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Arizona Quail Hunting Log October 2006 Hunts: 14 October, 28 October 14 October 2006 SEASON OPENER - Arizona
Blu Pointing Scaled Quail We headed out for our first hunting trip of the year from my house around 4:30am. We picked up Jason at the Home Depot and we were off. The San Carlos Reservation had some good rain which produced the highest and thickets grass I've ever seen out there. It was beautiful! I really think that this is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. We started hunting around 7:30am and by 11am we'd only seen a few birds and with our 5 man string I'd only been able to shoot at the ones that flew my way when they flushed by my buddies 50-100 yards away from me. Still fun walking in the wide open country with a gun and a dog, but I like to see a bit more action.
Juvenile Scaled Quail in Cactus I was pretty far off when this picture was taken so I didn't actually see it live, but there was a jovial Scaled Quail hanging out in that cactus. They got pretty close to it and I guess he wasn't quite sure what to do.
Pistol & Two Gambles Quail After seeing the Scaled Quail we got into a really small covey of Gambles which turned up one bird for someone...I just don't remember who. Then we did a lot more walking before we saw any more birds. Kyle and I got a bit farther away from everyone else and Kyle bumped a covey of about 10-15 Gambles Quail, one of which came straight at me and I missed of course, but it sure was fun shooting. Then we all decided to turn around and head back to the truck. On the way back I bumped a covey of about 20-25 Gambles quail and then the fun began. Pistol pointed a double of which I totally missed an easy shot at a bird that flew out right at my feet. Then she pointed a small group of about 5 birds...missed again. Then she pointed another double of which I finally got one and Pistol made a nice retrieve. We started heading in the direction a few birds flew and bumped a about 10-15 birds. They flew up the hill and the case was on. When I got up there Pistol went on point and about 15 feet up the hill I busted out a bird and made my 2nd good shot. Another good retrieve and then I saw Kyle coming over the hill we had just come down. I waited for him to get up to me and we moved on. After we had gone a ways we jumped another small covey most of which we lost...probably headed for the canyon off to our right. Then we headed back to the truck. When we got to the truck we drove a bit farther down the road and got some fresh dogs and went to walking again. Kyle and I busted another covey of about 10-15 birds but they caught us by surprise and we didn't hit any...or maybe Kyle hit one or 2 I don't really remember. Then we jumped a few more singles and ended up at the opening of a deep canyon. At this point Eric had gone missing and so we waited for him. He was busy loading a rattler he had just shot into his hunting vest. Big one too. See the picture below. On our way back we got into another covey of birds that was spread all around so we had a fun time chasing them around. At one point Mattie went on point and Jason and Kyle walked in on 2 birds hunkered down in a cactus. When the flushed it they each shot one. Jason shot one and it was very interesting...I won't mention details but for a future reminder in case I forget...remember SPEED!
Gambles Quail and Rattle Snake After this we were all pretty pooped and so we headed back to the truck. We decided to stop at one final place and walk down a shallow canyon. After a shot while the canyon became choked with brush that was nearly impassable so we split up with one group going up top on one side and Kyle and I going up top on the other. After a bit Pistol went on point and I walked in to flush a covey of 10-15 birds. I took a shot for fun, but had no chance of hitting one. They were on the edge of a deep canyon and they disappeared fast. Then we walked a bit more and Kyle flushed a large covey of about 30 birds. After the initial flush we walked around where they came out and jumped 2 more birds. Then I went down the canyon looking for them and had no luck. Funny thing when I came up Pistol went on point and we flushed out 5 birds of which I got 1. Then we jumped a few more and met up with Kyle. We may have jumped one or two more birds but then it was getting late so we headed back to the truck.
Beautiful Country In all we had a great day. The weather was great. There were a few storms that blew in, but each time they would blow right up to us then skirt off with one exception when we caught the edge of a store and got a little wet which really felt nice. Can't wait for the rest of the year!
28 October 2006 - Near Sunflower Arizona
Pistol on an Unproductive Point...look serious though We had to make it home by 1:30 pm so we decided to go somewhere close today. We headed to a spot near Sunflower that Doug had taken me to a few years ago. I'd been there one other time since and I don't know that I'll be going back. There have always been birds, but the walking is rough and the birds are always busting out way to far ahead. So enough with the excuses for why I only got 4 shots and 1 bird and on to the trip.
Kyle Picking Up Bird Number 3 We left the house at 4:15am so we would be able to start hunting at day break. We got to our location and waited for the sun. We stopped at our first location and after a bunch of walking and no birds we headed back to the Jeep. We hadn't driven far when we stopped for a listen and heard some birds calling. We jumped out and looked for them up a steep hill. We reached the birds just a little after the dogs had flushed them and there wasn't much chance for shooting. We looked around for a while and bumped a few more singles but not in shooting range except one. Pistol went on point and I walked in. The bird busted up behind me where I had just walked and I missed the shot. So we moved about 100 yards up the road and got out by a large water hole. I walked down in by the water and Kyle stayed up on the side of the hill. After a few moments Kyle shot and I marked a wounded bird for him. When we got back together I found out he actually hit 3 birds with his 1 shot. From there we heard the birds calling back where we were before and so we headed back over in that direction. After a short walk we got right back into the birds with basically the same results as before only this time I got a shot at the covey as they broke and got one. I couldn't find it and after a search was ready to head on when Pistol located the bird and retrieved it to me. From there we moved on up the hill in search of the place that Doug and I had originally been looking for a few years back and found it. Only this time there was no grass and we didn't stick around to try to find any birds. We went back to the water hole and looked for birds in a different direction to no avail and headed back to the Jeep.
Final Picture at the End of The Hunt I got a new camera and while the timer works it lacks the "Coyote Howl" of the old camera that really gets the dogs attention. Not sure I love the new camera yet. Detail isn't as good. We'll see. back to February 2006 or go to November 2006 |
