2022 SAQF Family Day
Subject: SAQF Family Day: THANK YOU!!
All,
Just a very short note of “thanks” to all of you for making our 2022 Family Day a huge success!! Needless to say, we couldn’t have done it without you and the countless volunteers who made this our best Family Day ever. I scrubbed the attendance numbers and looks like we had 120-plus participants of all ages attend. That number is a good 50% higher than our last Family Day way back in pre-COVID 2020. And, as best I can recall, every one of them had a huge smile on their face and surely gained a greater appreciation of the joy of being in the great outdoors.
Our SAQF board will pick a proposed date for our 2023 Family Day soon and get that out to you for your calendars. I’ll also send a separate email to some of you real soon soliciting your inputs for our 2022 after-action with special focus on what we can do better next year.
Please share this with all members of your organizations and make sure they all know how much SAQF appreciates their continuing support for this great cause.
See you in 2023 or sooner!!
Sincerely,
Southern Arizona Quail Forever Family
HUACHUCA GOULD’S CHAPTER
Participates in Family Day Event
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
What: The Huachuca Gould’s Chapter recently assisted in Family Day, hosted by the Southern Arizona Chapter of Quail Forever
When: February 26th, 2022
Where: Las Cienegas National Conservation Area near Sonoita, Arizona. The elevation was 4,650 feet.
General Information:
The Southern Arizona Chapter of Quail Forever held its Family Day (formerly Youth Quail Hunt) on February 26th, 2022, in the Sonoita Grasslands of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Interested families camped on-site the night before.
Weather-wise, Saturday morning started rather cool with temperatures in the 50s at midday. The wind was generally light but gusted at times and the sky remained mostly clear and sunny.
About 120 youths registered for the event with half of those hunting over dogs. Total attendance was much higher when family members and the volunteers are included.
This annual event offered participants hands-on field experience in shooting, archery, fly fishing, wildlife identification, and orienteering followed by hunting over bird dogs. Post-hunt game preparation was demonstrated, also. These skills were taught at rotating stations adjacent to base camp. Safety was always the number one priority.
Southern Arizona Quail Forever provided tasty breakfasts and lunches on event day as well.
Cooperating organizations were:
~Quail Forever- Southern Arizona Chapter
~Darling Geometrics
~Huachuca Mountain Archers
~Arizona Game and Fish Department
~Southern Arizona German Shorthair Club
~San Pedro Fly-casters
~National Wild Turkey Federation- Huachuca Gould’s Chapter
~Arizona Wildlife Federation
~Sky Island Falconry
Huachuca Gould’s Chapter volunteers organized and staffed the bb gun range and trap station. The Chapter provided canopies, mess tents, tables, chairs, coolers, and a clay pigeon thrower, also.
Volunteers from the Chapter helping with the event included John Millican, Rene Dube, John Rose, Dave Kemnitz, Steve Ponder, Scott Vasey, Wayne Kaiser, and Tom Deecken.
Locally, Quail Forever has been highly active in research and habitat projects and retaining access to public lands, all activities supported by the Huachuca Gould’s Chapter. For more information on Quail Forever, refer to the Southern Arizona Chapter’s web site,
http://www.saquailforever.com (click the link for more information)