Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii)
Named in honor of William Gambel a 19th-century explorer and naturalist of the Southwestern United States.

Location: Central Arizona, Public Land
Outfitter/Guide: Self
Method: Walk 'em up

Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge
2 3/4" shot shells, 3 3/4 dram equivalent, 1 1/4 ounce of number 7 1/2 lead



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Gorgeous country man! I enjoyed the hell outta the place a few years back hunting javelina and quail. Nice work.

Nice photos. Great looking food!

Norton, I think I remember reading your report.
Didn't you hunt on the S.C.A.R. ?

Dukxdog happy you enjoyed the pics.
The grilled snow goose/jalapeño brats and apple stuffed, bacon-wrapped, quail turned out just right.

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great hunt beautifull birds and enviroment .

great write-up! Thanks for sharing.

Cool pics! Love that jeep.

quote:

Originally posted by Thomas "Ty" Beaham:
Norton, I think I remember reading your report.
Didn't you hunt on the S.C.A.R. ?

Yessir Ty.....hunted SCAR in 2010. Good memory!

Glad you fellas enjoyed the pics.

The country and the birds here are very photogenic. That makes things easy for me.

Norton, I live literally right down the road from the Rez. boundary. I remember your report for a couple reasons. First, it was a great report, very entertaining. Second, it stood out to me because it's not too often I read about hunts done around here.

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good job all round

A classic Southwest sporting adventure. A wonderful bird to hunt and bring to the table. A true challenge for any shotgunner. We so often overlook these opportunities.

Think of it....a modest camp in the desert during the cooler months with good friends and a wonderful fire at night. Or perhaps a comfortable motel and a nearby diner offering a good breakfast and a hearty evening meal.

Either way......

As a 10 year old I cut my teeth with guns and game on just such a hunt.

I live in Williamson Valley about 15 miles north of Prescott, in North Central Arizona. These birds are abundant throughout the region, but yet very hard to find and hunt on public ground on a truly sporting basis.

Congrats on what I'm sure was a wonderful experience and thanks for sharing.

Best to you all............TWL.

A great description TWL Thank you!

It appears to me our roots are grounded in similar traditions.

You sparked some good memories for me.

Much appreciated.


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Great pics and looks like a fun time was had. Kudos and thanks for the report!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFjFptZ1wGI

Hot damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sure makes me homesick. All my Gambles Quail hunting was farther south, years ago, but the country looks much the same. Miss it.

What no dog ! When's dinner they look delicious !! Neat country.

Tom, no dogs. I spend too much time picking the cactus out of them here.


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Just saw this. I love hunting desert quail. I need to get down to Arizona next bird season. I have friends that go down each year from here in Vegas.

Thanks for sharing. I would definitely like to make such a hunt.

All I have ever heard about Gambel's and blues is that they will ruin a good quail dog because the birds don't hold and flush, they run.

I know that is true about blues because I have hunted them in West TX (back when was a bit younger) but have never had the chance to hunt Gambel's. (We chased the blues til they finally flushed, and yes, we skillet shot some of them as well...)

Regardless, wonderful pictures and what looks like a fabulous day in God's back yard!

I'm really pleased you all have enjoyed this report.

My 2015 new years resolution was to "Enjoy the little things." That decision was one of my best ever. So much so, that I've decided to carry it forward to 2016.

Doubless, yes these little suckers can boogie. We refer to them as having their Reebok's on. When that happens, it can be a looooong day.
Other days, they will hold so close you'll have to step on them to flush without a dog.

I can hardly wait until October for the season to open back up.

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Ty, I just spotted this thread. Thanks for posting. I'm moving to New Mexico this fall and look forward to desert quail hunts. Did you broil those birds?

Great photos. Love hunting Arizona quail hunting. Should be a decent year with last years rain.
lb

Hey Bill congrats on the move. I hope you thoroughly enjoy the new climes and adventures in the Southwest.

The birds, I gingerly pluck the whole bird leaving as much of the skin as I can intact.
If you can't save the skin it's not a deal breaker.
After washing and pat drying, I put a slice of apple in the cavity (along with the heart and gizzard), then wrap with bacon and pin with toothpicks.
I arrange them in a disposable aluminum pie tin (or 2 depending on the quality of the tin) and place them directly on the outdoor propane grill till done.

Okay, now please forgive me if I go off on a bit of a tangent...

When passing by this forum (Bird Shooting) I was surprised to see this report back at the top. While re-reading it I got a lump in my throat when I got to Doubless' (Scot's) post.
As you may, or, may not know we all lost Scot just a short time ago.
I sure miss his contributions here, his sage advice, and wit.
Which brings me to my point. It just reinforces my thoughts on enjoying the little things.
Stopping to smell the roses, if you will.
Life is fleeting.

Now on a much more upbeat note, quail season is just a few short weeks away here.

Ty, I agree that we lost a real mensch when we lost Scot. Life is indeed ephemeral.

your supposed to put a Jalapeno inside then wrap with bacon!! I ate 13 at one sitting as a teenager..Next day I was screaming come on ice cream!! and afraid to bend over and tie my shoes! Good idea to eat 12 without the Jalapeno!! Our desert quail were "Blues" or at least that's what we called them.

I just read the above posts about scott, I did not know, Late prayers are never too late.

Nice story.. Haven’t shot quail for quite a few years.. My headquarters was Wilcox.. Used to be lots of birds.. Not many the last time I tried..

Ty: I'll qualify for a resident bird license here in a couple of weeks, and quail seasons are open in New Mexico until Feb. 15. No dog, so it will be just the old guy stumbling among the cactus with a 28-gauge gas gun. We shall see!

Well, Bill, how is the quail hunting.. We are thinking of a short trip to SW NM in Jan. to hunt some quail, get warm and exercise the dogs...

quote:

Originally posted by WyoCoyoteHunter:
Well, Bill, how is the quail hunting.. We are thinking of a short trip to SW NM in Jan. to hunt some quail, get warm and exercise the dogs...

Typical of most years - pockets of decent populations where summer rains were good surrounded by areas where you're better off chasing jackrabbits. If you're going to be out and about already, hitting that SW area of the state would likely net you a few good coveys. Your encounters with Gambel's are likely to be pretty infrequent though. Should be decent amounts of scalies.

Hey, thank you.. Hunting birds or jacks would be fun.. Nice to be in a warmer spot.. Many thanks..

My boy got one behind the house last night. Brno Mod2