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Mearns quail
Anyone on here hunt Mearns?
1 - 20 of 26 Posts
Well I want to hunt them. Just returned from NM and didn't find the right habitat. So we settled on Scaled and Gambel's. Other than mountain quail, its the one I need to complete the bucket list.
Gotta be around 5k feet for Mearns country.
I'm not even close to expert enough to be a guide. Plus it's a 14hr drive to the nearest Mearns. About the same for mountain quail.
I'm a lot further than that. About 20+ hours.
Specifically around the base of the trees, they scratch and eat tubers.View attachment 70980
Hunt stuff that looks like this.
Sivart,
I hunted Mearns Quail in AZ down along the Mex border, in the mountains. Contact Don Lee if he still guides, great Means Quail Guide for your 1st trip, after that go on your own. The key is having a great Mearns Quail dog, and use a 20 or 28 gauge light gun, be prepared to do a little walking! One of the greatest hunts of my life was as the snow fell in the AZ mountains. Mearns Quail are only 2nd to Ruffed Grouse where hunting and eating are concerned.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
I hunted Mearns Quail in AZ down along the Mex border, in the mountains. Contact Don Lee if he still guides, great Means Quail Guide for your 1st trip, after that go on your own. The key is having a great Mearns Quail dog, and use a 20 or 28 gauge light gun, be prepared to do a little walking! One of the greatest hunts of my life was as the snow fell in the AZ mountains. Mearns Quail are only 2nd to Ruffed Grouse where hunting and eating are concerned.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
I live in southwest NM Dan is right around 5k feet. Look for tall grass and oaks. They can be tough to find by yourself and without a dog you gotta put in alot of miles. I understand this may be frustrating as you put in a pretty big sweat investment without knowing if you are even in the right area. Thats part of the fun of quail hunting. You can be walking for miles nothing nothing nothing then and explosion of birds. I left out water. Water is very important. Im going out tomorrow I hunt both AZ and NM and trying to get some hunting in before the season closes. Our plan is start low for Gambles then move up to Mearns.
Who is Bob Lee and how would I contact him. I'd be willing to hire a person or guide but don't need wine and dined. And I want to use my own dogs.Sivart,
I hunted Mearns Quail in AZ down along the Mex border, in the mountains. Contact Bob Lee if he still guides, great Means Quail Guide for your 1st trip, after that go on your own. The key is having a great Mearns Quail dog, and use a 20 or 28 gauge light gun, be prepared to do a little walking! One of the greatest hunts of my life was as the snow fell in the AZ mountains. Mearns Quail are only 2nd to Ruffed Grouse where hunting and eating are concerned.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
Sivart,
I am sorry, his name is Don Lee not Bob. Unfortunately I lost his contact info when we bought our new home, moving I lost different contact info I had for many years.
I tried to find a telephone number for ya, and could not come up with one until now.
Finally got the info you wanted
AZ Covey Breaks Don Lee
Phone 928-713-9961
[email protected]
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
I am sorry, his name is Don Lee not Bob. Unfortunately I lost his contact info when we bought our new home, moving I lost different contact info I had for many years.
I tried to find a telephone number for ya, and could not come up with one until now.
Finally got the info you wanted
AZ Covey Breaks Don Lee
Phone 928-713-9961
[email protected]
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
. I'm heading to AZ with my Draht for the first time this year and trying to figure out where to go on some public land. Are the mearns everywhere throughout the state or are they in specific pockets/units?
. I'm heading to AZ with my Draht for the first time this year and trying to figure out where to go on some public land. Are the mearns everywhere throughout the state or are they in specific pockets/units?
Quail - Arizona Game & Fish Department
Quail hunters in Arizona spend the majority of their time pursuing three species of quail, Gambel's, scaled or Mearns'.
www.azgfd.com
Kaylight067,
I found the best Mearns Quail hunting to be down along the Mex border, in fact the largest Mearns Quail population according to Don Lee, who is the expert on Mearns Quail, is just over the AZ border in Mexico. According to Don nobody really hunts in that area of Mexico and the birds have increased in numbers thru the years. Do not cross the border and try to hunt in Mexico, or you may end up in Jail. Hunt along the border in the mountains, look for the scrub oak trees and the springs that seep water, have your dog do all the work, move slowly and pay attention to your dog.
