Episode #60 Summer Travels and Bird Dog Game Plan

We lay out a simple off-season plan for keeping our bird dogs conditioned through the Arizona heat while staying safe and consistent. We also share an update on Arizona quail season dates and why summer effort is where fall success really starts. 
• quick update on Arizona quail season dates for Gambel’s, scaled and Mearns 
• river and lake swimming for low-impact conditioning and confidence 
• using higher elevation in Northern Arizona to beat the heat 
• training options through clubs and self-planted birds for controlled sessions 
• early morning Valley workouts with a focus on safety and consistency 
• why short, smart sessions beat long risky ones 
• dog camp value for obedience, bird work and becoming a better handler 
• summer travel, scouting and keeping bird hunting about more than birds 

To help further our work, please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Visit us online at azquelltoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates. Till then, remember to get outside. 

Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you! 
Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

Transcript

Welcome And Supporters

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Welcome to Arizona Quail Today, your go-to podcast for all things quail hunting in Arizona. We're dedicated to educating and inspiring the next generation of quail hunters. A big thanks to our supporters and proud partners. Arizona Outdoor Adventures, Mothers in the Field, and Marsupial Gear. Thanks for tuning in, and now let's dive in today's program.

Quail Season Dates Update

River And Lake Conditioning

Cooler Country Training Up North

Early Morning Heat-Safe Work

Dog Camp And Handler Growth

Summer Travel And Gear Prep

Off-Season Mindset And Closing

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Okay, welcome back to another episode of Arizona Quail today. It is Ryan in the studio. And ooh, that was loud. I have got an apex predator, Wild Berry. That is really, really good. And you know what I'm gonna do is let's see if I can find his phone number. And I'm just gonna give you his phone number and just give him a shout and say, hey, Ryan Rice, give me your number. I want to try some of these drinks. If you got a store nearby that might want to start carrying his drinks, that'd be really cool. His he's a firefighter. And uh Joseph uh shoot, what's his name? Joseph Franzmeyer? Yeah. Franzmeyer. 623-210-7467. 623-210-7467. That's Apex Predator. It's really good, sugar-free energy drink. And it's about four cups of coffee, is what I think it is. So I'm pouring mine over ice right now. That'll be interesting to see how it goes. But uh anyway, all right. Uh that is, yeah, I mean, I really do like those drinks. So I think you guys should try them out if you kind of like the energy drink world. It's pretty, pretty cool. Uh Arizona-based fella, neat dude. So, all right, I want to talk to you about a couple of things. So, I'm thinking in this episode, uh, five things I'm doing in the off-season with my bird dogs. Summer is here, kind of an off-season game plan for bird dogs, or how I keep my dogs sharp during the summer. Uh, you pick the title, you know. So uh I'll I'll come up with one of those titles or what I'm doing right now to prepare for quail season. So uh before we get started into that, uh, I want to talk to you about uh just making sure you guys saw the post about quail season. I put it on uh my Instagram for AZ Quail today. You probably already saw it yourself. That's great. Uh, but those of you that are following along five days ago, I posted 2026-2027 Arizona regulations. Approximately page, I believe, for quail and the season. It is page 59 on the Arizona Game and Fish Regs. And then if you scroll down there, you can kind of find them, and it tells us that dun dun dun dun dun that really the quail season commission order number sixteen, October sixteenth to through February seventh for gambles and scaled quail. So we are good, man. And then December 4th through February 7th for Murns Quail. So I don't know what happened. I thought there was gonna be a big scare. I really did. So I I will say I was wrong. Okay, totally a few moments later, completely wrong on that. I mean, I really thought they were gonna change the season, so you know. I mean, what the Yeah, so that's how I'm sure some of you feel. Um, you're probably actually excited for the most part. Um, I don't know what you think. I I'd be glad if they cut off a little bit of time on the front end. I mean, it's fun having it in October, but dude, it's hot. And speaking of hot, we're already here. So the summer is upon us. But anyway, before I leave that thought about the quail season, um, you know, I think what they're going to have to do, because I wrote a letter to all the board of directors and they read it out loud, or to the commission guys, or whatever. Or I don't actually, I do not think they read it out loud. They actually just read it amongst themselves. And it was pretty thorough. And