Trouble in Paradise ?

Mearns Quail -Nacori Chico, Sonora Mexico
Posters on the Upland Journal are weighing in on what some think is the demise of the Mearns Quail .
Of course some of  the debate touches on  the effect of hunting pressure has on the Mearns Population .  My thoughts on this are firm .Do to the  small range Mearns Quail have in Arizona namely the Coronado National Forest ,considering that 99% of all Mearns Quail Hunting takes place  there  , with recent road construction &improvements , GPS,ATV's and more hunters hunting  them  it all adds up to fewer birds at the end of the season resulting in fewer Birds at nesting .The thought that the so called sanctuaries will "feed" the easy to access canyons is also a myth as I pointed out they are now accessible via everything I listed above and with more hunters coming into the area, the fit hunters are not going to think twice about climbing up a mountain to get  away from the crowds.One side of the argument is   this  is self regulating and hunters are going to "back off " so that is the Management Strategy . However low bird numbers may deter the casual hunter , but the guys that camp out for the season and hunt hard are not going to self regulate,once they are into Birds they are going to go for it and you can't blame them.
We all like to get outside with our dogs and chase birds however some of us are  all caught up with getting our limit which for some this  "goal post " is  what separates a good day from a bad one. I can self limit  ,I can also "limit " the Hunters I guide by pulling them off  a covey  once they have shot a couple of birds. However some folks out there think nothing about shooting a covey out , easy to do with Mearns as they tend to be very predictable.So for some self regulation only works when you are drinking , you drink to much then you pass out or kill yourself while driving .
Like anything when crowding happens people get pissed at each other for invading '"Their Space" confrontations occur which ruins everyone's day so the "experience" is gone when you feel that you are competing with other hunters for the "prime spot' enter what I refer to is the social issue .

The AZGFD collects hunter  data  from "wing boxes" which I feel  is inaccurate due to the fact that a lot of hunters forget or don't see the boxes on the way out from the field, since the  current regulations where introduced ten  or so years ago things  have changed on the Mearns landscape.
 I am also  part of the problem because I guide  all season ,for a person that earns a living off  resources I value the resources I use and it does not help me or my family if I abuse the resource so I treasure it. .So what has to happen to address the Biological and Social issues ? I.M.H.O.
1. the Daily Bag limit should be reduced from 8 to 5 birds
2. The possession limit should be also be reduced 
3. Hunters should have to purchase a "Mearns "Stamp so G &F can get real time data on the  usage of the resource
4.Guide license fees  should be increased and  Guides restricted to the amount of hunters they take out on a given day. (1 guide -2 hunters)


A good day in the field 9 birds for 2 hunters and big smiles

  Unless you want to go to Mexico this is the only place in the World with a decent  huntable population of Mearns Quail so why not look after it?

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