Fall 2002 AzQA Newsletter

Mearns Quail Daily Bag Limit is Reduced for 2002

We had an exceptional turnout of members and interested hunters asking for a reduced bag limit for Mearns quail at the AZ Game & Fish Commissioners meeting on April 12th. Arizona Quail Alliance was there to ensure that your voice was heard. The response to our survey showed that 90% of the hunters wanted a lower limit and you confirmed that with letters, phone calls and emails to the Game & Fish Department and Commissioners. It made a difference!

The Commissioners responded. The bag limit is 15 quail per day in the aggregate of which no more than 10 may be Mearns' quail. It was a step in the right direction. We wish the Commissioners had been more conservative, especially in light of the severe drought in Arizona. But we feel this bag limit reduction will assist in a more stable population over time and ensure a more even hunt success. We were hoping for the same caution with the Gambel's and Scaled quail but their bag limits remain at 15.

The effort continues as we work with the Game & Fish Department to achieve a better ecological assessment of all quail, not only regarding harvest data but also for population densities and quail movement.

First Arizona Quail Symposium-AZ Game & Fish Dept

We recognize that there are differing views on what is best for Mearns quail and provided a forum in August, 2001 at our Patagonia Quail Symposium. We are delighted that due to our efforts, the Arizona Game & Fish Department has agreed to host their first Quail Symposium in Phoenix to discuss the state of knowledge and quail management. It will be held October 22-23, 2002 at La Quinta Inn, I-17 and Greenway Road.

Renowned biologists from Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona are invited to speak and answer questions. Come and hear from the experts in quail management. Here is your chance to make a difference for Arizona's quail.

For more information and to register,
contact Mike Rabe, Small Game Biologist, Arizona Game & Fish Dept, (602) 789-3353 or mrabe@gf.state.az.us.

Grem Lee, New Mexican artist, donates art

A quail advocate sent us a notecard last year with an artist's rendering of a pair of Mearns' quail. We were impressed and found the artist who lives on a remote ranch near Mountainair, New Mexico. Grem Lee is a western and wildlife artist and was kind enough to donate a print of the design used for the cards. Thanks, Grem! We also acquired ten sets of the postcards (10 cards/set) which you can purchase from us.

Grem Lee suffers from multiple sclerosis but hasn't lost his sense of humor nor his advocacy for wildlife. He stated, "I've always had a passion for fool's quail." (Mearns are also known as fool's quail for their habit of crouching and holding until nearly trodden upon.) The Mimbres Indians used this mysterious creature in their art, Grem informed us, often painting the bird's image on sacred ceremonial pottery that dates back 1,000 years or more.

Interested in Mearns Quail Research?

Are you interested in research on Mearns quail? We have compiled a considerable library of research papers and articles on Mearns quail. Some of these papers date back to 1903 and we also have the most current research. We also have harvest data on Mearns, Gambel's and Scaled quail dating back to the 1960's and rainfall data.

You may obtain copies of any of our research for the cost of copying and mailing. For a list of titles in our library or information on the individual papers or articles, please contact Tad Pfister (520) 397-9715 or info@azqa.org.

Our Goals and Objectives

More research and harvest data on Mearns quail. We're well on our way to both this year with our convincing Game & Fish to host a Quail Symposium this October in Phoenix (see page 1) and with our own collection of Mearns harvest data from our survey last season.
We obtained Mearns harvest data at 10 AzQA survey sites located in the field, Patagonia and Sonoita. This harvest data and hunters comments was forwarded to the Game & Fish and the Commissioners. We will have 15 survey sites in the field this season.

Game & Fish responded to our request for more data by mailing a Quail Opinion Poll last season which greatly increased harvest data on all 3 quail species. We helped fund this survey and supplied names of Mearns quail hunters. The poll also gave the hunters a voice. We are requesting a similar poll this year with modifications to some questions. We would also like to have a questionnaire specifically for Mearns quail.

Fund research on quail movement and quail habitat. This research was suggested in the Game & Fish Department's study several years ago.
Improve hunter education, especially in the area of Mearns quail that are more vulnerable than desert quail.

Hunters should consider not shooting if the birds appear to be pairing up in February, limiting the number of birds shot per covey (Mearns exist in small family units), quit hunting at 3:30pm to enable the birds to re-covey for warmth, and other general hunter ethics.

We have established a positive and productive relationship with the AZ Game & Fish Department. While we do not always agree, we discuss those issues in a constructive manner. We will continue to collaborate with Game & Fish to ensure a thriving Mearns quail population for the future.

Thanks to us the Game & Fish wing barrels are now locked and two more were put in the field last season. We hope this will encourage more hunters to participate as other hunters can no longer check the barrel for hunting success.

