Off hunting Mearns quail

[fox-admin]

Boy is it nice getting out of upstate New York for sumny Arizona this time off year. About as hard a hunting you can imagine. My CSMC xe 20 years old

[Jeff S]

I love the checkering on that gun.

[Stan Hillis]

Mearn's are beautiful. Thanks for sharing that pic, Craig.

I've hunted Gambel's in AZ, but not Mearn's, as the habitats were not overlapping where I was. I think I'm going back next month. Will the season on Mearn's still be open through the end of February?

SRH

[vaturkey]

Have a friend staying in Patagonia AZ who has been out there for a week. He is a total rookie at this and semi-retired. Has two setters and is having a tough time of it. Even with dog boots, his Setters are ripped up between rocks and cacti. Not sure he has gotten into any birds yet, but has a couple of weeks remaining until he heads back east. He said the heat has been pretty tough as by mid day its in the 70's. If anyone has any ideas they can pass on, please shoot me a PM and I'll pass the info on to him. PS. He loves the country, but he said its beautiful and mean.

[fox-admin]

Some of the hardest hunting you will ever do. Hard on man and dogs.

[loggy]

Interesting. It looks like the feathers might be handy for tying flies. Thanks for sharing. John

[DSizemore]

Beautiful picture Craig. I’ve never been there. Enjoy!

[fox-admin]

John we save all the feathers for fly tying

[Jim Cloninger]

Hi Craig, great hunt, beautiful birds! Are you having any difficulity with your 2 replaced hips? I would like to hunt those quail, but now I cannot negociate that type of terrain. Are you hunting Lucy? If so, what kind of dog boots are you using? Thanks for the pictures.
Jim

[fox-admin]

Jim the new hips are perfect no issues. I did not take Lucy, the country would rip her paws up in about 20 minutes, steep and very rocky. Eastern dogs have a very hard time in the west due to the soil and rocks, there paws never harden up in the eastern soils. One of our guides pointers ran 14 miles in 5 hours up and down very steep canyons, that takes unbelievable conditioning! Tom- Mearns hunters are more secretive than eastern grouse hunters about where they encounter birds.
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[Jim Cloninger]

Thanks for the new pictures, Craig. Are you using a 12 gauge Fox? Jim

[vaturkey]

Craig, I think you are right. Problem with my buddy being solo out there is no guide will take him out without having two people. That said, not sure my buddy could take those hills due to some foot issues. He did tell me he was hunting at 5700 feet of elevation. He has two setters with him and the heat and the terrain are kicking the crap out of both of them.

[fox-admin]

Tom: That is not the place to be with foot issues, believe me I have hunted birds from Maine to Texas and Mearns are the hardest physically on both man and dog. Out there you kill birds with boot leather, lots of long hikes. Tell your buddy he may be better off hunting scaled and gimbels in lower flatter terrain.

[vaturkey]

Thanks Craig. I relay that info to him for sure. He is having a blast and loves the country. He drove over to Tombstone later today when the heat got up there to take in a bit of history. Reminds me of the movie "No Country for old Men".

[loggy]

Craig,
Those feathers will provide some good memories. You are living the dream!
John