The
Arizona Quail Hunting Camp
Host:
Bob Corley, Globe, Az.
|
American
vs. French Britts |Arizona
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2009
-
2010 Arizona Bird Season
Oct.
2, 2009 - Feb. 7, 2010 Gambel's & Scaled
Nov. 27, 2009 - Feb. 7, 2010 Mearn's
Nov. 20, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010 Late Dove
Latest
Quail Reports:
Nov. 11, 2009 Hiked some hills
with an old family friend from Payson.
Nov. 7, 2009 Tried some
traditional scalie country. Nada.
AG&F
predicting poor to fair for Gambel's. And I'm starting to verify
that.
Oct. 23,
2009 First
hunt of the year for me. Left shoulder did fine.
Feb. 12,
2009 Use of a Quail Call.
2009
- 2010 Bird Season Quail Reports
AzG&F 2009 - 2010
Small Game Forecast
"The Old Man and
the Boy", by Robert Ruark
Highly Recommended
Reading
French Britts & my favorite little 20 ga. Beretta Blackwing
Maxwell Chasseur de Gila, Max the Hunter of Gila County
Oct. 26, 2009
Some
Favorite Quotes:
"You don't
go
out to kill something, you go out to hunt it, to be there. To be
the predator, with every sense sharpened."
"Dogs
are
our link
to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or
discontent. To sit with a dog on a glorious afternoon is to be
back in Eden."
So,
what should you wear or
bring
on an Arizona Quail Hunt?
After 51 years of hunting Arizona
quail, here are my recommendations:
- Carry a leatherman.
Remove cactus, repair
your
glasses,
remove a jammed shell hull. I also carry a small comb for flipping
cacti
out of the Britts. Depending upon circumstances and type of
cacti,
works well.
- Carry water. I use a hydrapack or Camelback
with
70
oz. for Britts and me.
- Wear light, Gortex lined, waterproof,
uninsulated
hiking boots. My favorite brands are Merrills.
Insulated boots are overkill in Arizona. Once you start walking your
feet
will be warm.
- Wear a blaze
orange vest and/or cap. For
safety
reasons
but also so hunters in your group can find you when you are a ridge or
two away. The last few years we have begun carrying small radios
with ranges of 2-5 miles. They are a great in-the-field
communications
link.
- Pants.
I like either heavy jeans or
Carhart-type.
If you are hunting in catclaw, definitely get the type with reinforced
material on the front. I don't wear snake leggings.
- Shirts.
Layer. Most days
Nov.-Feb.
I wear a light cotton long sleeve. Roll it up when the day warms.
- Quail call:
I use a Lohman's wooden call
to locate Gambel's. With practice, you can do "covey clucks" and
the more familiar "Chi-ca-go" call to locate and regroup after the
covey is split. Wait. Sometimes the giveaway cluck is
several minutes after you call. Early season the birds can
be very silent, but later in Nov./Dec/Jan. many times a return call
will give away the covey location. I always start with the covey cluck and wait
before ever using the Chi-ca-go.
- Gloves.
Both left and right batting or
shooting
gloves are great on cold days and for pushing your way through
mesquites
and catclaws.
- Guns &
ammunition: The Corley clan has
gone
to 20
ga. the last 25 years shooting 7/8 oz shot, reloaded for
1,200
ft/sec. We have never "needed" size 6 shot, but many
recommend
6's for the second shot or if birds are getting up wild. The last
several
seasons
we have loaded size #7 shot.
Love it. Still a good pattern with 7/8 oz.
but a bit more knock down or fewer crippled birds. My personal
preference
is an over/under Beretta with
improved cylinder/skeet. I love the
Beretta
light weight and balance. My father and son have had great
success
with Remingtons. Dad used a lightweight 1100 auto and Matt a
lightweight
870 pump both 20 ga. with improved cylinders. My "back-up" gun is
now a Benelli Montefeltro
semi-auto inertia driven, lightweight
20. Choke of choice remains IC.
- For the Britts:
I use "PadHeal" and "Tuff-Foot"
as first aid and dog pad conditioners. I use Lewis Dog Boots (out of Okla.) if I
hunt the Britts several days in a row and they need the added
reinforcement or protection. Use Vet Wrap to protect the ankle
underneath the boot, then medical tape or ductape to attach the boot
then to Vet
Wrap. I much prefer to toughen up their feet and run them
barefooted.
- Carry a light, disposable or digital camera
for
that
point and photo of a lifetime.
- Get your
muscles and your feet in
shape.
If you
are used to Nebraska corn fields, soft Iowa plowed ground, Texas
flatlands, or Michigan woods, the Arizona desert can put a hurt on
you.
Your feet will notice it before your muscles do!!
- See you in the hills with my Britts!
- Email: Robert
O.
Corley,
Globe, Az.
- How do you identify juvenile birds
of the year?
Mearns: "adult
carry-over Mearn's have distinct barring on the wing coverts compared
to irregular barring in the juvenile birds of the year." David Brown, "Arizona Game Birds", c. 1989,
pgs. 116-117. His study and data from 1965 - 1978
shows Mearn's birds of the year percentage ranges to be from 57 - 88%
depending almost completely on June - August precipitation and
protection from overgrazing, i.e., the higher the percentage, the
better the hatch and survival of young.
Gambel's and Scaled:
Brown also tells you how to ID Gambel's and scaled juveniles using the
secondary coverts. pgs. 6 and 163-164.
A great resource if you haven't checked it out.
My
good friend, Bob Stevens, guides on the San Carlos Reservation just
east of Globe
for both large and
small game, including quail. Ph: 928-475-5717, email: saanaaghiih@hotmail.com
Bob
Stevens' Traditional Apache Hunting Website
Favorite Quotes:
“I hunt not to kill,
but to keep from playing golf.”
“Some people go
fishing all their lives and never realize it’s not the fish they are
after.”
Rusty's UKC French Brittany Pedigree
(Rouile' de Deux Canyon)
Max's UKC French
Brittany Pedigree (Maxwell Chasseur de Gila)
Tess's French
Brittany Pedigree (Paola des Orfevre)
Favorite Links:
Arizona
Game & Fish Department
San
Carlos Recreation & Wildlife Website
Bob
Stevens' Traditional Apache Hunting Website
Amanda's
Coues Whitetail Website Great whitetail site if you are
planning
to hunt our small Arizona deer. Amanda is a biologist and
includes
tons of information.
French
Brittany Gun Dog Association
French
Brittany eGroup E-mail group of French Britt lovers.
GunDogs
Unlimited.com Dog training, vets, shooting, on-line
periodical.
Bird
Dog & Retriever News Hunting and gun dog site.
Varmint
Al's Hunting Page Great hints on enjoying hunting in the
off-season.
Arizona
Sportsman's
Journal & Azuho Productions Arizona television production of
hunting/fishing
shows and links to outdoor sites.
Arizona Outdoors
Arizona Hunting, Fishing, Boating, Archery and much more.
Outdoor
Rendezvous
Az
Game & Fish Quail Hunters' Online Logbook
