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National prominence
Montezuma quail (Mearn's quail)
Montezuma quail lives on steep oak-savanna and oak-pine mountain slopes with a dense native bunchgrass understory. Coveys are highly sedentary and hold so tight to cover they're notorious for sitting until nearly stepped on.
How to hunt Montezuma quail (Mearn's quail)
Steep, rugged "sky island" terrain confined to southeastern Arizona and the southwestern New Mexico bootheel; oak-savanna and oak-pine slopes and canyon draws with dense native bunchgrass, generally above 4,000 feet. Confirmed strongholds include the Canelo Hills and the Santa Rita, Huachuca, Patagonia, and Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona, and the Peloncillo Mountains near Animas in New Mexico. Unlike Gambel's or scaled quail, it won't use desert wash or creosote-flat habitat; it needs the bunchgrass.
The closest range of any bird in this guide. Arizona Game and Fish puts most shots inside 15 yards, with flushed birds relocating 30 to 50 yards, usually uphill. Hunters describe it as the tightest-holding bird they've hunted; you won't get much warning before the flush.
Walked-up over pointing or close-working flushing dogs; close to required, since Montezuma quail are far less vocal than Gambel's or scaled quail and can't be located by ear. Coveys run small, typically 6 to 8 birds, and break up chaotically into scattered singles going every direction rather than a directional rise. Most shooting happens at the initial covey flush.
What changes through the season
- Extreme tight-holding, near-underfoot flush behavior
The defining trait of this hunt: shots often break at 15 yards or less. Field guides recommend Cylinder or Skeet only; tighter chokes aren't part of the conversation.
- Dog work is functionally required, not merely helpful
Locating a covey without a dog is close to impossible; low vocalization rules out the call-and-listen approach that works for Gambel's or scaled quail.
- Steep, high-elevation sky-island terrain and hiking/gear-weight considerations
Elevation runs 4,000 to 8,600 feet on steep, rocky slopes, generally steeper in New Mexico than Arizona. A gun sling and a light gun (under 6 lbs) both earn their keep.
- Season timing runs later than other Southwest quail, tied to summer-monsoon-dependent reproduction
Arizona and New Mexico both open in December, later than other Southwest quail, because Montezuma quail nest on summer monsoon rains; a poor monsoon means a lean season, independent of gear.
- Difficult scent and visual retrieval conditions, distinct from the tight-holding behavior itself
Dogs struggle to relocate downed birds in dry conditions and thick grass, even though birds rarely run far. Mark every downed bird carefully and walk straight to it.
What to load for this hunt
Lead
- Gauge
- 20 gauge, 16 gauge, 28 gauge, .410 bore, 12 gauge
- Shot size
- #7, #7.5, #8, #9Agency
- 12 gauge down to .410 bore, #7.5-9 shot, Cylinder to Modified, the outer legal ceiling. In practice, most hunters run lighter and more open: a 16 or 20 gauge under 6 lbs, #7-7.5, Cylinder or Skeet, matching the sub-15-yard flush.
- Choke
- Cylinder, Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified
Non-toxic
| Steel | Bismuth | Tungsten-matrix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot size | #7, #7.5, #8Tested #7-8, Cylinder to Improved Cylinder; matches bobwhite and dove figures closely given the similar body size (Montezuma quail runs about 150-250g, squarely inside both). | #6, #7, #7.5Estimate #6-7.5, same choke range as lead, scaled from bismuth's density relative to lead. | #7, #7.5, #8, #9Agency Same as lead, #7-9, Cylinder to Modified; tungsten-matrix's density is close enough to lead that no adjustment is needed. |
| Choke | Cylinder, Skeet, Improved Cylinder | Cylinder, Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified | Cylinder, Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified |
Where it is open, and what the survey says
- ArizonaOpens in 60 days04 DEC 2026 – 07 FEB 2027Provisional: The Arizona Game and Fish Department's own Quail Outlook for 2026 hasn't published yet (expected mid-October; Mearns season opens Dec. 4). Mearns numbers are improving but still well below average. AZGFD's statewide small game program manager expects Mearns "to be well below average this year, but certainly improved over the last two seasons," as long as the rain continues and chicks avoid extreme heat. Quail Forever's 2026 forecast agrees: numbers should be better than last year's, but with low adult carryover, populations may not reach average. A retired AZGFD small game program manager calls this year's monsoon decent with a good hatch, but says it will take more good monsoon seasons for these birds to rebound. Mearns live in the oak woodlands of southern Arizona, where drought has cost some areas a significant portion of their canopy cover and conditions stayed in dry to moderate drought through August, though the Mearns grasslands there have greened up. Hunters in Game Management Units 36A-C should identify birds carefully to avoid shooting ESA-protected masked bobwhites.A decent monsoon and a good hatch have improved Mearns numbers over the last two seasons, from a very low base. Thin adult carryover and long-term drought damage to southern oak woodland habitat keep the population well below average.
- New MexicoOpens in 41 days15 NOV 2026 – 15 FEB 2027Awaiting survey — New Mexico 2026
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