“Our added winter moisture and active calling period led to a very long nesting and hatching season, starting in late April and extending into early summer, with chicks hatching as late as early July,” O’Dell said. “From a population standpoint, we are out of a deficit for the first time since 2001-2002. Quail are starting to pop up in places they haven’t been seen in a while.
“If you’ve never had the chance to experience what Arizona quail hunting built its name on, then this would be the year to get out and enjoy it.”
Meanwhile, hunters should note that the season for Mearns’ quail doesn’t begin until Dec. 4. It’s summer rainfall that plays a key role in nesting success and population numbers of this species. After a spotty and relatively weak monsoon across southern Arizona, these birds are likely to be abundant only in pockets that received sufficient precipitation this summer.
A valid Arizona hunting or combination hunt and fish license is required for all hunters 10 and older. Those hunters under 10 must either have a valid hunting or combination hunt and fish license, or be accompanied by an adult who possesses a valid hunting or combination hunt and fish license. Licenses can be purchased online or at license dealers statewide. A youth combination hunt and fish license (ages 10 to 17) is $5.
The general bag limit is 15 quail per day in the aggregate, of which no more than eight may be Mearns’ quail (when the Mearns’ season opens Dec. 4). The general possession limit is 45 quail in the aggregate after opening day, of which no more than 15 Gambel’s, scaled or California quail in the aggregate may be taken in any one day. After the opening of the Mearns’ season, the 45-quail possession limit may include 24 Mearns’ quail, of which no more than eight may be taken in any one day.
More quail-hunting information can be found on the department’s website at https://www.azgfd.com/Hunting/. Another resource for both new and experienced hunters alike is “An Introduction to Hunting Arizona’s Small Game.” Written by Randall D. Babb, the 196-page, full-color book covers where and how to hunt small game birds (like quail), squirrels, rabbits, ducks and geese. It also includes how to prepare and cook your harvest, with illustrations and recipes. The book can be ordered for $16.95 at www.azgfd.gov/publications.
Finally, hunters should check out O’Dell’s techniques for field-dressing quail at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gRwZAcWzzk.
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Publishers Notes: OUT OF STATE HUNTERS, FISHERMEN & OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS; Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, there could be limitations for OUT of STATE hunters, fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts to include a 14-day quarantine requirement or negative COVID-19 testing alternative. Please check with the State's Department of Natural Resources BEFORE you travel or apply for the 2020 Fall Hunts.
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of TBC Press
AGFC Offering a Chance to Win a Lifetime of Hunting/Fishing When Deer are Tested for CWD
Submitted by: TBC Press
Posted on: 11/15/21
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News # 14637
Getting your deer tested for chronic wasting disease not only is free through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, it might even land you a free hunting and fishing for life. Thanks to a donation from the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, every Arkansas resident who has their harvested deer tested for CWD this year will be entered to win one of two gift certificates for a free Resident Sportsman's Lifetime Combination License and Permit. Hunters who submit multiple deer for testing will have increased chances of being selected. AGFC employees and immediate families are ineligible to win.
“We’re just looking for a way to show people how much we appreciate their help as we work together in managing this disease,” Cory Gray, chief of the AGFC’s Research Division, said. “We said at the beginning that fighting CWD is a marathon, not a sprint, and we want to remind people that we all need to remain vigilant because this race is not over.”
According to Gray, the drawing for the two gift certificates will be conducted after the 2021-22 deer hunting season has concluded. Winners will be selected from all hunters who submit a sample, regardless of the test results.
“We really want to thank the Foundation for making this possible,” Gray said. “This is just one more way they have stepped up to help us promote the valuable conservation work that takes place every day at the AGFC. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation are solid partners with common values”
There are more than 100 locations for hunters to have their deer tested for CWD for free during the 2021-22 deer hunting season, and at least one testing location is available in every county in the state. Fifty-three participating taxidermists will take a sample for hunters for free, many will do so regardless of if you choose to use them for taxidermy purposes. A network of drop-off locations also are available where hunters can drop off the head of their deer with the antlers removed and have results back within two to three weeks. The AGFC collects these samples regularly and has them analyzed by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission laboratory.
According to AJ Riggs, wildlife health biologist for the AGFC, anyone who submits a positive sample will be notified via phone as soon as the results come back, so it is important to fill out all necessary paperwork at the drop-off location when you leave a sample.
“We want to get in touch with anyone who has a deer that tests positive as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements to dispose of that deer’s carcass properly and follow up with the exact location of harvest to continue tracking the disease in the state,” Riggs said. “We also can give a replacement tag to harvest another deer to make up for the lost meat.”
Riggs said the bottom half of the information card that the hunter keeps will lead the hunter to verify results for themselves.
“We will call everyone with a positive sample, but we just don’t have the manpower to call and speak to everyone with a sample that CWD wasn’t detected on,” Riggs said. “The results are posted online and your confidential code will allow you to receive your results for peace of mind.”
The AGFC collected 7,824 CWD samples last year, and 95 percent of those samples were voluntarily submitted from hunter-harvested deer.
“We had 261 positive CWD cases from those samples last year,” Riggs said. “And 96 percent of our positive cases came from deer taken by hunters.”
All CWD testing drop off locations will remain open until Feb. 28, the last day of the archery deer season.
A list of official testing locations is available at www.agfc.com/cwd as well as the latest regulations and news about the disease in Arkansas.
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