Az. Rabbits in the heat

GUNDOGLOVER

Well-Known Member
Dec 5, 2018
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We had to deal with temps. up to 112 but, those were midday temps. In the morning we were back in the room by 9:30. We don't hunt in the afternoon. In this heat the bunnies don't seem to come out until just about sundown. I bagged 14 for the two days and my friends from Payson ended the trip with 23. In my 35 years hunting, I have never seen so many quail. Driving down the road or in the bush, it was almost non stop quail. Bird sizes went from Full mature to little, what I call salt and pepper size and everything in between. We saw coveys up to fifty birds. In the past We have seen real good numbers this time of year but, by the time quail seasons opens the numbers have been greatly reduced. This year with this many birds, I have high hopes that we will have a great season. The dove numbers are also up, with a large number being white wing. I use my shorthair, Axl for all my small game hunting and he loves it all, quail, dove, chukar, pheasant, his personal favorite, and rabbit.

.IMG_20190727_083155755 Axl rabbit.jpg
 
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John,

I'm surprised there's any rabbits, quail, or especially doves left with Hatchet moving over there....:joy:
 
Great signs for quail season! Nice bunny blasting bonanza you had there.
 
Oh yeah, It's lotsa fun stalking bunnies in AZ with an AirRifle. And good size "prairie chickens" too!

And yeah man... those temps? Only the Humans are dumb enough to be out and about in the hot daytime out there.

And it seems like in the PM the bunnies start to come out just after the Osprey and Hawks start to hang it up for the evening.

Depending on the area, be real careful about your dogs feet though.

Some places will have lotsa old dried broken-off bits and pieces of cholla. Man that stuff can getcha good sometimes. Like you're stalking Quail, you sit down to take a shot, they move to other side of a bush, so you go to hoop-scootch your sit over a lil bit and BAM! either it gets your hand or your butt, and reminds you very sternly to look at the ground you're moving over to before you puts your hands down to scootch over.

Axl sure does look happy! :)
 
Oh yeah, It's lotsa fun stalking bunnies in AZ with an AirRifle. And good size "prairie chickens" too!

And yeah man... those temps? Only the Humans are dumb enough to be out and about in the hot daytime out there.

And it seems like in the PM the bunnies start to come out just after the Osprey and Hawks start to hang it up for the evening.

Depending on the area, be real careful about your dogs feet though.

Some places will have lotsa old dried broken-off bits and pieces of cholla. Man that stuff can getcha good sometimes. Like you're stalking Quail, you sit down to take a shot, they move to other side of a bush, so you go to hoop-scootch your sit over a lil bit and BAM! either it gets your hand or your butt, and reminds you very sternly to look at the ground you're moving over to before you puts your hands down to scootch over.

Axl sure does look happy! :)
been meaning to head out there. i mean i have my license haha. heading out to do some d16 bunnie this evenning and camping and doing some d16 scouting. first time out this year. im pretty excited.
 
It's a constant wrestle at this time of the year. Mama and the Boy Scouts and the rest of the non-hunting world wants to fill-up the calendar with social events. And they don't understand how this is scouting/homework/trailcam-fetching time.
 
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