Winter is upon us. And depending where you live, it could be a pretty dreary time of year. We are lucky enough to spend our winters in southern Arizona. Wisconsin winters are a bit too much (been there, done that).
Winter in southern Arizona has a rhythm all its own. The mornings start cold enough for a jacket, the afternoons warm into shirtsleeve weather, and the desert stretches out in muted tans and greens under a wide-open sky. For those of us who spend the window here chasing quail, it’s a familiar and welcome change of pace-even in a year when bird numbers are down.
There’s no sugarcoating it: quail populations aren’t what they’ve been in the best years. Dry stretches, tough hatches, and pressure from predators all leave their mark. Coveys are smaller, and you have to work harder for every rise. But winter in southern Arizona has never been just about the limits or numbers. It’s about being out there, walking the ground, and letting the dogs do what they were bred to do.
Lower bird numbers force you to slow down and hunt smarter. You read the terrain more carefully-south-facing slopes that warm early, washes with decent cover, edges where feed and protection meet. When a covey does flush, it feels earned. Shots are fewer, but each one carries a little more weight. We joke about how much money we’re saving not having to replace shells.
If there’s a silver lining to slower hunting, it’s the time it gives us with the dogs. Southern Arizona winters are nearly perfect for training bird dogs. Cool mornings, manageable terrain, and endless miles to walk make every day productive.
Even when birds are scarce, the dogs are learning. They’re figuring out scent in dry desert air, learning to hunt objectives, and gaining confidence with very find-bird or not. Young dogs get exposure, older dogs get tuned up, and handlers sharpen their timing and communication.
Some days are about birds. Other days are about steadiness, recalls, backing, and simply letting a dog range out and use its nose. Occasionally we’ll jump a rabbit, which is perfect for training the young puppy on. Getting ready for her VJP in the spring. All of it matters, and all of it pays off down the road.
Spending winter in southern Arizona quail hunting isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about consistency. Showing up. Putting in the miles. Watching the sun come up over the desert and set behind distant ridgelines. It’s about trusting that even in a down year, the work you put in-on the ground and with your dogs-still counts.
We’re lucky to have a covey or two of gambles quail that hang around our feeder at the house. Many mornings we’re able to run our dogs through the desert right outside the door and find quail to train on.
We’ll keep hunting. We’ll keep training. We’ll keep respecting the birds and the land. And when the rains return and the coveys rebound, we’ll be ready-dogs sharp, legs strong, and grateful once again for another winter well spent in the desert.
