It took about 20 minutes before I realized that I had turned off on the wrong two track. Instead of improving, the trail dumped into a wash and became impassable for the truck. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, I put the truck in park, grabbed my coffee, and opened the door for a quick listen. I was greeted by the sound of a Gambel’s quail covey getting out of their roost tree about a hundred yards away. It was an easy decision to shoulder my vest and grab my shotgun and look at some new country
I scratched out two birds out of the covey and found myself a new hillside to hunt in the future. Sometimes taking the wrong turn takes you to the right place.
Arizona Quail CountryCoues Deer steaks paired with jalepeno quail poppers
There are several good options for quality strap vests on the market. I’ve written about several of them on this blog already. For the early Arizona bird hunting season, I’ve had the opportunity to wear the Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vestand I’ve been really impressed with what this light weight strap vest has to offer.
Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest
First impressions:
Q5 Outdoors Products – Dan and Joanne Priest started Q5 Outdoor Products several years back and introduced the original Q5 Upland Strap Vest and the Q5 Centerfire Vest. Recently, the Priests brought the Quilomene line up of vests into the Q5 Outdoor Products fold, and now offer these highly renowned, field tested vests for sale. One of the coolest parts about all of the Q5 and Quilomene Vests is that a portion of each sale gets donated to Arizona Outdoor Adventures, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healthy outdoor activities for underprivileged children.
Customizable and Adjustable – The Quilomene San Carlos Vest comes in two styles. One is a “Y” back and the other is an “H” back design. Both styles offer quite a bit of adjustments. When purchasing your vest, you are also able to choose a size based on your waist measurements. This ensures that the vest fits properly and carries any weight comfortably.
“Y” back and “H” back
Storage – There is a total of seven pockets on the San Carlos vest, which makes it easy to carry all the essentials in the field. Lash straps are located on the back of the pack for stashing a jacket once the day gets warm. The bird pouch is spacious and capable of carrying a limit of quail easily. Although there are no water bottle pockets, there is a large hydration pocket on the interior of the bird pouch, and handy hose clips located on the shoulder straps.
Made in the USA – All of the Q5 Outdoor Products are made in the USA.
Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest
Field Use:
I’ve enjoyed using the Quilomene San Carlos bird vest so far this season. From the early dove season, to grouse hunting at 8,500′ in the mountains, and back to the valley for the quail opener, the San Carlos really shines in the field.
The first things that really stood out to me while chasing birds was how lightweight and slim fitting this vest is. It is a very simple design and even when loaded, it does not have a lot of bulk. This is beneficial whether you are hanging in field waiting for the next flight of doves, or slipping through the dark timber looking for grouse.
Another thing I really was impressed with was how comfortable the vest is, and how well it carried a load. With early season quail especially, I loaded up on lots of water, shells, and other odds and ends, and the vest was pretty heavy. Even with the vest fully loaded, the waist belt carried the weight really well. Although there are vests on the market with more pockets and carrying capacity, the Quilomene San Carlos handled the everything I threw at it.
Although I was extremely happy with the how much the vest was laid out and how much it could carry, I could see how a hunter with a dog might want a little bit more carrying capacity for extra water or designated water bottle holders. Quilomene has quite a few different accessories that allow these vests to be totally modular and customizable for each individual customer. Check out their accessories page for water bottle holsters and more.
Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest
Pros:
Made in the USA
Quality material and durable construction
Lightweight
Water bladder pocket and hose hooks
Portion of each sale goes to non-profit
Cons:
Lack of water bottle holders
Prognosis: The Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest is an excellent lightweight strap vest option and worth looking at if you are in the market for a new vest.
* Disclaimer:
The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review. The Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest was provided by Q5 for the purpose of this review. My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.
I’ve been living in Arizona long enough, and it was time to hunt coues deer. I was able to pick up a tag for one of the southern units and with a little help from my buddy Ed at Gameplanner Mapsand countless hours of the Jay Scott Podcast, I had a pretty good idea of where I needed to go and what I needed to do. Although I’ve spent a little time behind binoculars, I still never feel real confident about finding animals in the field, especially coues deer who are touted as some of the toughest creatures to find.
I snuck out of work on Thursday and was setting up camp mid afternoon. This allowed me a little bit of time to get out and glass the evening in hopes of turning up a buck before opening day. With no luck, I turned in for the night. The next morning found me on a high hill glassing some ridgelines, but I only saw one deer at first light and never saw it again.
