Mearns Quail Hunting

[George "Scott" Davis]

Home last night from last Mearns Hunt for 2017-18 season. Last three days were unusually warm and it's so dry in SE Arizona. Most of the guides shut it down for the year and Patagonia was a quail hunters ghost town. Quail are there but small covey sizes and hunting conditions for the dogs was poor. My two year old American Brittany has become a very good dog.
Now the season is done the works begins, gear to clean or replace, 98 Chevy Z-71 needs minor repairs for our 23rd year of hunting trip, etc..
PS: the fun/planning booking next years trips:
May New Mexico turkey hunt (maybe) depending on my knee replacement surgery recovery
July flyfishing on the Bighorn River in Montana
September Sage Grouse in Big Timber, Montana
Early October Huns & Sharptail Hunt in Lewistown, Montana
November Pheasant Hunt in Montana
December 10 days of Mearns Quail Hunting in SE Arizona
(Time out for December Trip to College Station, TX to see grad daughter get her Civil Engineering Degree from Texas A & M)
However what new guns are needed/wanted is the fun for the summer? 12 gauge GH 1 frame barrels will be back from Michigan and restocking finished so now the 16 gauge question. Can I find a small frame GH 16 gauge 28 inch damascus gun cylinder/cylinder or will I find a Scottish or English ~6 LB gun? The search begins.