uh they're gonna have to do more research and then brief the public prior to, and so I think that's what they're doing. I bet they're spending this entire year working on a research, which is which is good, and then they should educate the public because you know we are taxpayers, and it's what our money goes to for the help of wildlife management. So anyway, all right. Um talking about different things that we're gonna be doing in the off season. I'll say point number one, I'm just getting the dogs to the river. It's um well, I'm headed to well, it'll be the river or the lake. So I'll go down to the salt river, I'll go down to the Verde River, uh, those are great rivers. And um I think I'm gonna head out to uh either Swarrow Lake or I forget the name of it. I'm gonna go to one little, maybe Canyon Lake, one of those lakes down there in the East Valley. Uh, I think I'm gonna do that literally just in the next couple days. So I'm actually looking forward to that. Um I enjoy getting out because it's so hot and swimming is low impact on joints, and it's a great way to condition dogs during the brutal Arizona summer, and the dogs just love it. I mean, you know, I mean, I'll put a life jacket on on them uh or a neoprim vest just to kind of keep some warmth on them. These little skinny little bird dogs don't have a lot of fur to keep them warm, so I'll do that. But yeah, they they love it. I mean, they absolutely love it. So um it's a great way to get out again. I think it's good for the dogs, it's a nice way to keep cool, builds endurance, confidence, and and uh yeah, it's just a lot of fun. So um that's what I'm gonna do. I'll do a like a some we'll do a paddle board. Paddle boards are probably they're actually pretty good for bird dogs because they can stand on there pretty flat. So long as you're not going through big like rapids and stuff, and there's not too many of that, too much of that. If you're on the Verde, you can find some or the salt just a little bit here and there, that's for sure. But you know, it depends on what section you're doing. But anyway, I I I'm pumped about that. I'm I'm gonna be doing that. You'll see some photos drop out for that. Um be doing that with my daughter, Maya, and uh that should be a good good time. So that's one thing. Um I'd be curious to hear what what you guys are doing. I love getting out during the summer. I grew up, I say grew up, but I grew up, yeah, whitewater rafting uh in college. And so I'm gonna go back and do that again and uh this summer up in Colorado. Uh might do a little whitewater rafting, might do a little whitewater kayaking, we'll see. Just getting out on the river is the way to go. It's a I just love it. And if it's not a river, might might it be a lake. So, all right. Point number two, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna head up north for training. Um, if you're kind of new to the scene of Arizona and bird dogs and all that, I'd say, dude, get in touch with AZ Pointing Dog Club. Um I just think that they do a good job on getting you out there. It's a huge club, and um I'm looking at their website right now, and it looks pretty good. You know, uh as far as events, they have events. It looks like they got uh a June well, they have a uh June trial, an August trial, September, October, November. So they have a number of them. I don't know if they're planning on putting out more, but they've already got some on the calendar. It looks like, yeah. June 13th, August 8th. And they're up at like Kendrick Park area. That's a good area. The red tanks. Uh it's it's a beautiful area up there. You should you you you guys should get into that. At least I'd get into it and just do it a couple times, if nothing else. And I don't know about Nastra and all that stuff. I know that. Let's see if I can even just pull them up real quick. I just Googled Nastra. And I'm gonna say regional, you kind of go to the regions. Boy, it's big. This is a big deal. Looks like Brad Christensen is the president. He lives in Prescott, Arizona. His phone number is listed. Huh. Well, don't don't shoot him. Don't call him and be a jerk. Uh let's see what we got. I I don't know. I'm not I'm not real familiar with their program. I do know a number of guys that are involved with NASTRA. It is National Shoot to Retrieve. So um this is about us. The National Shoot to Retrieve Associate is a nonprofit organization founded in 1978. That was a while ago, forty-something years ago, a group dedicated bird hunters looking for a way to extend upland season to provide service to its members. Field trials provide competition with others who enjoy bird dogs, sportsman-like environment, hunter hunting conditions. Yeah, I mean, it's cool. I it's a little it's a it's a lot more serious than the pointing dog club. But the pointing dog club can get a little serious out there, so would anyway. I think that's a good one. There's also Navda. Gee whiz, there's a lot of them. Navda? Uh let's see, there's Nastra, Navda, North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association. Breeding since 