Improve information and education on our website.

Continue to support educational forums to discuss the results on quail management and quail habitat improvement.

AzQA Mearns Quail Survey Results

Our Mearns quail survey was highly successful last season. We obtained data on 489 hunter days at 10 AzQA survey sites located in Mearns country. This exceeded the data Game & Fish has retrieved in their 40 yrs of collecting Mearns harvest data. To increase participation, we will have 15 sites for the 2002 season. Many thanks to AzQA member, Curt Collier, for donating time and material to make and install the survey stands. The data and hunters' comments were forwarded to the Game & Fish and the Commissioners and was instrumental in achieving a reduced limit.

90% of our respondents wanted a lower limit on Mearns. The majority supported a 5-8 bird daily bag limit.
Many hunters voluntarily restrict their themselves to less than the allowable daily bag limit.

There was a definite decline in the hunt over the season. The Game & Fish acknowledge this after analysis of our survey data and their wing barrel studies. The first two weeks of December hunters averaged 5.5 birds/day. This dropped to 1.8 birds/day by the end of the season.

Our respondents averaged 4.3 days in the field with an average of 3.5 birds per day.

47% thought the quality of the habitat was better, 42% thought the habitat was the same.

48% thought the hunt was worse, 31% the same, 21% better.

Game & Fish Mearns Quail Harvest Data

The question is "What would the quail population be if we had kept the daily bag limit at 8 birds per day?"

Game & Fish claimed that 2001 would be "the best Mearns year in a decade", but the large numbers of birds weren't there and you can't blame the rain. S.E. Arizona averages 10 inches of rain June - Sept and received 12 inches in 2001.

2001 2000
Mearns harvest = 38,556 70,081
Mearns hunters = 5,740 8,511

Aver. Mearns harvest the last 3 yrs (1999-2001) = 45,946
Aver. Mearns harvest previous 12 yrs (1987-1998) = 23.058

Aver. # of Mearns hunters last 3 yrs (1999-2001) = 6,980
Aver. # Mearns hunters previous 12 yrs (1987-1998)= 4,318

Harvest data for Mearns, Gambel's and Scaled quail is available from the Game & Fish or our library at your request.

Arizona Wildfires and Drought

Arizona was hit hard this summer with wildfires, some of it burned prime quail country. The worst was the Rodeo-Chediski Fire torching 467,584 acres in the White Mountains. Our sympathies to those who suffered losses in that fire. The Coronado National Forest was hard hit. The Bullock Fire burned 30,563 acres on the eastern slopes of the Catalina Mountains by Tucson and worse yet, in the Canelo Hills area west of Ft. Huachuca, the Ryan Fire, of 38,124 acres. This last fire burned 5,800 acres on Ft. Huachuca and the National Audubon Research Ranch south of Elgin. The Darnell Fire, on the eastern slope of the Chiricahua Mountains burned over 4,000 acres and there were numerous other small fires in SE Arizona.

In addition to the fires, the drought is taking a heavy toll on wildlife and the habitat. The oaks did not put out any leaves until August, much less acorns, a major food source for the Mearns. Insects appear to be in short supply this year too.

Please help with your contribution.

All work done by Arizona Quail Alliance continues to be all volunteer effort and we wish to thank those who contributed money, time and effort to ensure the prosperity of the unique Mearns' quail, a natural treasure of Arizona.
We also thank those who participated in our Mearns quail survey. Most had not heard of our organization but were individuals who were stewards of the quail and the land where they're found. This data was important in proving the decline of hunt success and other issues and enabled the hunters voice to be heard.

Arizona Quail Alliance Mission

Arizona Quail Alliance was formed to promote an enhanced understanding of the management of Arizona's quail population; support research on quail management and quail habitat improvement; support the research efforts of federal, state and other non-profit organizations to improve quail management and quail habitat; use collaborative strategies to promote improved quail management based on sound science that will keep the species from becoming endangered or depleted; and support educational forums to discuss the results on quail management and quail habitat improvement.

Arizona Quail Alliance is a tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organization.

For more information, contact Tad Pfister at (520) 397-9715 or tadpfister@azqa.org

Make a difference for Arizona's quail!

September 25, 2002. First "Arizona Quail Symposium". We are delighted that due to our efforts, the Arizona Game & Fish Department has agreed to host their first Quail Symposium in Phoenix to discuss the state of knowledge and quail management. It will be held October 22-23, 2002 at La Quinta Inn (junction of I-17 and Greenway Road).

