The upland scene has recently seen many first-time Mearns’ quail hunters. My hunting buddy, Kyle Hedges, and I are no exception. Mearns’ quail are the ultimate bucket list quail species in the United States. They are rivaled, perhaps, only by the mountain quail. In the age of social media, many hunters have discovered this dynamic little bird with males so beautifully colored they almost don’t seem real. Their beauty, coupled with their gorgeous oak-juniper savanna habitat, means Mearns’ quail have gotten lots of attention lately.