South of Tucson, harsh mountains rise steep out of the arid desert plane. The Huachucas, Santa Ritas, Sierritas and other high desert ranges of the Coronado National Forest are home to Mearns’ quail, a long-toed scratcher of the tall grass, scrub oak and cactus uplands.
Once thought to be extinct, the black and white and mahogany-colored birds are found in huntable numbers in wide flats with thick grass as high as a man’s belt buckle.