Reknowned biologists from Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona are invited to speak and answer questions. Come and hear from the experts in quail management. Here is your chance to make a difference for all of Arizona'a quail.. The person to contact is: Mike Rabe at 602-789-3353 (AGFD) or e-mail him at: mrabe@gf.state.as.us

September 25,2002. Web Updates. Our apologies for not updating the news for so long, but summer is over and it is that time of year again. Expect the web site tol be updated a lot more often now that the hunting season is upon us.

April 13, 2001. The Mearns quail Daily Bag Limit is Reduced to 10 per Day! We had an exceptional turnout of members and interested hunters at the April 12th Commissioners meeting, all asking for a reduced bag limit for Mearns quail. And Arizona Quail Alliance was there to ensure that your voice was heard. Our survey showed that 90% of the hunters want a lower limit and you confirmed that with letters, phone calls and e-mails to the Game & Fish Department and Commissioners. Believe me, that made a difference!

    The Commissioners responded by lowering the daily bag limit on Mearns’ quail to ten (10) birds with a thirty (30) bird possession limit. We wish it had been more conservative, especially due to the severe drought in Arizona but we feel that this bag limit reduction will assist in a more stable population over time and ensure a more even hunt success throughout the season. Gambel’s and Scaled quail limits remain at 15 birds a day.

   We would like to express our thanks to those that spoke at the meeting in person which includes Fred Arbona, Tad Pfister, Linda Pfister, Jim Levi, Bruce Larantz, Gary Sanders and Kelly Neil.

    We would like to point out that the reduction of the bag limit to ten (10) birds per day for Mearns quail is part of a long term process and the effort needs to continue as we work with the Game & Fish Department to achieve a better ecological assessment of all quail, not only regarding harvest information but also for population densities and quail movement.

    The future all tends to suggest that we need to undergo a new program using Radio Telemetry to finally gained a clear understanding of the effect of hunting on the Mearns quail, and thus to finally determine what is the optimal bag limit to insure a great season for all Mearns quail hunters throughout its length (81 days) and even from year to year. Such a new program, utilizing today's best technology, will also contribute to a clear understanding as to what constitutes the optimal habitat and best grazing level in Mearns quail areas.

    All work done by Arizona Quail Alliance was, and continues to be, volunteer efforts and we wish to thank all who contributed money, time and effort to ensure the prosperity of the unique Mearns’ quail, a natural treasure of Arizona.

   March 8, 2002. "The Case of the Disappearing Mearns Quail Questionnaires". We are not so happy to report that the special "Mearns Quail Questionnaire" never was mailed out by the AGFD, and we will find out soon enough why. We will keep you posted on this interesting issue.

   While you are visiting, please take a moment and click on the link button "Survey" which graphically shows the collective opinion of all hunters that filled the questionnaires this past season. The results are quite enlightening.

   The new position of AzQA is for not only to lower this absurd bag limit, but also to push for a 3-year study strictly using "Radio Telemetry" to make sure that whatever the bag limit agreed upon it can be tested. Meaning, that we must be able to find out if it will be low enough to get the desired results. Which are: insure the welfare of the Mearns quail and the sport of Mearns quail hunting itself. We are willing to cooperate with the AGFD and any other conservation groups, as long as this new initiative is implemented. The future of correct Mearns quail management lies in new enlightened directions, and certainly not in the old ways of doing things that have proofed so totally ineffective.

   February 21, 2002. The new Arizona Game & Fish Department *Mearns* Questionnaires are on the way! We are happy to report that the new Mearns quail questionnaires from the AGFD were mailed yesterday, and in excellent numbers. It includes a string of new questions never asked before, including *your* personal recommendations of what a bag limit should be. We worked many hours and held numerous meetings with the AGFD, and this new comprehensive questionnaire reflects that mutual cooperation. Our congratulations to the Director (Dune Shrouffe) and the entire AGFD in general for this initiative. And to all hunters who took the time to fill out our own AzQA questionnaires!

   February 17, 2002. Post hunt survey results of Mearns quail in Hog Canyon area. As expected, the numbers from the field survey were ghastly low and maybe, just maybe, the AGFD will finally change their position on continually recommending a fifteen (15) bird bag limit and start to use the size of the bag limit as a managing tool. Which would be a departure from the past, when whatever the situation is explained by either a 'poor hatch' or 'expected fluctuations'. The numbers of Mearns quail found in this latest 'survey' suggests we are in for an extremely poor Mearns quail season this coming (2002-2003) season. We will keep you posted on developments.

