Quail in AZ?

I was out hunting on ft. huachuca and saw about 10 birds in all and got one when I stepped on him.

I was hunting for rabbits, but did take a shot at a couple that were flying away with an off hand shot. I was using a bolt action 16ga with no6 shot so they were out of range and I missed. If I had been using my 12 ga citori or 1187 or 835 with 7 1/2 or 8 shot I would have bagged them.

Will go out next weekend in the same place and take along a "bird gun" instead of the rabbit gun.

The one I stepped on because he waited to flush too late (like a hen pheasant) and I actually stepped on him with my boot and never saw him (too busy looking for rabbits) and finished him of with the other foot.

still 1 rabbit and 1 quail was a good meal this evening. :)
 
also foregot to mention I have a covey of the merriam quail that like to inhabit my yard and I am tempted to buy a bb gun and pick off a few (i live in town in) :D
 
Weather Related?

This is my second season hunting here in Northern Nevada. Everyone here is complaining about not seeing as many birds as usual. I have noticed fewer birds then last year. The theory I am hearing the most says that our weather can be blamed.

This area had very little rain and/or snow last winter. Our game biologists say that caused a poor hatch, therefore the number of birds are down.

I guess that may be the reason. But, whatever the reason, the number of birds, and for that matter small game animals, is down from last year around here too.
 
I was thinking about the bb gun to! I also love the comment only where you aren't allowed. Went to the mountain preserves today, and there were tone of them.

I went down to Tucson around Picacho peek.
 
i was wondering this my self, but more along the lines of i want to go on a quail hunt but never have and have nto hunted in az since i moved here. where would good places be to do this
 
Don't see near as many Quail in TX that we used to see. Not sure if true but many blame it on the aggressive Fire Ants killing the chicks when born. Do you have Fire Ants in AZ?
 
While I'm not a quail hunter, I do spend every winter in AZ and my wife and I do a lot of desert hiking. We were just talking yesterday about not seeing any quail this year. There weren't too many last year either but this year they seem to be gone.

The coyotes seem to be way down too, we've seen a few but they are getting scarce. Same for jack rabbits. I think it's probably the result of the long term drought that's been going on for a number of years now.
 
yes there were fire ants in the vicinity of where I was hunting (large areas that were bare near their holes, but the quail were in abundance the other day when I was out hunting and I am going out again sunday with either my citori or 1187 loaded properly for quail.

Will let you know how the hunt turns out.
 
Years ago as a young hunter I could jump a covey of about 15 quail about everytime I went out into the fields. Now days I very seldom see any. Must be the predators or the enviroment thats working on them, because I know its not my shotgun.
 
I think its a combination of things I posted the same thing about quail a few months back. I heard there was some decent hunting up in wickenburg. I think this year will be much better with all the moisture we have gotten will make for a nice spring with a big boost to the eco-system out here.
 
who said anything about poaching.

back when the thread was new the quail were in season.

Also, it does not saying anything about not using a bbgun in AZ. Some of the BB guns no days are more powerful than 22 shorts and 22 longs.
 
also, in town there is no law against shooting a BBgun, but you can't shoot a "normal" gun in town.

Arizona is not California! We are not as bassackwards as the folks in your state. :D

joe
 
"yes there were fire ants in the vicinity of where I was hunting (large areas that were bare near their holes, but "

Huhhhhh Those are not fire ants. There are no fire ants in Cochise county. Those big red ants are carpenter/farmer ants absolutely nothing similar to fire ants. They do not attack living birds or animals. They live off of a fungus that they grow in there nest. If you ever step in a real fire ant nest you will learn the difference.
 
Drought

SoCAL quail are decimated the last several years. Dry, dry, dry .. and birds require a lot of water.

Of course, in SoCal Barbara Boxershorts has led an effort to put millions (literally) of acres in conservancy - no vehicles, no guns, no camp fires, ...... so maybe no quail matters little! Even fenced off an area in which I have maintained a couple of quail guzzlers for years! :barf::barf:

Of course if you are an illegal crossing the area, go for it!
 
The AZGFD seemed to be saying that this was supposed to have been a real firecracker season for quail down around the Tucson area since I guess they had a lot of rain down there last summer.

Personally, I haven't seen many quail up around the New River area so I didn't bother chasing them this year. I think FrankyOZ is right though, they will probably be out in better numbers next season with all this rain we've been getting up here. Especially if it continues and we get a really wet monsoon.
 
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