Hunting suggestions for Imperial Wildlife Area

[Deadlift500]

Thinking of checking the area later this month in the hopes of getting any game birds I can find.

Anyone have any suggestions, especially for quail or areas that don’t require a reserved blind?

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=87823&inline

 

[af dreamer]

For some reason not sure quail on the unit?Tom

 

[watersdeep]

That area is for the most part waterfowl hunting. Hunt days are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only. Be at the check station on Davis Rd. at 3am on those days, have your waders and mosquito repellent handy. You can hunt ducks without a reservation, you will simply put your name on the SWEAT LINE list.
Otherwise you can sniff around the entire valley and look for Quail, dove and perhaps a ditch chicken.
Bring a fishing rod and look for bass and catfish too.
Good luck.

 

[AKSalmon]

What's a "ditch chicken"?

 

[yakdout]

What's a "ditch chicken"?

Pheasant?

 

[watersdeep]

Yeah guys, a Pheasant.

 

[Rubberhook2]

I have had much better hunting just a little further to the east along the Colorado River south of Blythe near the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. You can hunt both sides of the river but you would need a non resident Arizona license to do so.

Have killed a bunch of dove and quail down there but mostly ducks and geese...

 

[Deadlift500]

For some reason not sure quail on the unit?To

I have had much better hunting just a little further to the east along the Colorado River south of Blythe near the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. You can hunt both sides of the river but you would need a non resident Arizona license to do so.

Have killed a bunch of dove and quail down there but mostly ducks and geese...

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Wow! That looks incredible

 

[Rubberhook2]

That whole area is loaded with wildlife. Seen some huge desert mule deer down there too. No assigned blinds. A fraction of the hunters compared to Wister (Imperial Wildlife Area).

Used to hunt it a lot mid-week and rarely saw another hunter. Hard to keep the birds moving when your hunting a large area by yourself....

Definitely worth the extra drive. You can stay in Blythe and have access to thousands of acres of public land...

 

[Rubberhook2]

There were times when I would get done early and then head out with a camera to pull a different kind of trigger....lots of wildlife to shoot, gun or camera.

 

[jer dog]

There were times when I would get done early and then head out with a camera to pull a different kind of trigger....lots of wildlife to shoot, gun or camera.

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But if you’re hurting around water,
You better not have any lead ammo with you , just to be safe.

 

[Rubberhook2]

A few more...all from the river area.

 

[Rubberhook2]

But if you’re hurting around water,
You better not have any lead ammo with you , just to be safe.

Good point but a warden would know the difference between a goose load and a dove/quail load. Good news is that the best hunting for dove and quail is not near the river but grain fields. That and the guzzlers (water trough) that have been installed in the local desert areas to support the desert mule deer and wild burro populations...

Those things are a magnet for dove and quail...

 

[Deadlift500]

There were times when I would get done early and then head out with a camera to pull a different kind of trigger....lots of wildlife to shoot, gun or camera.

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Those pics are great!

 

[Deadlift500]

But if you’re hurting around water,
You better not have any lead ammo with you , just to be safe.

Haha, I’m into archery now and will be “shooting” carbon arrows with stainless steel “kondor” points. They are special “flu-flu” arrows that will float on water and have extra big feather fletchings to slow the arrow down faster if shot into the air at a bird and it misses, makes easier to find and retrieve them. Lead-free!

 

[Rubberhook2]

Always wanted to shoot a goose with an arrow and flu flu fletchings. Had them close enough many times...

 

[Deadlift500]

Always wanted to shoot a goose with an arrow and flu flu fletchings. Had them close enough many times...

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Wow, you got two boars at the same time?!

 

[Rubberhook2]

I have killed a lot of hogs....

 

[Rubberhook2]

Here piggy piggy piggy.....

 

[Carl]

That area is for the most part waterfowl hunting. Hunt days are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only. Be at the check station on Davis Rd. at 3am on those days, have your waders and mosquito repellent handy. You can hunt ducks without a reservation, you will simply put your name on the SWEAT LINE list.
Otherwise you can sniff around the entire valley and look for Quail, dove and perhaps a ditch chicken.
Bring a fishing rod and look for bass and catfish too.
Good luck.

If you're going to sign up for the sweat line you need to be there the night before from 7-10 pm.
Unless something has changed
You can sign up for refill at 8am on hunt days.

At this time of year I wouldn't expect to walk on on a Saturday morning before shoot time.

Sunday or Wednesday you can probably get there at 430 and take a blind off the scrap heap.

I haven't hunted there much the last few years so it's possible I missed a change in what had been their policy for the decades I was a regular.

 

[mark johnsen]

sweatline deadline has been moved to 10:30