01/06/2018 President’s Corner

A quick update to let you know what is going on with Southern Arizona Quail Forever.

-I am seeing Gambels chicks around the house now.  We got a very small amount of rain in early May but the G&F outlook is not great for desert quail based on the current drought.

-The weather guessers see a decent chance for an average to better than average monsoon based on a growing el nino in the Pacific.  El nino presents higher sea surface temperatures that often lead to higher rainfall in the Southwest.  Monsoon rains are a key factor in mearns population.  I will keep my fingers crossed.

-Forecast is calling for 105+ this weekend, I am packing up the trailer and heading north for a month.

-Sonoita has had a couple of small wildfires recently and even though the fire conditions are extreme they were contained very quickly.

-We have signed a contract with Borderlands Restorations and provided a check for $10K to start work on loose rock structures about 30 miles SE of Sonoita.  Work is expected to start in June and run about 5 weeks.  Additional work will be considered when funds are available.  AZ G&F is also considering funds for this project.

-Recently visited our guzzler installed on Pima County property in early 2017.  It was full of water with numerous quail tracks nearby.

-We are meeting with AZ G&F and Pima County in mid Jun to consider other projects.

-We are meeting with Alter Valley Conservation Alliance — focus on wildlife.

-We are working with QF National and USFS using the Farm Bill to consider stewardship programs—early stages, but other states are having good success.

-Sarah Gandaria the QF biologist assigned to AZ G&F is moving to Tucson from Phoenix in June where she she be able to help us more with our projects in Southern AZ.

-A Tucson based Boy Scout Troop is also interested in helping us with a habitat project, we hope to give them two options one close to Tucson and another that may require them to camp.

-Our tentative plan is to do a monthly chapter meeting Nov through Mar for the 18/19 hunting season and keep them on the third Thursday of the month.

-We will likely do the Nov meeting in Vail and Mar meeting in Green Valley with the three middle meeting during the heavy snowbird season in Sonoita or Patagonia.

-Nick Besenick and Jim Littlejohn have started to assess venues.

–Please send me your thoughts on our meetings to help us provide what members want.

Our chapter made two donations for a total of $4000 to Quail Forever to support No Child Left Indoors and Legislative Action Fund.  We will receive two shotguns in return for these donations one of which we have already received.  These guns will be made available for next years banquet.

I met with David Nomsen here in AZ.  The primary purpose was to discuss ways the chapter could get a better flow of information on what QF/PF is working in DC and how we can get more help with state and local issues.  It was a worthwhile meeting that should bear fruit for us in the future.

The Arizona chapter of BHA conducted a pint night in Tucson 17 May.  We had a handful of chapter members attend.  BHA is doing good work to protect public land, access to public land and our right to hunt and fish.  I talked to Kurt Bahti there who informed me the agreement between his homeowners association (Crown C) and AZ G&F is nearly complete that will ensure access to Hog and Adobe Canyons will remain open off highway 82.  BHA announced that the HSUS abandoned their effort to get a ballot initiative in AZ to outlaw mountain lion and bobcat hunting for this year.  The consensus is they will try again.

We have locked in 2 Feb for next years banquet with the fairgrounds and the caterer.  If you or someone you know can help with items or money to donate its not too early to start working it.  We have several mechanisms in place now to support habitat and youth.  Maybe you and someone you know might be willing to underwrite one of the youth shotguns we give away.  If you have ideas or have something in work let Steve Geerligs (sgeerligs1@yahoo.com) our new incoming banquet chair or myself know.

We have had several chapter members along with Valley of the Sun members support a search for Masked Bobwhite on BANWR.  We have not found any.  Rebecca Chester from US Fish and Wildlife is planning to release about 450 chicks this summer coupled with captured wild surrogate Bobwhites to lead them.  She may ask for our assistance in setting up call listening stations to help monitor their activity.  Will let you know if we are asked.

Here is a breakdown of current membership based on addresses provided.  We are clearly one of the most diverse chapters in QF/PF.  Southern AZ – 99; other AZ – 19; MT – 8; MI & OR – 7; WI – 6; CO & MN – 4; ID & ON – 3; TX, CA & WY – 2; MO, AK, IN, NV, NY, NC, MD, ND, VA, SD, NM, OK & VT – 1 each.  Our out of state membership is now 34% which is a little lower than 2 years ago.  This does not reflect fewer out of state members but is driven by larger numbers of AZ members.  We are very fortunate to have our snowbirds from out of state and Canada in addition to our AZ members that significantly participate and contribute to the chapter.

Brittany Stud Request:  Pat Nissen is looking for a good AKC Brittany stud for a breeding she is planning this fall.  Contact her directly at 314.780.4977 or cordova937@gmail.com if you can help or know someone that can.  Her bitch is a great dog I have hunted behind.