Around mid day, I decided to switch up positions and get to another vantage point with better afternoon sun and shadows, but found another set of hunters there. Dismayed, I decided to work some lower country and work my way back into some different country. Within an hour I had picked up two does, and I watched them as they fed into some thicker brush. Confident they didn’t have a buck with them I repositioned myself to look at another hillside and I immediately found two small bucks feeding down the hill toward a canyon. I watched them for a few moments and knew that if I didn’t act, they would get into the bottom of the drainage and I would lose them. Grabbing my rifle and binos, I snuck down the hill into a managable 200 yard range, found the deer again in my binoculars and made a quick shot that dropped one of the small bucks where he stood.
I gathered my pack and tripod and hiked over to where the deer lay. I sat there looking at the deer incredulous at how fast everything had unfolded and said a quick prayer of thanks before beginning the work. With a heavy pack, I walked the mile back to my truck with a huge smile on my face. My good friend Kyle was there to greet me, as he had come down to help me out the next day. With the hunt complete, we enjoyed venison backstraps cooked over an open fire and talked about the upcoming Mearns quail season. I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding hunt and am grateful for venison in the freezer.
“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks. Never think of taking a book with you. The object of walking is to relax the mind. You should therefore not permit yourself even to think while you walk. But divert your attention by the objects surrounding you. Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.” —Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, 1785.
Non-Motorized RecreationFollowing the dog and looking for grouseWildernessLet your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.
This may be a stupid post to most people, but before my trip to Oregon, I was the guy googling “What to take on a out of state fly fishing trip.” Without finding anything specific, I sat down before my trip to Oregon this past summer and put together a list of the necessities so that I would not forget anything. This is my rough list of necessities for my trip to Oregon
Fishing gear – I had a good idea of the type of fishing I was going to be doing, and with a little help from my contact there, I was able to pack accordingly.
Security – While it’s not just for this trip alone but on a general level, it’s smart always be ready with an insurance plan that befits your active and outdoorsy lifestyle. AXA is a good choice where you’re going on local or international travels.
Clothing – We were planning on being on the river for 4 day and I would have access to a washing machine at the end of the trip.
Waders
Wading boots
Hiking boots
Flip-flops (camp shoes)
Goretex jacket
Beanie
Ball cap
2-3 handkerchiefs
2 jeans
2 shorts
6 t-shirts
fleece
boxers and socks
Miscellaneous – These items were easier to get/borrow once I was at my location.
After a scorcher of an Arizona quail hunting opener, I sat in the shade of the backyard enjoying the cool breeze. My little girl stood at my shoulder, listening and watching as I told her about my morning and showed her the pictures from my time in the field. She held the male Gambel’s in her small hands, examining his feathers, commenting about how soft it was, and asking about his topknot. I took my time and chose my words carefully as I explained why I went hunting and ultimately where our meat comes from.
Post skinning and cleaning, we breasted out several birds and prepared the fixings for quail nuggets. Dunk in eggs, roll in breading, and straight into the cast iron skillet. A few moments later, we were dipping fresh quail nuggets into honey mustard sauce. It was a fine way to start the weekend and the Arizona quail hunting season.
Arizona Sonoran DesertGambel’s QuailArizona SunriseCleaning birds and learning where our food comes fromMaking Quail NuggetsQuail Nuggets
I spend a fair amount of my fishing time flicking flies on small creeks. Arizona has a good number of these small waters to choose from and the fish are usually quite opportunistic and willing to take a well presented fly. The Frye Creek Special is a super simple pattern that I always turn to if I need trick that picky fish holding in one of those deeper plunge pools. Plus, I’m always looking for a use for my Mearns quail feathers.
Hook, bead, threadTie in the tailArizona Simi SealPick out materialMearns Quail HackleMearns Quail CollarPink/RedBlack/GreenBrown/GoldThe Frye Creek Special doing workGila Trout falls to the Frye Creek Special
I had a good morning in the field with a good friend. Shot a few birds, ate some good grub, drank a few beers, and enjoyed the great outdoors. I am beyond thankful that fall is here.
Tailgate BreakfastDan’s first dovePluckingBreaking Clays
