September News
Overview:
Gambels Quail call counts returned 125% compared to the 10 year average. We have seen a lot of young birds so the desert quail hunting should be better than it has the last few years. Monsoon rains have continued well below average which will likely negatively impact overall Mearns Quail numbers. As typical, rainfall is not evenly spread – https://rainlog.org/map is a good source for local rainfall info.
Dove season opens 1 Sep. Bring plenty of water for your dog and yourself. Watch the heat particularly for your dog. Fewer monsoon storms should keep more white wings north of the border. Dove hunting puts a lot of hunters close to each other. Please wear your orange and safety glasses and be respectful of those around you. If necessary, be the bigger person and move. AZ G&F will have a check station open off I-10 near Red Rock the morning of 1 Sep – stop by and say hi to Rana.
Habitat:
This Fall/Winter we plan on helping an Elgin rancher build more single rock damns—we’ll supply volunteer labor.
Working with AZGFD and BLM in Sierra Vista we will be able to install lots of quail ramps on water tanks. AZGFD and BLM have purchased the extruded metal ramps and installation hardware, they now are getting the metal cut, bent and painted. This should be a great project to help quail get to water safely, meet area ranchers which might lead to more projects on their property and get our members working together for a good cause.
We are working together with the Valley of the Sun Chapter out of Phoenix to consider a conservation easement on ranch land near Tombstone. A conservation easement prevents the land from from being developed, AZ G&F and US Dept of Agriculture are putting the lions share of funding into this purchase.
Access to Public Lands:
We will continue to do our road cleanup on highway 82 to promote a positive image of the chapter and to keep Hog Canyon access open. Expect to see a sign in box as you enter the private road leading to Hog Canyon this year as the formal agreement between the homeowners and AZ G&F is complete. Access into Adobe Canyon is still in work.
Walt Keyes who is the road manager for Coronado National Forest is still working the process for approval of a planned by-pass road to reopen road access into the Meadow Valley area. The by-pass will not be open for this season. Walt is scheduled to speak at our Jan meeting.
Please be respectful of public and private land and make sure our actions do not impact them. Close gates, pick up trash (yours and others) and keep speed and dust down.
Buenos Aires NWR:
Approximately 48 broods of endangered Masked Bobwhite chicks have been released onto the refuge this summer and are being tracked for survival. Another 20-30 broods are planned for release before the end of September. They have seen chicks 3-5 weeks old with some of the dads, but haven’t checked them all yet. A brood consists of approximately 15 pen raised chicks with either a neutered wild male Texas Bobwhite or an adult pen raised Masked Bobwhite.
BANWR is looking for help cleaning the brooders and/or following pens on: Sept 2-3, Sept 16-17 and Sept 30-Oct 1. This help would require 2-4 hours in the am at the barn or flights and involve washing/scrubbing metal brooder parts or very light raking/shoveling. If you can help please contact Rebecca Chester at rebecca_chester@fws.gov or 505-270-1492.
We recently assisted with the planting of 9 acres of food plots using a variety of seed mixes and methods. US Fish and Wildlife will assess these plots over time to determine which seed mix and planting method is best.
State Trust Lands:
Recognizing the importance of providing clear and consistent guidance on balancing lawful sportsmen’s access to hunt, fish and trap while meeting the needs of grazing lessees on millions of state-owned acres as they manage their State Land leases, businesses and protect their investments on the land, the AZ G&F and AZ State Land Department announced completion of a protocol that clarifies standards under which motor vehicles may properly access State Trust land. This should result in fewer improperly locked gates and better access. A hunting license, fishing license or OHV sticker provides access to State Trust Land if the individual does not hold a State Trust Land recreation permit. There are 9.2 million acres of trust land in AZ. One immediate change as the result of this new protocol is that you are now allowed to scout on trust land prior to an actual hunt without a recreation permit if you hold a hunting license.
AZ G&F:
AJ Lander is replacing Jered Ellingson as the Wildlife Manager in Unit 36B/C supporting Altar Valley and BANWR. Jered is moving to Unit 25M in Phoenix and has given great support to our area. AJ is originally from Tucson. He graduated from xxx with a degree in xxx. He is moving from unit xxx in Bullhead City which was his initial assignment as a Wildlife Manager. xxxxxx
Banquet:
Our 2020 Banquet is scheduled for Sat 1 Feb at the fairgrounds in Sonoita. Tickets will go on sale in October. It is never too early to start looking for donations that can go into our raffles or auctions. Our banquet is the primary financial engine that permits us to do the work we do.
