2019/20 Accomplishments

-Completed 380 rock dams to control erosion in the Grassland Restoration Project along the Mexican border west of the Coronado National Memorial. 

This work was completed with a combination of contract support from Borderlands Restoration and member volunteer time.  We also helped build rock dams in the wildlife corridor near Patagonia.

Chapter Members building Rock Dams


-Installed 9 quail ramps on BLM managed land.  These quail ramps enable quail that fall into the water to escape without drowning.  The ramps were built by BLM and AZ G&F asked for our help with installation.

Ramps


-Completed our largest ever Family Day/Youth Hunt with partners AZ G&F, Huachuca Chapter of NWTF and Southern AZ German Shorthair Club.  We added a second trap station and second dog field to handle a larger group of participants.  We also added a police dog demo and a raptor display to our program.  We applied for and received grants to purchase addition equipment including a trailer and new tents to support this event.

Chapter Trailer


-Chapter members got several new hunters out to the range and in the field through a new mentor program.


-We had 20+ partner outdoor organizations set up displays in our 3rd annual QuailFest where was saw several hundred interested participants come through to learn more about the outdoors and wildlife.  This was done on the opening weekend of mearns quail season.

Family Day


-For a second straight year we observed released endangered Masked Bobwhite Quail survive through the winter at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Reserve.  We saw the first wild born chicks in several decades.  Chapter members rolled up their sleeves to do habitat work on the refuge including seed plots and wildlife friendly fencing.  We also helped with funding for seed plots and provided dogs which found missing MBW coveys.

Masked Bobwhite


-Out meetings provided knowledgable speakers on vet field care, quail hunting 101, an overview of Southwestern Birds from Tucson Audubon, Masked Bobwhite Recovery at BANWR, Southern AZ quail management, R3 (recruit, retain and reactivate), Coronado National Forest update us on progress on the Meadow Valley road bypass, dog training, Gambels Quail relocation study by AZ G&F and met the relatively new AZ G&F Small Game Manager.

Clean-Up Crew


-Our designated mile on highway 82 was cleaned on two day by chapter members last season.  This road cleanup provides a positive image to the home owners along Hog Canyon Rd.  The homeowners associated completed an access agreement with AZ G&F including a sign in box which provides access via the private road into Coronado National Forest at Hog Canyon.


-Chapter volunteers provided dogs to conduct the annual Scaled Quail and Box Turtle count with AZ G&F.


-Chapter volunteers helped AZ G&F man check stations for the opening weekend of desert quail.  We also had volunteers help with the annual wing bee where mearns and gambels wings turned into wing barrels were sexed and aged.

Gambels Quail


-As members of AZ Sportsman for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC) we have kept abreast of and made input to emerging wildlife management issues.  We have also encouraged members to purchase wildlife conservation license plates which help fund conservation projects.


-We collected and assessed reports of overgrazing on government leases.  The info was passed on to appropriate government agencies for action.

cows