.
January 2011
This season is looking a lot like last year with certain concentrated areas having quite a few birds, but lots of country where quail have been in the past, but are just not there this year in any numbers. As of January 1, the rains have been on the slim side. Still, some of the better areas for Gambel’s quail continue to be in the central part of the state. It does seem that Gambel’s and Scaled populations may be making a bit of a comeback in the southeast part of the state where the country had been so dry. In years past, some of that country has been good quail hunting – it will be nice to see those numbers increasing.
To look at the state in general for Mearns quail, is poor - lots of country between coveys. Some fairly avid Mearns hunters, with good dogs, have hunted hard with very limited success. As it was last year, a bird hunter would be better off to stay on Scaled or Gambel’s quail for numbers. Stay tuned – should know alittle more the second or third week of January and will update again then.
December 2010
It's December, and the 2010 season has been open two months. Things do look a bit different than at the beginning of the season. The number one assessment would be that, so far, other than for the first month, this season looks a lot like it did last year. The first month of this season did have more birds around than last year.
Gambel's and Scaled
There have been some fairly good reports coming from the southeast corner of the State, especially regarding Scaled quail, though the central part of Arizona continues to be better than further east. In some central areas, almost 100% of the birds harvested have been young birds of the year. The further east you go, however, the more it becomes like last year where maybe 70% of harvested birds were young. So at this point in time, the hatch and young quail survival looks to have been the best in the central and western part of the State. The Yuma area has been reported as having plenty of quail, though the cover in some of those areas is not as conducive to good hunting.
Region III (Kingman) - fair
Region IV (Yuma) - plenty of quail
Region V (Tucson) - fair to good
Region VI (Mesa) - good, and the further west one goes, the better it gets
Mearns
Mearns quail are somewhat better than what they were last year. The cover and conditions have been better, favoring the hatch, so we should be in fair shape on Mearns in most any of the areas in the southeast part of the State anyway.
Region V (Tucson) - fair
One more thing to mention is that, to date, things have been fairly dry and many waterholes are dry. Even the waterholes that were full last year have none or little water right now. A dry, dusty season like this does make it difficult for dogs.
Thanks once again for your interest in this website. If you get an opportunity, take a look at a video under "Media". It's just 7 minutes and you'll enjoy watching it - it's titled "White Mountain Wildlife". It's also on YouTube if you search under Arizona Outdoor Adventures. There will be more wildlife and desert quail videos added in the next month or two with interesting elk and antelope footage, including a couple coyotes after a herd of antelope. These videos are available for a contribution to Arizona Outdoor Adventures - you'll be enabling children to experience nature and the outdoors, especially inner city children who do not have the opportunities to do so. Go to www.azoutdooradventures.org to get more information.
November 2010
At this point, it looks like all of those hopes of a good hatch have been realized over almost all of the Gambel's quail country except for the eastern and southeastern part of Arizona.
Region 3 has a good number of young birds. Good starting areas for this Region would be Unit 16A and Unit 18B.
Region 4 also contains a good number of young birds, though hunting may be a little tougher because the cover is not as good. Unit 44A, Unit 42, and Unit 20C would be the best bets for this Region.
Much of Region 5 consists of the southeast part of the State and most of those areas don't look so good at this point. Some of the country north of Tucson would be the better areas to start here - Unit 37B, Unit 33, Unit 32.
Region 6 - basically the whole area of this Region looks good. Most all the areas north and east of Phoenix have had a good hatch with a good number of young birds.
As the season progresses and the nights become colder, some of the smaller coveys will join together, so by December/January, there should be better shooting opportunities as the covey sizes increase. More information regarding Mearns' will be in the December update. I have spoken with various deer hunters who report that the overall population of Mearns' quail seem to be rather spotty at this point.
October 2010
October, 2010 Opening for Gambel's and Scaled
The southeast corner of the state is still not looking good. Though the rainfall was sufficient, the lack of rain in previous years contributed to not enough carry-over birds to make for a good season. The central part of the state looks to be above average and better than last season.
Have been talking with various hunters over this first part of the season, and they are reporting alot of very young quail.
Mearns'
Sufficient rainfall in June, July and August, but as with Gambel's and Scaled, the lack of carry-over birds looks to make this an average Mearns season - but should still be better than last year.
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.”
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.”
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."
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
October 2009
2009-10 Quail Hunting Outlook
Quail
Poor - Fair
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.
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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A Great Video!
Tradition Lives On by Adam Lytle
