By Randy Babb, Mesa information & education program manager,
and Doug Burt, public information officer, AGFD

Hunters want the bottom line when it comes to hunting forecasts. Here are the statewide outlooks for small game hunting:

• Gambel’s quail: “Most of the quail that hunters will be encountering in central Arizona will be this year’s birds, and that should provide some excellent hunting, compared to last year.”

• Scaled quail: “They are doing much better than last year, it should be a fair to good year, and there is typically little hunting pressure in the region of the state that they occupy.”

• Mearns’ quail: “High carry-over of adult birds from last year and several years of generous summer rains in southern Arizona should make for superb Mearns’ quail hunting.”

• Dove: “Thanks to good seasonal rains and plenty of agricultural shifts to grain crops, dove numbers in the late season should be very good and provide plenty of late season action.”

• Band-tailed pigeons: “Good acorn and seed reproduction plus full stock tanks should keep migrating birds in the state throughout the season. Look for fair to good hunting this year.”

• Blue (dusky) grouse: “Populations remain stable for this rare bird and should provide fair hunting for those willing to work for them.”

• Chukar partridge: “Populations remain limited, but areas that hold chukar should provide typical results as past years.”

• Rabbits: “Go now! Rabbit populations are abundant throughout the state. The season should be very good to excellent nearly everywhere you go.”

• Squirrels: “Abundant food sources in the high country should provide good to very good hunting for tassel-eared squirrels. The Kaibab squirrel populations have stabilized and offer fair hunting.”

• Ducks and geese: “Water levels are poised to hold good numbers of ducks depending on weather conditions in states north of Arizona. If that happens, we should have a good season this year.”

• Snipe: “The wet conditions from the first half of this year are very favorable for this long-billed migrating bird.”

Even without reading any further, you should be making a note to get your general hunting license and plenty of ammunition, and start planning your trips. Now that everyone is excited, let’s look into the details.

Small game season for quail, squirrel, ducks and more opened Oct. 3. In addition to the season opening earlier, general squirrel season runs nearly a month longer, ending in late December, with some units open year round.

The waterfowl season is liberal, opening in the mountain zone the same day (Oct. 3) and running until the end of January 2009. However, canvasback ducks are not allowed for harvest due to declining numbers, and there is a shorter / restricted season for scaup ducks.

Abundant snow and rainfall has occurred since the end of 2007. Much of the precipitation fell at the right times and in the right areas, resulting in full stock tanks, running streams, and many lakes full or near full. In addition, ground cover is thick and dense in many areas of the state.

In short, plenty of rain, ground cover and food made for good reproduction. The outlook for small game hunting statewide looks very good.

Note: As with all wildlife outlooks, there will be some areas that are better and some that are worse due to natural variables in rainfall, reproduction, habitat, etc. However, overall, this should be a very good small game season.

Quail (Gambel’s, Mearns’ and scaled)
Arizona has enjoyed three average to above-average rainy seasons in a row (two summer rainy seasons and one winter rainy season). Gambel’s quail came into the breeding season in good shape, even though their numbers were low due to very poor rains in preceding years. However, all observations at this time indicate that Gambel’s quail were quite successful this nesting season, and this bodes well for quail hunters in central Arizona.

Monsoon rains have especially benefitted Mearns’ quail. Last year was one of the best seasons in years, and the back-to-back successful nestings should prove to be an incredible season for this polka-dotted bird.

Scaled quail fall somewhere in the middle of the other two species. They are not entirely tied to winter or summer rains for reproduction success. Fortunately, rainfall has been steady and consistent since the beginning of the year, and this should provide a good season for these blue birds.

All this good news means one thing for upland hunters: a chance at a quail grand slam. This could be one of the best years for a hunter to harvest all three quail species in the same day.

Rabbit (cottontail and jackrabbit)
Rabbits are another species that abounds with good seasonal rains; expect to see excellent rabbit hunting statewide this year. While a majority of rabbits are harvested by quail hunters as part of a mixed-bag, they certainly deserve to be a primary pursuit. Rabbits are very challenging to hunt, offer a great hunting introduction to youngsters, and they are excellent table fare.

Squirrel (Abert’s, Kaibab, gray, red and fox)
While cold winters can increase squirrel mortality, the extra moisture from the snow and rains provided abundant food sources for squirrels this year. This healthy food supply provided existing populations the trigger for new recruitment and should make for a good hunting season.

The most common squirrel is the tassel-eared (Abert’s), and it is found in the ponderosa pine forest. There are more different squirrel species in Arizona than any other state. Other species that can be hunted include the Kaibab, gray, red and the small fox squirrel.

Touted as the “New Arizona Grand Slam,” some hunters are taking the challenge to harvest all five species in a season.

Dove (mourning, Eurasian collared-dove and band-tailed pigeons)
Although not open until late November, late season dove hunting should be very good this year. The late season offers all-day hunting hours, and hitting a desert stock tank an hour or two before sunset can be very productive and a great way to experience the incredible desert weather in the fall. It is also a great way to capitalize on a mixed-bag hunt when chasing quail or rabbits. Dove are another great introduction for young hunters.

Band-tailed pigeon season opened in mid-September and closed the first week of October (a separate report was provided before the season opened).

However, Eurasian collared-doves are open all year long and there is no bag limit. They are mostly found in urban areas; however, they can also be found on the edges of agricultural fields and some desert lands. If you are hunting Eurasian collared-doves, be certain of your identification and leave a feathered-wing on for verification.

Mountain upland birds (blue “dusky” grouse and chukar partridge)
Both of these species offer limited hunting from one season to the next. The overall forecast for these birds is fair, but that is relative to the low population densities. Their range and distribution is very limited and make for hunts that are more like quests. However, success does happen and many hunters consider both to be trophies due the effort and uniqueness of the hunt. Each has different season dates and bag limits, so consult the 2008-09 Arizona Hunting and Trapping regulations for more details.

Waterfowl (ducks, geese and snipe)
As part of the Pacific Flyway, migrating waterfowl make their way to Arizona as the winter weather hits the states in the northern continental U.S. With that said, there is plenty of water in Arizona to hold migrating birds throughout the season, when and if they come. Stock tanks in the lower elevations should prove to be productive for waterfowl hunters late in the year. Snipe hunting should also be good around marshy areas, flooded creek areas, as well as stock tanks.

Hunters are reminded to post photos of their outdoor expeiences at www.azgfd.net/photos.

Happy hunting, be safe and introduce someone new to hunting.

For more details about small game hunting, visit:

www.azgfd.gov/h_f/small_game.shtml