2019-20 Mearns Quail Hunting
 

Any of you going to be in Arizona Mearns Quail Hunting this year? What dates as maybe we can get together in Patagonia for breakfast or dinner to talk guns, dogs or bird hunting?

This would be a bucket list hunt for me. I need to figure out a plan to do a Mearns and Gambols quail hunt.

Ken

I wish but one day I will

Mearns hunt
 

I'm going to eat lots of Wheaties then book one in NM with my Blue Quail guide. He says he has a spot. Lots of rugged country to walk over. Light weight 28 ga country.

I will close the season somewhere in southwest NM or se AZ . I haven’t determined where yet but likely Dick Dow, Mike Franzen and I will get together and make a decision for time and location. Good tamales and enchiladas are a requirement.

Man that sounds like fun. This year would be out for me due to a pending 2 week Argentina excursion which was a birthday gift from the better half which includes plenty of shooting, God bless her ! But you guys have my # for next year right ? Mike I know you do, Bruce, Dick.... Hello, Hello :corn:

Randy, you will love Argentina, if you have a good outfitter. Are you going to the Cordoba region for doves? I have been twice and would go every year if I could. I'm just a dove shooting fool.

Have successfully hunted Gambel's in the Tucson area, but never Mearn's. They're usually in different habitat, I'm told. Maybe next trip to see my son, in Tucson.

SRH

Stan according to Angela and Orvis whom she consulted with I am in good hands and yes we are going to the Cordoba region. This gift was just recently bestowed upon me and I have not studied it just yet as I have been perched in a tree trying to get a rather large deer that has been avoiding me. She generally plays with blue chips so I'm not concerned. I shall report back or start a new thread when we get a little closer. Pretty exciting stuff actually, at least for me.

Randy, are you taking your own gun(s)? I did, both times, but many are intimidated by the requirements to do so and use the outfitter's rental guns. (Tip ......... they're all gassamatics) :crying:

SRH

Stan I will not be taking my own guns. Not so much the intimidation factor you mentioned. My reasoning is that the shooting is only a small part of the trip and I just don't want to lug them all over the country. I must admit that shooting dove's in Argentina with a 1 1/2 frame 16 gauge is an alluring thought. 32" of course :rotf:

Scott, I'm heading down south along with my brother n law to meet up with Phil Carr on the 14th. Not sure what areas Phil has in mind. We may run into each other!

Hope to see you,

We should know after December 6 how the season will be. We for the most part missed out on the all important monsoon rains. Some preseason scouting hasn't been very good. Substantially less birds than last year.
Based on the rain patterns I think coveys will be scattered and smaller in number.

I had lunch with several of the professional guides in Patagonia last Thursday and they've been running dogs and both have been disappointed with the Mearns numbers. However they have been encouraged by the numbers of desert quail (Scales and Gambles). Hopefully with better desert quail numbers the pressure on the Mearns will subside to some degree.
I'm sure I'll be in southeast New Mexico in January hunting quail.

I am traveling to Patagonia for the first time, should arrive on 12/9. Hate to read the not so good reports. I have followed the monsoon reports so was sort of expecting this. On a positive note I will get to see new country and hopefully get my feet wet on Arizona quail hunting.
I have hunted scales in NM a couple of times, really enjoyed it. I did kill one Mearns near Ruidoso NM, was a beautiful rooster.
I know Patagonia is known for Mearns, is there also decent desert quail hunting in the area?

I'll be getting to my place in Bisbee, Feb 3 leaving a week before the season closes. I normally hunt around me place but wouldn't mind checking out Patagonia. I'll send you a PM with my contact info.

Well, I predict a crap season ....because i wont be there :whistle:

Just finished first week of Mearns Quail Hunting in greater Patagonia area. Extremely wet if you are hunting with only one 4-wheel drive vehicle in your party be extremely careful and don't drift off solid roads as we had to pull one out of the mud in the San Rafael Valley. We found the covey count very similar to last year which is a covey every 2 hours. Wide range of bird count in the coveys, some area 4-6 birds were the norm however we found multiple coveys with 12 or more. Seems liked some areas which had received more summer rain and also had a higher number of birds per covey.
Good hunting is there to be had but you'll need quality dogs and strong legs!!!!!
Temperatures this week were on the high side (70s) so hunting was hard on the dogs so we rotated dogs every two hours (Americans Brittany, French Brittanys and Braque Frances).
Good reports on bird count west of I-19 and forecast next week has much lower temperatures.

Terry, I wish you had stayed and talked a little longer on Thursday as my brother and I would have sent you to Hog Canyon. Mid-week it is the best location for a first time Patagonia Mearns Hunters.

Uh, well which fellow where you?
Could have used some guidance(not the $800 per day though). I hunted too many days closer to town, very rugged and few birds. I drove down near border yesterday. I now understand why most hunting is done down there.
I have shot a few birds but been mostly a frustrating week.

Terry, we were the guys right in front of the Stage Stop Inn with Copper Chevy and White Ford truck I believe you came out and talked to us as you told us you were out from Southern Indiana.
If you are still in Patagonia call me 480-390-8190.

Last year was not the greatest year and there is 50% less birds this year.

Another great Mearns hunt Phil! Your dogs are the best of the best, I can hardly wait for the next hunt. Hog Canyon's very productive!

Phil Carr ?... well, is THE best!!!

Got back last evening from another week of Mearns Quail Hunting. We averaged 1 covey every two hours and the average covey size was 6-8 birds. However we had to hike into some isolated canyons for our best hunting. Our dogs are ready for their Christmas Break!!
I'll be in the Patagonia area 2 more days this year then off to New Mexico for a week in January to finish the 2019-2020 bird hunting season.
PS: New dog (French Brittany) arrives at the house in January!!!!

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Well, made it back to Indiana from Patagonia. Was a long trip. It was interesting country. Would have to be a better quail year for me to make that trip again, but hopefully i will. The behavior of the birds reminded me of hunting farm country bobwhites, maybe with less running.

The above picture was of the last bird I shot. it is now at a taxidermist friend of mine.

If you come back out again let's get together for a meal and discussion of guns and bird hunting.

Scott, we may not hook up with you this season, but maybe next down in the Patagonia area?
My partner and I will be finishing up the month of January down that way. I haven’t been in s/e AZ for a few years and look forward to seeing it once again!
Best of luck!
Wes

The Project Upland podcast had one of the biologists from Arizona Fish and Game on, and he said that if anyone was planning a hunt down there to contact him so he could send you a box of quail wings to get a head start training your dog. His name is Jonathan O’Dell. If I can get my shorthair pup to figure out that she’s a bird dog, I plan to take her down there next year.