AZ Quail Today Podcast

Ryan Rice
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Wilderness

Welcome to AZ Quail Today, your go-to podcast for everything quail hunting in Arizona. From expert insights on local habitats to interviews with passionate hunters, join us as we dive into the world of quail hunting in Arizona.

  1. 16h ago

    Episode #74 A 13-Year-Old Learns To Shoot His First Quail

    We record from a rain-soaked Quail Camp and talk with Todd and JJ about how Fathers in the Field turns consistent time together into real growth. JJ shares what it feels like to train, practice, and finally take his first quail while keeping safety and respect for the dogs first.  • Fathers in the Field as a one-year mentorship commitment with the option to renew up to three years  • Building the relationship through faith talks, outdoor time, and honest conversations  • Using the Lord’s Prayer curriculum as monthly discussion material  • The monthly rhythm of church, a fun activity, and a service project  • JJ’s move from Florida to Arizona and finding community through church  • Preparing for a South Dakota pheasant hunt and the youth gear checklist  • Clay target practice, perseverance, and how confidence finally clicks  • What a first quail feels like and how to think about safe shot selection  • Planting birds, working bird dogs, and learning backing behavior  • Todd’s childhood pheasant hunts and how the outdoors shapes a young person  • Why safety and awareness earn trust and more opportunities afield  To help further our work, please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Visit us online at azquailtoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates.  Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

    Episode #74 A 13-Year-Old Learns To Shoot His First Quail

  2. Aug 14

    Episode #73 A Barbed Wire Injury Started A Smarter Working Dog First Aid Kit: Special Guest Geoffrey from Covey Kits | Part 2 of 2

    We sit down with Geoffrey from Covey Kits to trace the real story behind a working dog first aid kit built for hunters and the chaos that happens when your dog gets hurt far from help. We talk gear, education, heat safety in Arizona, and the field decisions that keep a bad moment from becoming a tragedy.  • a barbed wire laceration that reveals the cost of going unprepared  • why many “dog first aid kits” are not dog-specific  • how Covey Kit leaves room to customize for your dog and your hunts  • education as the real product, including a detailed guide and an offline searchable app  • what the live first aid clinic includes, plus what people learn and why dogs stay home  • safe restraint and muzzling when an injured dog panics and may bite  • when stapling makes sense, why it still means a vet visit, and why it should be taught  • vet conversations to have before travel, including calming meds, pain support, and antibiotics  • heat exhaustion signs, gum checks, capillary refill, and cooling the right way  • electrolyte myths and why Gatorade is a bad idea for dogs  • rattlesnake bite reality and why the only move is getting to professional care  Share this episode with other friends and let visit Covey Kitts online, and uh you can check them out at CoveyKits.com  To help further our work, please consider making a tax deductible gift. Visit us online at azquailtoday.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

    Episode #73 A Barbed Wire Injury Started A Smarter Working Dog First Aid Kit: Special Guest Geoffrey from Covey Kits | Part 2 of 2

  3. Aug 7

    Episode #72 From Punk Rock To Quail Dogs In Arizona: Meet Geoffrey from Covey Kits | Part 1 of 2

    We sit down with Geoffrey from Covey Kits to trace how an East Coast outdoor kid becomes an Arizona quail hunter who is all-in on bird dogs, ethics, and being ready for the unexpected. The conversation moves from punk rock memories to real-world lessons about hunting right, mentoring others, and why dog first aid belongs in every handler’s kit.  • Meeting Geoffrey from Covey Kits at Fumar Cigars  • Moving from Massachusetts to Arizona and falling in love with public land  • A bad dove hunt that sets an ethical line in the sand  • Getting hooked on bird dogs and learning quail habitat the hard way  • Foraging, culinary school, and a food-first approach to wild game  • Recovery, community, and the interest in Fathers in the Field  • Previewing the story behind Covey Kits and why preparedness matters  If you found today's program helpful, share it with a friend, give us a like, let us know. To help further our work, please consider making a tax deductible gift. Visit us online at azquailtoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates.  Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

    Episode #72 From Punk Rock To Quail Dogs In Arizona: Meet Geoffrey from Covey Kits | Part 1 of 2

  4. Jul 31

    Episode #71 Camping, Quail Camp Planning, And Growing New Hunters

    We record from the camper with a set of honest updates on life, hunting prep, and what we’re building through Arizona Quail Today.  We share why getting outside matters, how Quail Camp supports fatherless boys through mentor fathers, and what help we still need from sponsors, writers, and volunteers.  • camping as a practical reset for hunters and families  • solo reading and writing time in northern Arizona  • prairie dog shooting as summer scouting and trigger time  • Quail Camp setup, planted birds, dog work and campfire time  • Fathers in the Field mentorship model for fatherless boys  • sponsor thanks and what donations actually pay for  • looking for writers, website contributors and podcast guests  • idea for Upland Smoke gatherings at Fumar Cigars  • sending dogs to Mollicone Kennels for steady work and fine-tuning  To help further our work, please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Visit us online at azquailtoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates.  Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

    Episode #71 Camping, Quail Camp Planning, And Growing New Hunters

  5. Jul 24

    Episode #70 Rattlesnake Bite Plan For Hunters and Their Bird Dogs w/ Special Guest Cody Will

