By BEN NEARY
NMWF Conservation Director
ALBUQUERQUE — Ray Trejo, an avid upland bird hunter and conservationist, will speak about quail hunting at the December meeting of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation in Albuquerque.
Trejo, a native of Deming and a lifelong quail hunter, has a special fondness for the elusive Mearns quail that live along the Mexican border. But he hunts all types of upland birds and commonly travels the West, hunting sage grouse, quail and other species.
Trejo hunts with English pointers, strong-running, wide-ranging dogs that lock into a motionless point when they scent coveys in even the roughest desert country and thorniest brush.
“It’s for the dogs,” Trejo said of what he loves about the hunting. “I rarely ever, ever limit out. It’s more about the dog work for me. It’s kind of an art, in a sense. When the dog comes to point, the hunter goes up there. The bird flushes. You shoot it, and he brings it to you. That’s like winning the lottery for me. It’s all about the dogs.”
As Southern New Mexico outreach coordinator for the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Trejo has attracted attention in recent years both for his hunting prowess as well as his commitment to conservation. He was instrumental in helping to create the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument and has pressed to maintain public access to critical hunting areas.
Trejo has been profiled in recent years in Field & Stream, Gun Dog Magazine and New Mexico Magazine. At his talk in Albuquerque, he said he intends to present an overview of what it takes to hunt quail with gun dogs.
“If somebody was ever interested in trying to get involved in the sport of hunting behind a dog, I think this would be a great introduction to kind of give them a heads-up for what to look for,” Trejo said of his presentation. “Some of the misnomers as well — maybe we can clear some of that up. It’s not as hard as you think. My ultimate goal is to get more people hunting birds with dogs, it’s a great relationship or partnership.”
Trejo said he will talk about the types of terrain that quail prefer and what they eat. He’ll address dog training as well as the choice of guns and ammunition.
“On the dog training, I don’t want to get too technical, but anybody who wants to start, there’s some things you need to look for when you’re trying to pick a pup or a breeder,” Trejo said. “And expectations, how much time is dedicated to getting a dog that you can perform with out in the field.”
Even within the English pointer breed, Trejo sees important differences among individual dogs.
“There’s differences in the breed,” Trejo said. “I have an English pointer that’s kind of a medium-range dog, and then I have one that’s a long-range dog. So it just depends what you’re looking for. I can talk about that. When people are looking to buy a pup, they need to know that, right? Because you don’t really want to stifle a dog’s natural ability, what they’re bred for. But at the same time, you have to be cognizant. If you’re not comfortable with a dog running out there 300 yards, then you probably need to buy a shorter-ranging dog.”
For people who aren’t comfortable with far-ranging dogs, Trejo said he would likely recommend a breed other than English pointers. He said he will cover specific recommendations in his talk.
Trejo said he also plans to address the differences in how New Mexico’s different types of quail react to being hunted or being pointed by a dog.
“Typically, Gambel’s are going to run,” Trejo said. “Scaled birds, if the cover’s good, you can get them to flush, and typically, they’ll hit the ground and hold from there. If you can get them spread out, they’ll hold. Mearns almost always hold. Mearns are typically on everybody’s bucket list, and I’d sure like to help them — describe what to look for and how to hunt them.”
After hunting Southern New Mexico for so many years, Trejo said he’s seen changes to the land.
“Global warming affects the landscape, but in particular because I don’t see less cattle on the landscape because of climate change,” Trejo said. “I just think that there’s not as much habitat, but we continue to graze it as if there was. We supplement cattle more, but they’re still out there on the landscape.
“Quail are sensitive birds, and they’re really susceptible to predators, hawks being probably one of their number one predators,” Trejo said. “And when there’s no cover and they can’t hide, that often has a huge effect on their numbers.”
Trejo said he plans to address hunting ethics. He said he commonly finds spent shotgun shells in the field and is forced to clean up after other hunters. “Just take the time to pick up your hulls,” he said. “It’s trash, and it’s plastic, and it doesn’t go away. And it doesn’t help us in terms of when we’re out and we’re trying to be stewards of the land.”
Trejo said he also plans to address concerns hunters face when they’re hunting with others who have dogs, such as how to approach a dog on point and shooting safety.
Trejo’s talk starts at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 11, at Marble Brewery’s Northeast Heights location at 9904 Montgomery Blvd., NE, in Albuquerque.