December Update
Overview:
As an Arizona conservation organization we are thrilled to support the wildlife and people of Arizona.
Thanks to exceptional monsoon moisture, we are seeing thick and tall vegetation from the great rainfall. The thick grass will hide cactus and obstacles – be careful. We have seen some very large diamondback rattlesnakes this year. We haven’t had a solid freeze yet which slows the snakes down and the daytime temperatures are still getting in the 80s before noon. When I first moved out here an experienced bird hunter told me “when the temperatures starts to approach 70 degrees, you and your dog should be in the truck.” I still think that is solid advice, especially this year with the grass being so high.
Gambel’s numbers are down based on poor winter and spring rainfall although we saw some chicks hatch as late as Oct resulting in some coveys including very young birds. Please be aware of this fact when pulling up on quail this early season, it is legal but is it right?
The chapter schedule for the 21/22 season is copied below. Note the change to the Dec meeting. You should expect normal events for the upcoming season. We will follow national, state and local guidelines on COVID and will adjust our activities and schedule as required.
Dec Chapter Meeting/Grazing on Public Lands:
As a stakeholder in the public grasslands our Dec meeting will focus on how grazing on public lands is managed and will give us an opportunity to provide feedback to the land managers. That meeting is scheduled 8 Dec at the American Legion post 66 in Green Valley next to the Titan Missile Museum. Social will start at 6 PM with meeting start at 6:30.
Habitat:We continue to build numerous rock structures on our Coronado National Forest Grasslands Project. National Forest Foundation, Fisher Foundation and AZSFWC are some of the significant donors supporting this work. Our loose rock dams help by slowing runoff to keep water in the soil longer and retaining soil to grow habitat. We completed 709 structures on our last contract which impact water flow on 690 acres.
Borderlands was awarded a matching funds grant from the National Forest Foundation to continue our work along the border. We will continue to support with funding.
Access to Public Lands:–
Hog/Adobe Canyons. Please remember to use the sign in boxes if you enter these canyons from Highway 82. We had 8 volunteers for our fall road cleanup on Sat 20 Nov. Thanks to all that helped out.-San Rafael Valley. The public has lost driving access to a large area in San Rafael Valley. We should get a quick update from FS at our Dec meeting. -Please respect the land and landowners whether you are on private or public land. Leave the gates in the proper position, pick up you trash (and trash from others), keep speed and dust down, be careful around livestock and don’t trash roads by driving on them when they are very muddy.
Hunt with TRCP:–
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is holding a regional meeting in Sonoita the week of 10 Jan. They are interested in getting out on 11 Jan to see some of our country and hunt quail. There will be an informal happy hour dinner later. The last time we did this everyone had a great time. Please let us know if you are interested in helping out.
A Story You Might Enjoy:https://fieldethos.com/never-talk-to-strangers-unless-they-have-a-fly-rod/
What is R3:–Recruit new hunters, including women and adults-Retain the hunters we have and –Reactivate folks that have previously hunted but for one reason or another have left the field.
Without working all three of the Rs in R3, the North American Model for wildlife management is at risk. Licenses and taxes on guns and ammunition pay for the Game and Fish departments of our states. With few exceptions, these agencies do not receive general fund money from states. This promotes science based management and decisions vice political.
Please work to get someone outside this year that would not without your encouragement or help.
QuailFest 5 Dec:
SAQF and Arizona Game and Fish Department co-host an annual free event called QuailFest around the opening weekend for Montezuma or Mearns’ Quail. It is scheduled for Sunday 5 Dec from 12 PM to 4 PM at Pioneer Hall in the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Sonoita. Southern Arizona German Shorthair Club provides grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and beverages at a nominal price. The event is held in the afternoon which gives hunters a chance to get out in the morning and stop by later.
QuailFest is an outdoor education forum that will include other wildlife organizations and also shows the local community the significant economic impact that quail hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts bring into the local economy. Santa Cruz County is the heart of Mearns’ country in Arizona which sees hunters from nearly every western state and several Canadian provinces.
Well behaved dogs are permitted inside the hall so you will see a wide selection of great hunting dog breeds.