   December 20, 2001. Meeting with AGFD Director Duane Shroufe about formulating a new Mearns Quail Questionnaire. After the conclusion of this quail season, there will be a questionnaire send out by the Arizona Game & Fish Department to people who did hunt Mearns quail. It will cover a variety of subjects ranging from the impression of the season in general to opinions on bag limits. We will have a lot more information on this issue soon. We (AzQA) have been pushing for the gathering on specific and reliable information on this bird, and this is another step in the process to finally find out the facts about the Mearns quail - from you the hunter.

   November 24, 2001 Mearns Quail Field Realities and Survey Results. We spend the ten days before the season visiting twenty-one (21) sample canyons and our field observations and recommendations are as follows:
   Habitat: Overall it has never looked so good in most areas as a direct of good summer rains and cutbacks (approximately 50%) in overall grazing the last two (2) years in Santa Cruz county. Thank the exceptional (and politically tricky job) of the Forest Service management and the 'voluntary or involuntary' sacrifices of ranchers for this reality. Many canyons actually have 2-3 foot tall grass.
  Weather: October and November have been very dry and water is nonexistent in many areas and some tanks are completely dry. Best to bring water with you while hunting this year!
  Hunting Dogs: Hunters will need beepers to find their dogs on point in many areas. Using beepers is the easiest way to find your dog in many areas. We also recommend carrying water for your dogs - 24oz to 48 oz. per mile per dog (!). Also 'trimming' longhair dogs (classic examples are Britanny and English Setters) in the beginning of the season is a good idea, since the grasses are brutal in some areas and are filled with burs, foxtails and that infamous 'tape grass' in many areas. The Wahl type of trimming clippers ($29.95) found in any large retail outlet are excellent and occasionally combing long-hair dogs with 'flea combs' will keep them more comfortable.
  Mearns Quail Populations: The bird population went as we have predicted it would. The bold prediction by the Arizona Game & Fish that this season promises to be the "best year in 10 years", for Mearns quail will undoubtedly turn out to be wishful thinking, since is not based on fact. This is what we see:
   A. Those areas that are the most fun to hunt, meaning many of the canyons with wide and relatively flat bottoms, show 25%-33% of the birds compared to last year - despite the fact they (A) had exceptional rains in July-August; (B) do have excellent cover and (C) the birds that managed to survived last hunting season and the off-season did have an exceptional hatch (12-14 birds). Since we had favorable weather conditions again this year, it stands to reason we should have started with at least 150% of the population compared to last year, but forget that 'lost opportunity'.
   Classic examples of surprising low-bird populations are Sycamore Canyon (Arivacas) which shows 20% of the birds of last year, despite the fact grazing was cut back from 375 to 45 head of cattle (Dan Bell's Bear Valley Allotment). Another are many of the canyons in the Jones Mesa area (San Rafael Valley). Some canyons that had long-term 'campers' last year are as low as 10%-15% compared to last year. Since according to the infamous 'Compensatory Theory', which states that last year's hunting pressure makes no difference in bird population this season, one could attribute these surprising low-bird numbers to a 'miracle of nature'. Unfortunately, overharvest is the real culprit, regardless of what the Arizona Game and Fish Department chooses to continue to believe and profess.
   B. Those areas that by either sheer distance, or are a royal bitch to hunt (very steep) for many hunters, or were overlooked by chance, do show 90% of the birds as last year, since enough brood stock did survive the hunting season and natural mortality. So we suggest for those looking for better bird numbers - 'Get Off the Beaten Path'.

  The Quality of Mearns Quail Hunting may go in either of two ways.
   A. It could become quite poor quickly if too many hunters do decide to hunt Mearns this year and insist on killing fifteen (15) birds. Especially if they hunt down the singles of a covey in order to achieve this high bag limit. In that case the quality of the season will start to plunged by December 15th-20th.
  B. It could remain fair-to-good depending on whether many otherwise-Mearns quail hunters decide to hunt desert quail instead and those that do hunt Mearns quail limit their kill and allow coveys to regroup quicker during the coldest part of the season.

  We ask all Mearns quail hunters to voluntarily give the Mearns a break this season and limit your bag limits to a maximum of eight (8) birds a day while we collectively get some sane bag limits for this bird if that is indeed what most hunters do want. We will soon find through the AzQA questionnaires you will find in the field this season. All you have to do is 'cast your vote' - we will make sure it does 'count', regardless of your position.

  Above all we wish you all Good Hunting!

    November 15, 2001 AzQA Questionnaire Boxes go up in the field. Mearns quail hunters this season will find AzQA 'mail boxes' throughout the Sonoita - Patagonia area to collect input from hunters and bring them collectively and directly to the Game & Fish Commission, who is really the entity that sets the bag limits and dates for Mearns quail hunting for each season. See the new questionnaire in this web site.

