As publishedDec 4, 2026-Feb 7, 2027 (statewide, including San Bernardino NWR, excluding all other NWRs)
Distinct species (Cyrtonyx montezumae) regulated in the same Commission Order 16 as Gambel's/scaled/California quail but with its own later-opening season. Counts toward the shared 15/day aggregate quail bag limit, max 8 Mearns'/day; possession may include up to 24 Mearns' of the 45 aggregate possession limit.
Governed by AZGFD's combined Quail Outlook press release (Gambel's, scaled, California, and Mearns's/Montezuma quail together, built on spring desert-quail roadside call-count surveys plus a Mearns's monsoon-condition assessment), published each year within days of the mid-October season opener (Oct 11 2023, Oct 15 2024, Oct 17 2025). Not yet published as of 2026-08-19; azgfd.com continued to return HTTP 403 to direct fetch on a fresh check this pass (same block the Tier A registry hit on 2026-08-18), so status is tracked via the expected annual timing rather than a direct page read. Expected mid-October 2026, alongside the season opener.