Mearns Quail will hold nicely around their feeding and watering areas, at times you can almost step on an entire covey before it flushes, when they do you are in for some of the greatest gunning you will ever experience. In fact you can walk past a big Covey quite easily, and have the Covey flush after you pass bye, setting up some amazing gunning opportunities.
Having a good Mearns Quail dog is like having a good Grouse dog, many times a great Grouse dog will also be a great Mearns Quail dog. I had a real German Weimar dog who was incredible at hunting both kinds of birds, back in the late 60' early 70's. I will not give you my exacting Covert Locations, however hunt the mountains along the Mex border and develop your own covey locations, with the help of a good dog. The contact info for Don Lee is in one of my prior posts. I always recommend his service for learning to hunt Mearns Quail, he knows more about Mearns Quail than anybody alive today.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
I found the best Mearns Quail hunting to be down along the Mex border, in fact the largest Mearns Quail population according to Don Lee, who is the expert on Mearns Quail, is just over the AZ border in Mexico. According to Don nobody really hunts in that area of Mexico and the birds have increased in numbers thru the years. Do not cross the border and try to hunt in Mexico, or you may end up in Jail. Hunt along the border in the mountains, look for the scrub oak trees and the springs that seep water, have your dog do all the work, move slowly and pay attention to your dog.
Mearns Quail will hold nicely around their feeding and watering areas, at times you can almost step on an entire covey before it flushes, when they do you are in for some of the greatest gunning you will ever experience. In fact you can walk past a big Covey quite easily, and have the Covey flush after you pass bye, setting up some amazing gunning opportunities.
Having a good Mearns Quail dog is like having a good Grouse dog, many times a great Grouse dog will also be a great Mearns Quail dog. I had a real German Weimar dog who was incredible at hunting both kinds of birds, back in the late 60' early 70's. I will not give you my exacting Covert Locations, however hunt the mountains along the Mex border and develop your own covey locations, with the help of a good dog. The contact info for Don Lee is in one of my prior posts. I always recommend his service for learning to hunt Mearns Quail, he knows more about Mearns Quail than anybody alive today.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
I have hunted them for the past two years just North of Nogales, Mexico. The area around Patagonia has many canyons with Mearns and this past year was a particularly good one! Greatest eating bird and a whole lot of fun to hunt.
When you were down here in Az did you ever hear of the Lee Brothers down around Sierra Vista?Kaylight067,
I found the best Mearns Quail hunting to be down along the Mex border, in fact the largest Mearns Quail population according to Don Lee, who is the expert on Mearns Quail, is just over the AZ border in Mexico. According to Don nobody really hunts in that area of Mexico and the birds have increased in numbers thru the years. Do not cross the border and try to hunt in Mexico, or you may end up in Jail. Hunt along the border in the mountains, look for the scrub oak trees and the springs that seep water, have your dog do all the work, move slowly and pay attention to your dog.
Mearns Quail will hold nicely around their feeding and watering areas, at times you can almost step on an entire covey before it flushes, when they do you are in for some of the greatest gunning you will ever experience. In fact you can walk past a big Covey quite easily, and have the Covey flush after you pass bye, setting up some amazing gunning opportunities.
Having a good Mearns Quail dog is like having a good Grouse dog, many times a great Grouse dog will also be a great Mearns Quail dog. I had a real German Weimar dog who was incredible at hunting both kinds of birds, back in the late 60' early 70's. I will not give you my exacting Covert Locations, however hunt the mountains along the Mex border and develop your own covey locations, with the help of a good dog. The contact info for Don Lee is in one of my prior posts. I always recommend his service for learning to hunt Mearns Quail, he knows more about Mearns Quail than anybody alive today.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
Roadhouse74,
Yes they were just getting started at that time, they are suppose to be good people.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
Yes they were just getting started at that time, they are suppose to be good people.
all the best,
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
They were some dang good hound men. Used to hunt lions all over the place even Jaguars down south.
1 - 20 of 26 Posts
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