   October 20, 2001 Participation in the pre-season Mearns Quail Flush Count. These counts were again started after not taking place for the last four (4) years. The results of the October 20, 2001 survey was that five (5) coveys were found in the nine study areas. One could spin this low count anyway one wants to, and such low number of found birds did not surprised us, but the starting of these field surveys again will proof beneficial in the coming seasons because it would allow all of us to compare the results from one year to the next. The count did occur during extremely dry conditions, which is only fair to point out.

   October 17, 2001 Meeting with Ron Engle-Wilson, Small Game Supervisor, AGFD for discussions about their hunter questionnaire. We would like to add here that Mr. Ron Engle-Wilson, in our opinion, has proved the most helpful and active person from the Arizona Game & Fish Department. In time, and when reliable 'data' is indeed available to the Department, we feel confident we will have the 'scientific data' to support our position and concerns. Our first premise is that an 'over-harvest' can indeed happen as it concerns the Mearns quail - and it did occur last season (2000-2001).

   September 27, 2001 Arizona Quail Alliance meeting with AGFD Director Duane Shroufe, Commissioner Hays Gilstrap, Maria Baier (Governor Hull's Environmental Policy Advisor), and Rep. Carolyn Allen. We were able to state our organization's objectives and discussed ways to achieve those objectives without pursuing an administrative or legislative change. Further AGFD research and consideration of narrowing the protocol of this research for a more comprehensive sampling of Mearns hunters was emphasized to develop a hunting program that creates a sustainable balance between the recreation desires of hunters and a thriving Mearns quail population. As a consequence of this meeting, the 'wing boxes' that Mearns hunters will encounter in the field this season will be locked and our own hunting questionnaire boxes will also appear alongside the Departments. This season, you the Mearns quail hunter, will have new options in giving your opinion to the Department and us (AzQA) on what is really happening during the season and if changes need be made to the bag limit, daily hunting hours or length of the season.

   August 25, 2001 Arizona Quail Alliance's first Mearns Quail Symposium is held in Patagonia, AZ with nearly 100 in attendance. The presence of the US Forest Service, AGFD, Tucson Audubon Society, several members of the Arizona Game & Fish Commission, ranchers, hunters, and birders demonstrated support and interest in our mission of better Mearns quail management.  If one thing was accomplished was the stated promise from the Arizona Game & Fish department personnel that the Department will not embark ever again on a mass-marketing campaign in the future directed at the hunting of Mearns quail. The entire room exploded in applause at this announcement.

   June 19, 2001 Arizona Quail Alliance is incorporated as a nonprofit association to raise money for further research on Mearns and to use collaborative strategies with the AGFD to promote improved quail management based on sound science.

    May 30, 2001 First meeting with the Arizona Game & Fish biologist. Mr. Jim Heffelfinger was appointed to examine if changing the bag limit would have a marked effect on the 'quality of the hunt'. He concluded that the diminishing in 'quality of the hunt' from the beginning to the end of the hunting season went from 2.96 birds a day to 1.86 birds a day. He concluded that this was insignificant. We are glad we asked for this examination because, we found out how 'data' is really gathered and conclusions are being made by the Department. Note: we cover some of our findings in the "FAQ's" page on this web site.

    April 21, 2001 Commission Meeting in Phoenix. We (Dr. Tad Pfister and Fred Arbona) attended the Commissioners' meeting for the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AGFD) in an attempt to have the Commissioners use caution in Mearns quail management and to alert them to consider the events from the 2000-2001 season; for example an apparent extremely high Mearns 'harvest'. As it turned out an extraordinary 266% jump in the 'harvest' took place - which we became aware of this after the meeting.

   The Commissioners were also reminded of the biological differences between Mearns and other quail species, the plausible decline in the quality of last season's hunt and the need for a better ecological assessment and better management strategies for Mearns quail. While the daily bag limit for Mearns remained at 15 per day, which was 'forcefully' (and we are being diplomatic here!) championed by the Western Bird Alliance (WBA), two (2) out of the five (5) Commissioners did started entertaining new ideas such as a shorter Mearns season and shorter hunting hours. Western Bird Alliance was our principal adversary, at least as exemplified by Mr. Dave Lukens, who insisted on keeping the fifteen (15) bird limit as is as he pushed forth in the previous meeting.

   We heard so much of 'scientific data' during the meeting that we started examining and becoming well versed with what specific 'data' does the Arizona Game & Fish Department actually basis its axioms of 'compensatory theory' and 'hunting quality' on. That will be our first mission in the future.

    February 14, 2001. Fred Arbona visits Dr. Tad Pfister and AzQA is formed.