1969. They look pretty serious too. I'm I'm just not really into this big uh trial world. So I'm very much just a gun dog guy. I admire the trial guys. I just I just I don't think I have the patience for it. But anyway. If it's if it's if that floats your boat, bro, I would do it, you know. Like I said, I like the uh I like the beginning thing, I like the Arizona Pointing Dog Club. I did it for a short little season and now I kind of do my own thing, but it's not because I'm better than that or anything like that. I just it's a different arrangement. So what I'll do is I'll pick up birds from Riley Cross and um Cross Game Birds, CF Game Birds, I think it is on Instagram, and then I'll just plant them myself. I got an e-bike and I'll like run out in the field and plan them. And then I I have I work with uh fathers in the field ministry and do like um bring in some boys that don't have dads and then the mentor fathers and and so um we'll plant birds and do that kind of thing. So that's it's uh it's kind of that's why I do my own thing. I just don't want to mess around with a bunch of guys and get overly, you know, bring some boys in. It's just not the right environment because I'm just doing it different. So anyway. Uh yeah, CF Game Birds, CF underscore game birds is where you can find Riley Cross, and he's got a bunch of quail. Like he looks like he well, he posted something December 17th, 2000. Well, I don't I don't think he's been on the gram very much. Uh so shoot. I'm just gonna give you his number. And if if uh he gets mad at me, I am very sorry, Riley. But I just don't think you update your Instagram. Here we go. 602-621-3559, 602-621-3559. Call Riley Cross, tell him Ryan told you to go get some birds from him. He's a cool dude. Um, one of the biggest blessings of Arizona is you can beat the heat and get to cooler mountain country in no time. And uh so higher elevation means cooler morning, safe conditions, and long longer training opportunities for dogs. So anyway, I'll be getting out up north in some of that big country. Typically, if you're gonna do some dog training, I'd say you need about 50 acres of open field. Like, if you're gonna do like some like bigger stuff that like let those birds fly and rip without worrying about like they're flying all over into trees, you can do it on a lot less ground, but I'm looking for 50 acres, 25, 50, 50 is what I'd like. So, anyway, when you head up north, look for big open land, go Arizona Pointing Dog Club, or you can just go to their website and they'll show you a few spots. Um that'd be really cool. The other thing I'm doing is I am gonna be working dogs early in the morning when I'm here in the Phoenix Valley. And uh that's just because it's hot. It is hot, hot, hot. We've already hit a hundred and it's just gonna be a hot one, man. So um, yeah. Head up, I go early in the morning. Um, I don't do it all the time. I need to get out there with my dogs, but timing is everything, so you know, getting up before light uh is really good. I mean, mid-morning Arizona heat can be dangerous fast for bird dogs, so don't be that guy. I've hunted my dogs early in the season or on hot days, and they're just throwing up in the back of the truck, and I'm feeling like an idiot because I know I just cooked them. So, you know, don't don't do that. Be very careful. Um, yeah, sometimes during the summer, uh dog work is less about maybe intensity and more about consistency. So I know my dogs get like we hit this stretch right about now where I'm like, okay, I gotta start doing something because it's like the heat's coming, and I'm recovering from quail season, and what the heck am I gonna do? Thinking about rivers and oh up north, and I'm like, okay, what am I gonna do? So I uh I'll start getting consistent, and then I do like I'll throw a bumper out there either late in the evening or early in the morning for Zona, and she'll work on retrieving. I'll do that. Um I've also got um I've got a harness for happy, and that dog will run and pull around, pull us around on a skateboard. And uh it's actually pretty cool because the dog, I mean, he and it's kind of like he's learning to like run at a heel. Not that I'm gonna translate that into the field, it's more so just conditioning for muscle and movement and all that good stuff. But he's not an idiot where he's crossing in front of the skateboard a whole lot. If I if I wipe out with like terrible, like terrible wipe out, then I'll have to show you on Instagram. But uh we'll do that. I haven't done the I mean I will put him on a heel on an e-collar on a bike and then ride as well. Um, I lived in a gated community. Don't don't get the wrong idea. It's not like super schwank fancy, fancy stuff, but it is a gated community. And the reason why it's a gated community is because my house faces a massive apartment complex and they figured nobody wants to do that. Oh, unless we put a gate, and then we can call it a gated community. Uh so yeah, but I live in it, and it's nice because it does block a lot of through traffic, so I'll get the dogs out and run them