July Newsletter 2020

June 22, 2020 / SAQF
Desert Quail Hunting

Overview

We hope all our members are weathering the current events in good health and spirits.  Arizona is experiencing a spike in COVID cases since things have opened up.  Stay in contact with family and friends.  Get outside as much as you can and take your dogs with you.
Expect to see a survey in late July or early Aug to help us make decisions on our events next season.  We are waiting a few more weeks for the survey to get a better idea of the Covid situation.  Our goal is to set our schedule by mid Sep.  Without a significant change such as a viable vaccine we will likely not hold large indoor events.
We are seeing new Gambel’s chicks every day.  All indications promise better desert quail numbers this coming season.  Initial monsoon forecasts are calling for a relatively dry monsoon but hopefully not as bad as last year’s nonsoon.  While the monsoon technically started 15 June the good rains typically don’t start until early July.  Our monsoon rainfall becomes an indicator for Mearns’ numbers.  Our loose rock dams help during below average rainfall years by keeping more water in the soil longer.
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What is R3:

Arizona Quail Hunting

You have probably heard R3 kicked around.  What is it?
Just a few years ago we generally thought we could keep hunters in the field by getting youth out via youth hunting programs.  Data shows a big gap in 20-50 year olds not participating in hunting.  The average age of most hunters is near 60.  We must do more to attract millennials, women and people of color.  We need to communicate more with social media (such as FB and Instagram) used by those groups.
We now understand we need a full court press to:-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 decision-making assuring species and habitat for generations to come. 
We are starting early planning for our Family Day/Youth Hunt in Feb 2021 along with partners from NWTF, NAVHDA and Southern AZ German Shorthair Club.  We are looking for all ages, backgrounds and abilities to either participate or volunteer for this event.
Partnering with other groups to give individuals multiple outdoor activities within a year has been a successful strategy.  We all need to think about mentoring someone in the R3 process.  We made some progress in this area last season.  Focus first on getting them outdoors and then hunting.  Take a few minutes to watch this video and share with a non outdoors/hunting acquaintance.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE4L9KicSeU&t=1s
Masked Bobwhite Quail (MBW) at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR):

Masked Bobwhite Quail (MBW) at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR):

Masked Bobwhite

US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) at BANWR will be releasing the first MBW broods on 23&24 July. Then again on 13&14 Aug, 3&4 Sept, and 24&25 Sept. Depending on COVID guidelines they could use the help of a few extra people to navigate to a release site using a GPS or Gaia phone app while carrying a brood box and then release the brood. It would start at 6:30 am and take 2 hrs or less.  Contact Rebecca Chester at 505.270.1492 if you want to help.
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GSP Pups:

Puppy Training

GSP pups for sale.   3-M and 3-F  born 5-19-20   Mother and father are both hunting dogs from Tucson. Contact Jim Littlejohn   jsl1964@gmail.com  or 520.490.1374
6-Dog Trailer for Sale:

6-Dog Trailer for Sale:

2006 Crow-River custom dog trailer with stainless steel linings.  He also has dog crates, a truck vault for a Yukon/Suburban and a few other items.  Contact Dr Mark at 928.606.0604.

AZ Sportsman for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC):

Chapter Trailer

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.
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 has received AZSFWC grant support the last two years.
AZSFWC is raffling a new Ford Raptor truck to help pay overhead in place of raffles and auctions at their summit.  Info on the raffle and tickets are available at http://azsfwc.org.
Chapter Website and Facebook:  

Chapter Website and Facebook: 

Visit the Chapter’s Facebook and Instagram Sites

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 are working to add 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).  We hope all enjoyed the great dog pictures in our Facebook dog photo contest.
Facebook.  Our dog photo contest was enjoyed by many and brought us a few new chapter members.  I have to admit I was one of the folks that has been slow to pick up Facebook.  I opened an account to see what we are posting along with other wildlife and dog training groups.  I learned that I had to have 4 or 5 friends or Facebook kept trying to shut down my account.  During the Bighorn Fire in the Santa Catalina Mountains that threatened evacuations in Tucson and Oro Valley Facebook became one of the primary communication tools the county and Forest Service used.  It may be time for more of us to move into the 21st century and add Facebook to our communication tools.
Future dates (meetings, QuailFest and Banquet TBD):

Future dates (meetings, QuailFest and Banquet TBD):

“Extra” on Point
  • 3-4 Oct Scaled Quail and Box Turtle count
  • 16 Oct 2020 Desert Quail Opens
  • TBD Oct/Nov Road Cleanup
  • 19 Nov 2020 Chapter Meeting Sahuarita
  • 4 Dec 2020 Mearns Opens
  • 6 Dec 2020 QuailFest Sonoita
  • 10 Dec 2020 Chapter Meeting Sonoita
  • 21 Jan 2021 Chapter Meeting Sonoita
  • 30 Jan 2021 SAQF Banquet
  • 7 Feb 2021 Quail Closes
  • TBD Feb/Mar Road Cleanup
  • 18 Feb 2021 Chapter Meeting Sahuarita
  • 27/28 Feb 2021 Family Day Empire Ranch