Mearns Quail Arizona

[steadytowingandshot]

I'll be taking my dad and my wife out to AZ this year to try and get them on some Mearns quail. I've been 3 times before and am very familiar with units 35A and 35B. I was curious if anyone local could tell me how the monsoon season has been and if conditions are favorable for a decent season in southern Arizona. I'd like to go back to the places I've hunted before since we have done well there in the past, but if the weather has been unfavorable might switch it up. The US state drought monitor looks pretty rough for the whole state, but I know how the rain can be with localized areas getting some and it being bone dry a half mile up the road. Any updates are appreciated. Pics for attention. Also, general quail hunting/upland/bird dog thread if anyone is so inclined.

 

[Thunderbolt]

Love the quail/Bird dog thread. I'm heading to AZ with my Draht for the first time this year and trying to figure out where to go on some public land. Are the mearns everywhere throughout the state or are they in specific pockets/units?

 

[Russp17]

Hoping to make it down there from Alaska again. Had a great time chasing those little birds last year!

 

[taggart_lumpy]

i’m not down in those units but monsoons have been pretty non existent this year. azgfd has predicted a good season and i e seen pretty high bird numbers out and about.

 

[steadytowingandshot]

Love the quail/Bird dog thread. I'm heading to AZ with my Draht for the first time this year and trying to figure out where to go on some public land. Are the mearns everywhere throughout the state or are they in specific pockets/units?

They're kind of scattered as their habitat is a little different from Gambels or Scaled. They're a little more elevation dependent and don't occur in the really desert, arid regions. Look for oaks with good grass cover at say 5000' and above. The AZGFD website is really good for learning about their ecology, life history, and what to look for. There's also a range map to give you an idea of where to go. You won't have any problems finding public land in AZ. Word of caution, it can be pretty hot, even in December so watch your dog. My draht gets hot easily even when its freezing outside, so she's pretty useless to me out there once the cool morning has heated up. I usually hunt her first and then switch to a shorthair, pointer, setter, or other dog that takes the heat better. The wirehairs with their big frame and thick coat just get hot faster than the others in my experience. Be prepared to do a lot of walking.

 

[gadrahthaar]

Love the quail/Bird dog thread. I'm heading to AZ with my Draht for the first time this year and trying to figure out where to go on some public land. Are the mearns everywhere throughout the state or are they in specific pockets/units?

My drahts love it there. The heat is real but worth it. We wait until Jan when its a bit cooler. The mearns are just in specific places, but AZ game and fish publishes maps of the distribution and they recently have hired Newberg and the Flush to make some videos for youtube- they aren't giving you spots but will show you cover. As for the rainfall , I haven't heard yet. Usually John Odell does the rounds on various pods and hunting shows to discuss it, but he's the waterfowl biologist now, dunno if his replacement will do the same media rounds.

 

[steadytowingandshot]

Great pics @gadrahthaar

 

[steadytowingandshot]

Great pics @gadrahthaar

also, great looking dogs

 

[gadrahthaar]

Great pics @gadrahthaar

Same at you. Where you staying? if you are going to be indoors I recommend The Avenue in Douglas.

 

[gadrahthaar]

Also, for any first timers that find this thread- lots of people boot their dogs out there. I don't, mine can handle it with a full day on and a full day off but I would boot if I only had one pup. They learn to avoid the thorns quickly, but the volcanic rock is tough on pads.

 

[arwhntr]

Back-to-back years in AZ with lots winter/spring moisture and an awful summer monsoon season. This has been great from Gambel's (population number's have exploded to levels not seen since the 1990s). Complete opposite for Mearn's quail who rely on that summer monsoon moisture.

 

[GeronimoMMXI]

Experienced AZ Hunter but not with Quail. Suggestions on hunting them without a dog?

Looks like your original question may have been answered but really no monsoon this season. It continues to be quite dry with some storms rolling into the state this last weekend but nothing major.

 

[steadytowingandshot]

Experienced AZ Hunter but not with Quail. Suggestions on hunting them without a dog?

Looks like your original question may have been answered but really no monsoon this season. It continues to be quite dry with some storms rolling into the state this last weekend but nothing major.

I imagine Mearns quail would be very, very difficult to hunt without dogs. They're just not as abundant as scaled and gamble's, both of which you can readily kill without dogs. For Gambel's you can walk the desert washes and listen for their calls. For scaled quail walk big circles around known water holes and be prepared to run after them. Now, having said what I did about Mearns, we have seen a lot of them while driving down the two track roads scouting, and even had two separate occasions in two different locations where a covey walked through camp while we were cooking. I don't want to say they would be impossible to get on without a dog, but it's going to be extremely difficult to do so

 

[steadytowingandshot]

Same at you. Where you staying? if you are going to be indoors I recommend The Avenue in Douglas.

We have always camped on the Coronado or BLM land. Thanks for the recommendation on The Avenue. Nice to have options and a place to clean up

 

[mfsights257]

Headed to AZ in Jan for first time, good luck!

 

[gadrahthaar]

I imagine Mearns quail would be very, very difficult to hunt without dogs. They're just not as abundant as scaled and gamble's, both of which you can readily kill without dogs. For Gambel's you can walk the desert washes and listen for their calls. For scaled quail walk big circles around known water holes and be prepared to run after them. Now, having said what I did about Mearns, we have seen a lot of them while driving down the two track roads scouting, and even had two separate occasions in two different locations where a covey walked through camp while we were cooking. I don't want to say they would be impossible to get on without a dog, but it's going to be extremely difficult to do so

I’d agree with this about needing dogs.