on the streets, and yeah, it it works. So do what you gotta do, man. So um, yeah, so consistent doesn't have to be so intense. Short smart workout beats. Um just be careful, you know. Um, a short, smart workout beats uh a dangerous long workout every single time, you know. Uh so a short smart workout. I'm sorry, I was like stuttering over my words. A short smart workout beats a dangerous long workout every single time. So short, simple uh versus long um with your dogs, unless you're again like in a river at a lake and they've got plenty of like water and coolness and shade and that kind of thing. Because on when I am in the water, I will say I can work my dogs longer. So anyway, that's that. All right, number four. Here we go. Dog camp at Molacone Kennels. Yeah, that's another thing I'm excited about this summer is dog camp over at Mollocone Kennels. I love surrounding myself with people that are smarter than me when it comes to dog training. Uh, they're passionate about bird dogs and training in the outdoors. And one of the best ways to grow as a handler is simply being around people that are experienced and knowledgeable. So these guys are the dog whisperers of the dog world. And so I'm hoping to pick up a little more just obedience insights, uh, some bird work, conditioning, just learning from others, building community. Uh, you know, good good dog work all around is just contagious. So I'm looking forward to I'm gonna drop off happy down there. Um, yeah. So I I think they're gonna be sponsoring us at some level, and and so I'm looking forward to to working with them on that. I need to circle back up with those guys. Um they're a great group of guys, and just naturally have a relationship with them. So anyway, I'll keep you posted on that. But if the if you got a dog camp or you know, uh some kind of kennel place uh to get your dog tuned up at and it's affordable for you, and you can swing it and do it, man. You know, the thing I like about Molicone, I'm probably true of other hand uh dog kennels and whatnot, but They really like you to get involved as much as you're able to and uh see what they're doing and learn. So I did a couple podcasts with him not too long ago. Uh, you should check it out, make sure you do. Um, and you can check them out on Facebook at Molicone Kennels. That's M-O-L-L-I-C-O-N-E Kennels. And yeah, looks like yeah, it looks like they've, you know, you can just check out. They got a bunch of photos on there. It's beautiful country where they do dog training down there. They do yard work right around the house there, and then they'll get them out and get into some real pretty stuff too. So they've got quite a bit of they've got enough options down there. So anyway, he's got some videos on there too, which is really cool. You can see he's got dogs on woe on woe boards. Um some of that stuff you pick up and just do it at your house and figure it out, you know. But again, doing dog clinics or getting a dog down at a camp, it teaches you a lot. So um, I really I'm gonna do some more steady work with my dog, is what I'm gonna do. So yeah, his Facebook you can just scroll. He's got video after video after video, which is actually really cool. So um yeah. I think they've got I think you would enjoy their Facebook page if you haven't already been there. So check that out. I'm gonna go down there. I'm not sure when, but when I do, I'll keep you posted. And uh I highly recommend those guys. Uh not just because they're sponsoring us, because we don't even have that officially done yet, I don't think, unless it's official to Molicone guys, and you're listening to this, and I'm like, oh, I I should have known that. Yeah. Um but I I just like those guys and I've worked with them plenty. Okay. Point number five, and I'm moving fast, and we'll see how long this podcast goes. But point number five is traveling. So I am gonna be doing some traveling. I'm gonna head up, scout some new country, make some new memories, uh, some have some of my favorite hunting conversations. You know, they happen a lot of times in the truck or around a campfire or over dinner after training dogs all day. It's gonna be a lot of fun. I'm gonna take my BFF, my best friend forever, and that is my lady, my Leslie Ray. Uh, I don't know if I did a podcast with her and you guys heard it, but she's a great lady. And she brings her little corgi, and that little dog is actually a really cool old dog, but this is a major dog with a major attitude. So that dog thinks he's the alpha, and Zona is clearly the alpha female, and uh in Zona's world, there's no room for two alphas. Uh Ollie, he thinks there should be. So he he takes alpha every opportunity he gets, and so they do fight. Uh I'll be having gosh, I'll be pulling a little tiny uh airstream, what is it called? Bambi Sport. I think it's uh 2017, something like that. It's the same year model as my truck, and it's good. I love that thing. It's uh we'll we'll spend a couple weeks on the road. I think we're headed up to uh we'll go up to Telluride. Uh we'll go over to Buena Vista, Colorado, spend