Trek to Arizona could get you back on quail trail

If you're a bird hunter looking for one final trip before the sun sets on the quail season, you might want to consider the northwestern corner of Arizona.

While folks at the Arizona Game and Fish Department describe the season in their state as being only fair, that usually means the situation is pretty good, especially when looked at from the perspective of a Southern Nevada wing shooter.

Like Nevada, Arizona's quail population is directly tied to the amount of rainfall the state receives each year and the time of year that rain comes. Jeff Pebworth, wildlife program manager for the AZGFD's Kingman office, said that makes quail a real boom-and-bust species. And though the northwestern corner of Arizona didn't receive as much rain as it needed when it needed it, there are still some pockets where a dedicated hunter can find success.

Areas that Pebworth recommends for a late-season foray are the Black Mountains that stretch from Hoover Dam south toward Lake Havasu, the Cerbat Range north of Kingman and the Mohave Mountains north of Lake Havasu. Other areas that could provide some good bird action are the low country along the Alamo Road that stretches from Yucca to Wikieup, and the brushy draws from there to the Bagdad Mine area.

"There's actually quite a few birds in there," Pebworth said of the Black Mountains. "We flew bighorn sheep surveys in there and saw coveys flushing all over the place. The only downside is that country can be pretty rugged. There were some good numbers of birds in areas with a little thicker vegetation and in some of the washes, and it continues all the way down south almost to Havasu."

Some places in the Blacks don't get hunted at all, but they are accessible to those willing to hike, he said. If you opt to give the Blacks a try, keep in mind that there is a hunting closure within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area that stretches about a half-mile on either side of Lake Mohave, from the dam south to a point below Willow Beach.

Arizona's quail season runs through Feb. 7, and all you need is a hunting license -- no additional stamp is necessary. A nonresident annual hunting license sells for $151, or you can opt to buy a three-day hunting license for $61. The benefit of the annual license is you can hunt again in the fall, when quail season rolls back around, and not have to purchase another license.

• WATERFOWL HUNTING -- Closer to home, patient waterfowlers are finding good action at the Overton Wildlife Management Area in Moapa Valley. The season in Clark County ends Jan. 29, so you have just about a week of hunting left.

Local waterfowl enthusiast Brock Perry recommends centering your decoy spread on teal and pintails, with a few widgeons and mallards thrown in.

"We tested this theory on Sunday, and it paid off real well. We shot four really nice pintails that were well over 31/2 or 4 pounds," Perry said.

He also recommends using light mallard calling.

"Nothing loud, just real soft with real subtle quacks," Perry said.

Be patient and don't call too much.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at dougnielsen@att.net.