February 4, 2012

Traveling Wingshooter Online
2010

Dick Haldeman, Western Regional Director of Quail Unlimited, reports that Gambel’s quail brood counts in the Ridgecrest, California, area are up from the past year. Numbers should be average in Arizona because, according to Haldeman, “We had average to above average winter precipitation and a relatively cool spring. We had a relatively low number of birds going into the spring, so most of the state will see average numbers at best.”

Haldeman says that brood counts are also up for Mearns’ quail compared to last year in the Ridgecrest area. That’s not the same story for Arizona. “Last year was one of the poorest Mearns’ years on record, so even with excellent summer rains we will most likely have below average numbers and below average hunting this fall,” says Haldeman.

For blues, Haldeman reports, “In Arizona, we had average to above average winter precipitation and a relatively cool spring, so we should have above average reproduction of scaled quail.” However, the number of quail going into the season was low, so hunters should expect average numbers.  

“Everywhere south of Washington and west of Idaho is looking very good for California [valley] quail. In the region south of Fresno, California, to the tip of Baja, biologists and outdoor writers are predicting the best season since 2005,” says Haldeman. Re-nesting conditions were good in both the High and Low deserts and along the coastal mountains. A high biomass of insects during the summer has kept quail fat and happy.

Game surveys haven’t been done in New Mexico for the past two years due to a cancelled contract, but Mitchusson says that overall the harvest last year was poor. For 2010, “Generally the southeast and southwest parts of the state will have the best quail populations. The rest of the state will have spotty numbers dependent on moisture and habitat conditions,” reports Mitchusson.  “In the southwest part of the state, the region south of Interstate 10 should have the best populations of scaled and Gambel’s quail. Montezuma quail numbers will be highest in the Peloncillo Mountains in the southwest boot heel and in the eastern Gila Mountain region.”

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