Getting Folks Outdoors:
We are starting early planning for our Family Day/Youth Hunt in Feb 2020 along with partners from NWTF and Southern AZ German Shorthair Club. We are looking for all ages, backgrounds and abilities to either participate or volunteer for this event.
Zack just returned from a western region meeting of PF/QF. A fair amount of time was spent on R3 (recruitment, retention and reactivation). This is now a priority for almost all outdoor groups and G&F from all 50 states. In the past, emphasis has been primarily on youth. There is also a big gap in the middle, with 20-50 year olds not participating. The average age of most hunters is around 60. Outdoor sports and hunting as we know it will go away if this is not turned around. 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. BHA (Backcountry Hunters and Anglers) was noted as a group that has been more successful than others with millennials. 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 group. Focus first on getting them outdoors and then hunting.
Please work to get new folks out this year!
Chapter Meetings:
Here are the planned speakers for our 19/20 meeting year. We still have a few slots available. We are working to keep our meetings fun and educational. Meetings will start at 7 PM with a social period starting at 6:15. We will have pizza and sodas available for those coming directly from work and will pass the hat to offset costs. Everyone is welcome, feel free to bring guests.
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-21 Nov American Legion (next to Titan museum) Green Valley – Chris Parish from Peregrin Foundation – lead ammo, Dr Keil – desert first aid for your dog, Kirby Bristow – AZ G&F Quail Update-12 Dec Fairgrounds in Sonoita – Rebecca BANWR Masked Bobwhite Update, Greg Munther quail management update, TBD R3 initiative-16 Jan Fairgrounds Sonoita – Ugo Pennacchietti – Dog Training, Walt Keyes (CNF road manager) Meadow Valley plan, Daisy Kinsey (CNF District Ranger) Borderlands Plan-20 Feb Fairgrounds in Sonoita – Larisa Harding New AZ G&F Small Game Manager, Cherie Nelson Gambels Quail Translocation Project-19 Mar American Legion (next to Titan museum) Green Valley – officer election info
AZ Sportsman for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC):
SAQF has joined AZSFWC. You can sign up for their enews at http://azsfwc.org. This allows us to better coordinate with other wildlife groups.
Please consider purchasing a AZSFWC license plate to support wildlife when you renew your current AZ plate through ServiceArizona. The fee for this license supports the conservation grants provided by AZSFWC.
Chapter Website and Facebook:
If you see an error or recommendation for improvement please let us know. We are always looking for pictures, stories or articles to add.
Future dates:
- 12/13 Oct Scaled Quail Covey and Box Turtle Count Bonita
- 18 Oct Desert Quail (Gambels and Scaled) Opens
- 19/20 Oct TBD support AZ G&F check stations in Pinal County
- 2 Nov Empire Ranch Cowboy Festival – share tent w G&F
- 21 Nov Chapter Meeting American Legion Sahuarita
- TBD Nov Fall Road Cleanup
- 6 Dec Mearns Opens
- 8 Dec QuailFest
- 12 Dec Chapter Meeting Fairgrounds Sonoita
- 16 Jan 20 Chapter Meeting Fairgrounds Sonoita
- 1 Feb 20 8th Annual Banquet Sonoita
- 9 Feb 20 Quail Closes
- 14-16 Feb Quail Classic Minneapolis
- 20 Feb 20 Chapter Meeting Fairgrounds Sonoita
- TBD Feb 20 Winter Road Cleanup
- 29 Feb 20 Family Day/Youth Hunt
- 19 Mar 20 Chapter Meeting American Legion Sahuarita
- TBD 20 Chapter Officer Election Cycle
Male Vizsla Puppy Available:
The seven week old pup is from John and Agnes Mester of Bozeman, Montana. They’ve been written up in Gun Dog magazine and Doug Tims can personally attest to the quality of their pups and their upbringing. John and Agnes are Hungarian and bring a new pup back from the old country every other year. Their kennel is spotless. Contact Doug Tims 208-344-7119 or doug@rivertraveler.com if interested.