SAQF has been asked by Tucson Audubon to help supply native seeds to start a food plot experimental program for Mearns’ quail. They want to use native plants from the Patagonia area. We can help by bringing the crops from birds we harvest this season! Please bring your crops in a paper bag. Audubon will have a table to collect these crops. They will process the seeds from the crops and use them to start plants so they can gather more seeds; then in a couple years they hopefully will have enough seeds to start building native food plots. Mark Stromberg, a retired U of A professor will have a table next to the Audubon table to answer questions and explain how to handle crops later in the season. Thanks to Linda and Tad Pfister for helping to get this program started.
Jan 2022 Banquet
:Our banquet is scheduled Sat 29 Jan at the Fairgrounds in Sonoita. Doors will open at 4:15. Due to COVID we are limiting attendance to 100 where we had over 230 at our last event, tables will seat 4 instead of the normal 6. Ticket prices are up due to increased food prices and spreading overhead cost over a smaller number of tickets. Online sales will be available soon or email soazqf@gmail.com for instructions to pay by check.
-Couple $125 includes 1 annual membership -Couple $90 for life member
-Individual $80 includes annual membership-Individual $45 for life member -Youth (17 years or younger) $25 includes annual membership
Feb 2022 Family Day/Youth Hunt:
Family day is scheduled for Sat 26 Feb 8 AM – 3 PM. We will set up on 25 Feb and do dinner for volunteers. We will need help from volunteers to set up and run the event. If you are willing to help please contact Tony Valentino at avalen18@aol.com. If we don’t get more people outdoors and involved in hunting, hunting will transition to a European model where only the rich will hunt. This event is for all ages. Please direct folks interested in participating in Family Day to register via the G&F registration web sites: www.azgfd.gov/outdoorskills or register-ed.com/events/view/169799. Note: There is no need for SAQF volunteers to register via the G&F websites.
Ads for Chapter Members:
As you have seen in the past we are willing to let folks know if you have dogs/pups or other items that other members may be interested in. This is only for private sales, not commercial. The chapter does not endorse nor have we vetted any of these ads.
Chapter and QF National Finances
Every cent the chapter collects remains with the chapter for local work. Donations that are sent to the national organization are used at the national level and not made available to the chapter. We work to keep our overhead near zero and commit that any money collected will go to a worthwhile project within our mission. Direct donations to the chapter are much appreciated.
QF National receives much of its funding through individual memberships. A banquet ticket will include a membership. You can keep your membership current by by renewing at https://quailforever.org/getdoc/91f8dfad-47ad-46d6-af54-5649db42671f/Membership.aspx.
AZSFWC
:SAQF is part of AZSFWC. You can sign up for their enews at http://azsfwc.org. This allows us to better coordinate with other wildlife groups and better communicate with AZ G&F leadership. We are part of over 10,000 AZ sportsman represented by this organization. We are also an affiliate of AWF which allows us to pool volunteer help and communicate with other wildlife and conservation organizations.
Please consider purchasing a AZSFWC license plate to support wildlife when you renew your current AZ plate through Service Arizona. The fee for this license supports the conservation grants provided by AZSFWC. Our Family Day/Youth Hunt has received AZSFWC grant support the last two years. AZSFWC is currently doing a sweepstakes for a new Ford Bronco. Profit from these sweepstakes supports wildlife habitat and new hunter outreach.
Chapter Website, Facebook and Instagram:
If you see an error or have a recommendation for improvement, please let us know. We are always looking for pictures, stories or articles to add. We have added instagram to our social media offerings. If you see something that would be worthwhile to cross post, please send it to Dave Brown (browndave27@gmail.com) or Kerry Newberry (newberry.kerry@gmail.com).
Future dates:
- 3 Dec Mearns’ Quail Opens
- 5 Dec QuailFest Fairgrounds
- 8 Dec Fall Meeting Green Valley – note change from 9 Dec
- 11 Jan TRCP Hunt Sonoita
- 20 Jan Winter Meeting Sonoita
- 29 Jan Banquet
- 6 Feb Quail Closes
- TBD Feb Wing Bee
- 25-26 Feb Family Days
- TBD Winter Road Cleanup
- Spring TBD Chapter Election
