Thanks again AG&F

[jackshoe]

This is the first year in quite a few that we have had a decent population of Mears quail down south, and all of the upland bird hunters are pretty excited about the prospects of having an above average year next year if the summer monsoons deliver again. Evidently, AZG&F are excited also and want to share the wealth. All I've heard all year from AZG&F is only shoot the covey rise, shoot half a limit, don't shoot at all if a covey has 4 birds or less and so on, to make sure we have enough birds left for brood stock in the Mearns population. Then today I get my copy of Gun Dog magazine, and the title of the letter from the Editor is Mearns Mania. He goes on to tell how he left the frozen Midwest to come to sunny Arizona in mid December for a Mearns hunt hosted by Stevens shotguns and D.T. systems with additional support from Federal Ammunition and Q5 outdoor Products.(an in state company) Guides were Kirby Bristow, A Wildlife Research Specialist with Arizona Game and Fish Department, and Brett Browning of Bella Reta Upland Outfitters. Wonder if Kirby had a guides license? Well known outdoor writer Ron Spomer was also on the trip, and he will write a feature article about the hunt in the August issue of Gun Dog magazine. So if any of you local upland bird hunters who aren't being guided by game and fish staff want a room in Patagonia, Sonoita, or Nogales for the season opener next year, better get it now. Might be a little crowded for those of us who don't have access to guides and private property in Southern Arizona next winter

 

 

 

[wildwoody]

Surprise suprise, shoot all them birds, did you think it was for us, ha

[Tres]

Figures

[520HUNT]

http://www.azgfd.gov/eservices/documents/huntGuides.pdf

 

Here is the list of licensed guides... I don't see his name?

[208muley]

Can't be a full list maybe?? . There is a name of a guide and outfitter that posts on this site that isn't on there and he walks way inside the law so I am confident he has a license.

[CouesPursuit]

It isn't possible he guided them with no compensation?

I know, we better just expect the worst and post online about it.

[Havasuhunter]

Those Mearns are cool birds. Hope there is a good recovery. I don't see enough people making a huge Trek to AZ to hunt them though. There's Chukar in NV, pheasant in the Dakotas, great mixed bags in MT and WY, etc. How many traveling bird hunters are actually out there?

If AZ G&F is so concerned, why not just lower the limit for a year or two? I know, I know it's all about money. Yeah, the $62 and 73 cents Mearns quail generate really makes a difference.

[jackshoe]

The reasons that I posted this topic in the first place is because I don't think it is the job of our game and fish department to do anything to put more stress on a resource that is already stressed. I have no idea if Kirby Bristow took compensation for guiding. If I had to bet on it I would give long odds that he did not, as that would be blatantly illegal. I also doubt if he took a bunch of guys hunting that were from the Midwest just because he's a nice guy and he stands on a street corner looking for people he doesn't know to take hunting for free. I didn't make this story up or enhance it any. Go buy Gundog magazine March/April/May 2015 volume 32 number 2 and read it for yourself. If you think no one will come here just to hunt mearns quail, guess again. Go to any café in Patagonia or Sonoita in mearns season and see how many outfitters and their clients are eating breakfast there, and how many rental cars and out of state tags are parked at the motels. Mearns are arguably the premier bird in the world to shoot over a pointing dog because the hold so well, and unlike some of the other great game birds like chukar and pheasant they live in a relatively small area in Arizona and New Mexico and no where else. Guide fees for a day of mearns hunting is typically $600.00 for one hunter and $850.00 for two hunters. I think game and fish shouldn't be involved in commercializing our game and fish resources. I don't know what steps need to be taken to protect the resource, but publishing the article in a national magazine and having no limit on the number of out of state hunters that can come and hunt isn't the answer.

[firstcoueswas80]

Those Mearns are cool birds. Hope there is a good recovery. I don't see enough people making a huge Trek to AZ to hunt them though. There's Chukar in NV, pheasant in the Dakotas, great mixed bags in MT and WY, etc. How many traveling bird hunters are actually out there?

If AZ G&F is so concerned, why not just lower the limit for a year or two? I know, I know it's all about money. Yeah, the $62 and 73 cents Mearns quail generate really makes a difference.

I can tell you, with 100% certainty that when mearns are ingreta shape, people come from nevada, mew mexico, texas, california to hunt them.

 

Side note, I had some major jacka$$e$ be jacka$$e$ during the HAM hunt.

[Big Browns]

I'm sure all the local buisness owners would HIGHLY disagree with you. They want all the buisness they can get! I don't see anything wrong with a G&F officer showing somoene around or how to hunt these birds or hunt any animal. I see that as part of their job! I also highly doubt he accepted any money.

[CouesPursuit]

The reasons that I posted this topic..

 

Look at places like Tonto Basin and what has been happening to Roosevelt lake with the gizzard shad invasion. Poor fishing, less tournaments, less people visiting the area period, all equate to poor revenue for the town that grew dependent on it. How AZGFD retains or brings in new hunters and fisherman here in this state plays a major role in the small town revenue people live on as well as just non-resident license revenue for the department.

 

I apologize as my comment above was a little hasty but a lot of folks like to jump to the worst case scenarios when there is actually a bigger picture involved. I do see your side as Mearns are near and dear to you, slightly similar as good puddle ducks are to me. People coming to visit to chase Mearns extends to people falling in love with the country and coming back for other endeavors as well though too.

[Havasuhunter]

I had no idea that many people traveled to hunt them. I know they are a premier game bird and a bucket list item for many bird hunters.

I absolutely agree G&F should not be involved in comercializing any of the resources. Hopefully the added pressure does not hurt there recover. I've seen them a couple times When hunting coues, but never targeted them. Beautiful birds. Some day id like to add them and Scaled quail to my list.

[1uglydude]

Who is to say that the Department is commercializing the hunt? From your description, it sounds like a hunter, who happens to also work for Game and Fish, took some guys out hunting. Does he not have a right to do that on his private time?

[jonesface]

I can understand your frustration with wanting to keep these beautiful birds around to hunt them. I highly doubt though that hunters or hunting has much of an impact on quail population, especially in gambels quail. I would bet < 1% of gambels quail population is effected by hunting and no more than 10% for mearns. What does have an impact on the population is drought and over grazing. It has been proven through much research. I support you in trying to protect these birds but I think it's a bigger battle than hunting. IMO

[jackshoe]

1uglydude, in response to your question, no. If you think that someone who works for a bureaucracy would do something like this without the ok from his superiors you are naive. That would be akin to the whitehouse chief of staff deciding to go target shooting and joining the NRA expecting no repercussions. because he did it on his own time. As far as overgrazing affecting mearns or any other wildlife, overgrazing harms the habitat and all of the animals that live on it. Having said that, I have been told by a AG&F biologist that mearns do better in country that is grazed properly than they do in country that isn't grazed at all. The understory on the grasses becomes so thick and matted that the birds can't get around on the ground in areas that aren't grazed at all.