AZ Quail Report - Bush Fire Zone

[foxfyre841]

Hey all -
To my fellow Phoenicians: My favorite quail spot has gone kaput. The area north of Stewart Mountain near Saguaro has been declining for years then last year happened: the Bush fire wrecked it, a horribly dry winter, and the USFS wild horse initiative fenced in about 200-300 horses here. I spent 4 hours in the field on a 3.5 mile circuit and heard not one ch-ka-tah or tending chirp or anything from a quail. The trees are largely gone and the grass is high. I'll be checking out the salt river area farther south to see if the water has kept some of the covey's alive.

 

[canyonhunter47]

I have pretty low expectations for AZ quail this year in general and even lower for the Bush fire area. The land went too long with serious precip and the monsoons were just too late.

I sure love quail hunting but I don’t plan on taking many this year

 

[lonedave]

Crap, I even stashed my old 20 ga Beretta AL-2 and several boxes of shells at my daughter and son-in-law's last summer in anticipation of some quail hunting later this year. Oh well, it'll still be nice hiking with a gun!

 

[arwhntr]

I've been out of town so haven't been able to hit any of my usual spots. From what I'm hearing (this report included) sounds like it's going to be a dismal year. Bummer, that last couple were an absolute blast.