some time around that river, uh do some hiking, do a lot of camping and chilling, and so yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It's gonna be a lot of fun. And then uh on that trip somewhere, I'll I'll stop off and probably stay up in Flagstaff area. If not, I'll go to the White Mountains and do some dog work out there. I like Flagstaff because at least I got a spot I can go further south and grab my birds from Riley and uh I don't know. White Mountains are great, but I mean it's a hall. So um I yeah, but if you're in that area, that's where I'd go. That place is awesome. I mean, it's a higher elevation, less people, so I do like that about it. But usually I'm like traveling up north and and uh gosh, it was crazy though. Last summer it was we were coming from Colorado, and literally it was warm, and then we got to Arizona, and it was colder than it was in Colorado last summer. Now we were in the White Mountains uh over near Greer and that area over there, and uh yeah, it was colder in Greer, Arizona than it was in Buena Vista, Colorado. It's just because it's just high altitude, so it's beautiful country, beautiful country. So I'll be doing some traveling, I'll take my dogs, we'll have three dogs. I have two bird dogs in the back truck. I got a big old uh Toyota um, what's it called? Toyota Crewmax Tundra. Gonna get it dropped off, uh, looked at over there at Redeemed Off-Road. Those guys are real cool. They're not sponsoring us yet, but um I know the guy. I'm hoping he'll sponsor us. That'd be great. Um, I'm gonna look them up online and see if you guys can find them out. Oh yeah, here they are. Yeah, you should check them out. If you do, tell them I sent you over there, too. Be like, hey, Ryan sent me over here. Redeemed Off Road. Oh, they got, dude, it's pretty awesome. Okay, let's see if there's an about page. Okay. Here's what he says Redeemed Off-Road is your one-stop shop for custom builds, parts, and accessories. There are many factors to consider when outfitting or servicing your vehicle, and we're here to help every step of the way. At Redeemed Off-Road, we believe in putting people first. With years of experience in the industry knowledge, we take pride in educating our customers and ensuring that you have everything you need for your next adventure. We're dedicated to providing not only the right equipment and knowledge, but also the confidence to explore the roads less traveled. Your journey matters to us, and we're committed to supporting you every mile of the way. Our goal is simple to deliver what others can't. We take immense pride in our work, our patterns, and most importantly, our customers. Whether you need routine maintenance or are ready for your next big build, let us be the difference in your off-road experience because at our core it's always people over profit. Okay, that's cool. I know the guy. They're not cheap, I'll tell you that, but they're good. If you want cheap, usually you get cheap. So um, they did a cool thing for me. I did like uh I wanted to be able to haul my camper and then haul e-bikes too. So I didn't want to put like e-bikes on the back of my camper because I just knew there were horror stories of like snapping off the the bike rack on the back of the camper because of like you know how they bounce and stuff. So I called this dude up and I was like, Do you think you can help me? He's like, Absolutely. And so he installed this like really cool receiver hitch on the front of my truck, and it doesn't look like grandpa's truck, it looks really cool in a very sleek way, and then he had a even gave me like an insert like skid plate. So it was it was actually really cool. So I'm like very impressed and just really appreciate uh his work. He does a really good job. He's got a bunch of pictures on here. He does a lot of Toyota stuff. I don't think he only does Toyota stuff. So it doesn't say that. Uh yeah, so I don't know. He's got a bunch of different products on there. I don't know. You'd have to see what see if you'd be interested in that. But anyway, I'm gonna take my truck over to him and do like a little whole lookover. I'm gonna have to replace some shocks and that kind of thing and all that good stuff. So um we'll be doing some traveling, and so camping and enjoying that. So um bird hunting is always bigger than birds for me. It's about getting outside, enjoying some friendships, family, and dogs, and the good old outdoors. So, all right. Well, don't waste this off season, guys. This is the season where dogs, great dogs are developed, great memories are made, and next fall success really begins with you getting out there and staying safe. Just don't get overheated and uh take good care of your dogs and keep putting in the work. So, all right, until next time, we'll see you soon.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

Thanks for listening in. To help further our work, please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Visit us online at azquelltoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates. Till then, remember to get outside.