The sun cuts the chill out of the desert as it slowly peaks over the horizon. The gravel crunches under my boots, and as I crest the small rise in front of me, I can see Sunny’s rigid body glowing in the morning light. The intensity of her point is in stark contrast to her typical, unbridled, energy. She is singularly focused on the creosote bush fifteen feet in front of her. Her orange-brown eyes bore an intense hole through the center of the desert brush, and as I get closer, I can see her nose twitch incessantly as she breathes the deep scent of wild birds in front of her.

The tranquility of the morning is broken as I step forward and the four hiding quail burst into the air. I whiff the first barrel, but the second barrel finds its mark. In a flash of brown fur, Sunny is on her quarry, and as she trots back to my feet, I could see her smiling through a face full of feathers.

I daydream this moment at least once a day. It’s just about six months until September.

The post Daydreaming – Arizona Gambel’s Quail appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Arizona quail season has finally arrived. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to let Sunny run around and chase Gambel’s. We were out early and scared up a couple of covey’s. Sunshine found out quick that Gambel’s quail would rather run than sit around for a point. We were lucky to followup on a covey bust, knock down a straggler and get a mouthful of a desert bird.

It was a fun time exposing the pup to the desert. She ran her heart out and has plenty to learn.

The post Arizona Quail Hunting – Gambel’s School appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

As I stare out my new wood shutters, I remind myself that I’ve been wanting a hunting dog ever since I was a boy. That longing has grown infinitely stronger over the past years as I’ve hunted the desert birds solo. Friends have been kind enough to invite me along and hunt behind their pups, and I relished every opportunity to watch their dogs work. The timing finally worked out and one of my hunting buddies contacted me about a 6 month old female GSP needing a hunting home. After some consideration, my wife said yes and we welcomed Sunny girl into our home.

The first week was a bit wild as everyone adjusted to each other, but Sunny, Jojo and I met up with my good friend Kyle and his 8 month old GSP, Riggs, for a little bit of field work. It was Jojo’s first “hunting trip” and our first time watching Sunny work in the open desert. She ran her heart out and then wound up pointing a couple of planted pigeons. It was a promising start, and I can’t thank Kyle enough for showing us the ropes. We’ve got lots of work ahead and we have our hearts set on hunting season.

The post Sunny Dog appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

There is nothing quite like watching dogs work the grassy hills of Southern Arizona in search of Mearns quail. So when my good buddy Pat from Border to Border Outfitters invited me down for opening weekend to watch his team of GSPs work, how could I say no. Alex Landeen grilling venison sausages and pheasant for dinner was an added bonus.

We found birds and did a fair bit of shooting. I’ve had the pleasure to watch Pat’s dogs work Mearns several times and it never gets old. There is nothing prettier than a dog on a rock solid point with a covey of Mearns quail flushing in front of them. More importantly, I got to spend time in the field with old friends and make new ones. With life constantly picking up speed, I relish every step I get to take in chasing quail in this state.

Pat runs Border to Border Outfitters and you can hunt birds with him from Minnesota all the way to Arizona and everywhere in between. Check him out at Border to Border Outfitters.

The post Arizona Quail Hunting: Mearns Quail appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

It is only now that I realize, I’ve worked myself into a real corner. I try to blame my wife, but with what little I know about the birds and the bees, I’m pretty sure I had a hand in it. All three of my children were born on the opening days of Arizona’s bird seasons. My son was born on the first day of September on the dove opener. My youngest was born at the beginning of October which makes it extremely tough to get out to chase Gambels at the beginning of quail season. And my oldest started it all off by entering the world at the beginning of December which means her birthday party is usually on the weekend that Mearns season starts.

All this means that my hunting season openers are postponed this year. This worked out in my favor when I finally grabbed my shotgun and vest to chase Gambel’s quail. It’s been unseasonably warm here in the desert as the normally cooler weather was late in showing up. I found a morning to break away and scratched out a trio of birds.

The post Arizona Quail Hunting: My Opening Day appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Hunting with Pat Flanagan on his guide’s day off is no picnic. After walking through Mearns country all day, I began to imagine that if he took off his boots, you’d see goat hooves instead of feet. I guess that’s what happens when you guide for quail in southern Arizona and chase your pack of shorthairs up and down those hills.

Watching his dogs work out the birds was a thing of beauty. Their dark bodies weaved and crossed in front of us through the yellow grass, occasionally circling back for a gulp of water before plunging back into the golden landscape. Pat’s dogs lived up to the hype and found us multiple coveys. The ice cold Modelas and tailgate full of birds at the end of the day was worth the work.

As quail season winds to a close, I can’t help but ponder over the days in the field spent by myself and with friends. I know that it’ll be a couple long months before I’m watching a covey flush and bringing the shotgun to my shoulder. Until then, I’ll be living off of days like this, replaying the day’s events over and over again in my mind.

Pat runs Border to Border Outfitters and you can hunt birds with him from Minnesota all the way to Arizona and everywhere in between. Check him out at Border to Border Outfitters.

The post Arizona Quail Hunting: End of a Season appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Why:

Hunting, hiking and fishing in Arizona often puts me in close proximity to rattlesnakes. I’ve run across several while fishing, and I always bump into one or two in the early portion of the Arizona quail season. The statistics tell me that as long as I’m not drinking and trying to poke it with a stick, I should be alright. But when hunting in some remote areas by myself, I believe in a more proactive defense strategy. I had the opportunity to check out the Turtleskin Snake Gaiters this quail season, and although I couldn’t find a rattlesnake to bite me in the leg, I was pretty impressed with how these gaiters performed.

First impressions:

Patented Material – Turtleskin Snake Armor is a super-tight weave of high-strength ballistic fibers and polyester. This patented fabric has been tested and have proven to successfully repeal a diamondback rattler bite.

Lightweight – At 6 ounces each, the Turtleskin Snake Gaiters are some of the most lightweight snake gaiters on the market.

Made in the USA – The Turtleskin Snake Gaiters are made in the USA.

Field Use:

After running the Turtleskin Snake Gaiters in the field this season, I was really impressed with their quality and durability. Although no snakes tried to bite through them, there were plenty of stickers, thorns and cholla that grabbed, scratched, and poked at the gaiters. After multiple trips in the field, these things still look like new and really help to protect the bottom portion of my pants.

The early portion of the Gambel’s quail season is miserably hot, and the only thing that helps is to get out early and drink lots of water. It was surprising how well the Turtleskin Snake Gaiters breathed. There was a very noticeable difference between the Turtleskin gaiters and other non breathable gaiters such as oil finished cloth and heavier briar proof material.

The one thing about these gaiters that I noticed after the first day was the noise. The “swish-swish” with each step is not really an issue during quail season. I’m constantly crashing through the brush, chasing and flushing birds and being quiet is not super important. It would be a tough decision to bring these on an early season spot and stalk hunt with the amount of noise they make.

Pros:

Lightweight

Made in the USA

Breathable

Durable construction

Cons:

A bit noisy

Prognosis:  If you spend anytime hunting or hiking in snake country, it’s worth your time to check out the Turtleskin Snake Gaiters.

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Turtleskin provided the Snake Gaiters for the purpose of this review. 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.  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.

The post Rambling Review: Turtleskin Snake Gaiters appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

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.

The post Arizona Quail Hunting: A Wrong Turn appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review – Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest

Why:

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 Vest and I’ve been really impressed with what this light weight strap vest has to offer.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The post Rambling Review: Quilomene San Carlos Bird Vest appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

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.

The post Arizona Quail Hunting: Where our food comes from appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.