    We lay out a clear plan for rattlesnake encounters during Arizona quail hunts, from the species you may see in each region to the fastest, safest response after a bite. Cody from Rattlesnake Ready breaks down what helps, what makes things worse, and how to train dogs to avoid snakes before season starts.  • rattlesnake species hunters may encounter across Sonoran Desert, grasslands, and Sky Islands terrain  • first priorities after a dog or human bite, focusing on rapid transport to an ER vet or hospital  • why snakebite kits waste time, plus the biggest mistakes like tourniquets, ice, and NSAIDs  • guidance on moving to help, calling 911, and when elevation may reduce local tissue damage  • poison control as a support tool for human bites and why veterinary antivenom is not for people  • NationalSnakebiteSupport.org as a practical resource with FAQs and downloadable guidance  • Cody’s four step dog rattlesnake avoidance training using live muzzled snakes, scent, and sound  • how often dogs need follow ups, what changes with puppies, and what “retention” looks like  • simple hunter behavior that prevents bites, including giving snakes space and not harassing them  Please consider making a productible visit online at OPQLTode.com. Be sure to follow us on social media.  Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

    Episode #70 Rattlesnake Bite Plan For Hunters and Their Bird Dogs w/ Special Guest Cody Will

  6. Jul 17

    Episode #69 Rattlesnakes In Quail Country w/ Special Guest Cody Will

    We map Arizona quail habitat to the rattlesnakes hunters are most likely to encounter, then separate defensive behavior and real venom science from local lore. We also talk about why viral “snake grabbing” content is risky, which high-elevation species are protected, and how to learn about rattlesnakes safely through education and training.  • Gambel’s quail range across the Sonoran Desert and the rattlesnakes most likely there  • Microhabitats that shape where sidewinders, speckled rattlesnakes, Mojaves, and diamondbacks show up  • Why “aggressive” is usually the wrong word and what defensive behavior looks like  • Mojave rattlesnake naming confusion and the myth of the “Mojave green”  • Venom basics, including neurotoxic vs hemotoxic effects and why Mojave venom can vary by geography  • Why free-handling venomous snakes for social media is reckless and how it can backfire on everyone  • Scaled quail country in southeastern Arizona and the species shifts in that region  • Sky Island and Montezuma quail terrain and the rare montane rattlesnakes people travel to see  • Protected rattlesnake species in Arizona and what hunters should know  Make sure you share this with a friend. Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

    Episode #69 Rattlesnakes In Quail Country w/ Special Guest Cody Will

  7. Jul 10

    Episode #68 Fifty Years of Rainfall and Rock 'n' Roll w/ Special Guest Kirby Bristow Part 2 of 2

    We connect 50 years of Arizona rainfall to real quail numbers, from the wet early 1990s to today’s tighter window for “boom” seasons. We also dig into what wing barrel data says about juveniles, why hunter crowding feels worse, and how we’d think about fair rules without pretending regulations can replace rain. • early 1990s winter rains and why they felt like peak years for Gambel’s quail • mid-to-late 1990s dry periods and the research response around Mearns quail concerns • 2000s monsoon consistency and chasing the three-species-in-one-day trifecta • 2010s monsoons plus social media growth driving more non-resident interest • wing barrel harvest data linking percent juveniles to summer rainfall and green-up • how hunter effort self-regulates in good and bad years, especially for residents • ideas that could reduce crowding, including delayed non-resident openers or permits • current outlook for Gambel’s quail, carryover birds, and what call counts suggest • a tough hunt story with “veteran” coveys and what it teaches about expectations • bird dog realities: pointing, honoring, retrieving, and building a dependable pack to help further our work please consider making a tax deductible gift visit us online at azquailtoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates. Connect with us: Email us at ryan@azquailtoday.com —we'd love to hear from you!  Follow us on Instagram at @azquailtoday

    Episode #68 Fifty Years of Rainfall and Rock 'n' Roll w/ Special Guest Kirby Bristow Part 2 of 2

  8. Jul 3

    Episode #67 Fifty Years of Rainfall and Rock 'n' Roll w/ Special Guest Kirby Bristow Part 1 of 2

    We trade stories with Kirby Bristow about dogs, coveys, and a scaled quail retrieve that never touches the ground, then zoom out to the weather patterns that decide whether Arizona quail hunting feels easy or brutal. We also tackle the harvest debate head-on and explain why rainfall timing and habitat conditions drive next year’s bird numbers more than hunter pressure does. • a New Mexico scaled quail hunt capped by a mid-air Labrador retrieve  • long-term Arizona rainfall swings and fewer stacked “good years”  • monsoon rain vs winter rain and what each quail species needs  • why Mearns quail stay tied to Sky Island oak grasslands  • differences in reproduction and covey behavior across Mearns, Gambel’s, and scaled quail  • what studies show about hunted vs unhunted areas and pre-season vs post-season counts  • why agencies focus on habitat management instead of restricting harvest  • walking through the 1970s and 1980s with classic rock and quail memories  To help further our work, please consider making a tax-deductible gift. Visit us online at azquailtoday.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

    Episode #67 Fifty Years of Rainfall and Rock 'n' Roll w/ Special Guest Kirby Bristow Part 1 of 2
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to AZ Quail Today, your go-to podcast for everything quail hunting in Arizona. From expert insights on local habitats to interviews with passionate hunters, join us as we dive into the world of quail hunting in Arizona.

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Rice
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AZ Quail Today Podcast
  • Show Website
    AZ Quail Today Podcast

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