High quail "call counts" in some areas of southern Arizona by Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists have created an air of optimism for the fall Gambel’s quail season.

Jim Heffelfinger, Tucson regional game specialist, said that an analysis of the call-count data collected is some of highest recorded for Gambel’s quail during the last 30 years in the Oracle Junction area.

"Traditionally, very high counts result in an over estimate of the average bag limit for the hunting season. Very low counts result in underestimates," Heffelfinger explained.

The call counts translate into an anticipated bag limit of seven birds per hunter per day average in the Freeman Road area and 6.1 birds per hunter day in the Willow Springs area near Tucson.

"As always, the predicted daily bag is merely to provide the public some idea of what to expect in the fall. The bag will probably fall short of these predictions, but this fall should still be a good one for Gambel’s quail in the Tucson area," Heffelfinger said.

A multi-year drought resulted in poor Gambel’s quail seasons in Arizona the last several years. Game and Fish biologists have pointed out that in most of the Gambel’s habitat throughout the state, the expectation is for a "normal" or slightly below normal quail year.

However, some hunters and biologists alike have said that "normal" will seem "great" compared to the last several years and could be "fantastic" compared to other parts of the nation – it’s all relative.