Conservation spotlight: Cochise Bird Dog Club holds 3rd annual youth quail hunt
By Chris Orndorff, Cochise Bird Dog Club

The Cochise Bird Dog Club, in conjunction with the Scholastic Clay Target Association of southern Arizona, held its third annual Youth Quail Hunt at the Empire Ranch in Sonoita on Nov. 17, 2007. This event was the result of the club expanding the circle of participation to include other Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) clubs in the area.

This year we had 12 participants from the Tucson SCTP as well as four participants from the local Ft. Huachuca SCTP club. Scheduling conflicts with deer and elk hunting seasons impacted the numbers of participants.

SCTP participants are well educated in gun safety and have been introduced to a real hunting situation with bird dogs through this popular Youth Quail Hunt. The association has trained their shooters on safety to the point that the club feels very comfortable with their participation. Safe gun handling and firing is handled in a very responsible manner, with extreme caution exercised around dogs and other participants in the field during the hunt.

The bird dog club’s objectives are to introduce the next generation to upland hunting in a realistic environment and to generate enthusiasm for using well-trained pointing dogs in the pursuit of upland birds. In addition to the youth shooters, numerous parents and association leaders attended. Hamburgers and hot dogs were served to all attendees after the hunt was completed.

Each pair of shooters had 30 minutes in the bird field with a trained dog, and a dog handler/mentor where several bobwhite quail had been introduced. Each hunter had multiple opportunities to harvest a quail, though not all were successful. There was a bit of good-natured ribbing between the individual shooters as well as between the two clubs about their ability with live targets versus clay pigeons. Several of the gunners commented that not knowing where the birds were coming from or going to made it a real challenge.

The distaff side was well represented and they were every bit as capable as their male counterparts. While we did not “keep score” this year, previous youth quail hunts had young ladies as the “top gun”. Parents and association leaders were especially appreciative of the unique opportunity that was offered. Each adult and all the kids thanked the Cochise Bird Dog Club for the chance to put their skills to work in an actual hunting situation. Their exposure to well-trained bird dogs in the field was witnessed and enjoyed by all.

The club looks forward to running a youth quail hunt in future years with hopes that the hunt can be further expanded to include additional SCTP shooters. We plan to hold the event on an annual basis with a best time being selected to maximize participation for interested SCTP clubs within Arizona. For additional information concerning this outreach program, please contact Mr. Chris Orndorff at (520) 458-1584.

The Cochise Bird Dog club is based in Sierra Vista, Ariz., with members primarily from southeastern Arizona. The club promotes activities with pointing breeds to include training, field trials, hunt tests, fun hunts and other events that focus on the pointing dog.

For further information, visit: www.cochisebirddogclub.net