Finally Decided to go Quail Hunting This Season

C

ChadHahn

Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
490
Yesterday I finally decided to go out and try and find some quail. I got a late start because I went after I dropped my daughter off at school. It took me about an hour to drive out into the state land to a place I've had luck before. I don't think I took the same turn off but I found a place where I thought I might have some luck. I don't have a dog so it was just me.

I pulled out my GPS to make a waypoint so I'd be able to find my truck later and noticed that there was a geocache nearby so I headed up the hill to find it.

For about an hour I wandered up and down hills, through river beds and through all sorts of vegetation and terrain but didn't see anything but a hare that headed away from me so I didn't shoot at it since I didn't want a butt full of bbs.

I headed back to the truck and had some lunch and then headed off to a mesquite grove. There were lots of birds but no quail. For another hour I walked around not seeing anything worth shooting.

I made it back to the truck a second time and unloaded the shotgun and put it away and headed back to the main road. I hadn't been driving for a minute when I saw my first quail just sitting there along side the road under a mesquite tree next to a dove.

Oh well.

Chad
 
You won't have much luck without a dog, especially in Az. I've hunted here in North Tx and you need a dog no matter where you hunt. Must be nice to just drive out of town and start hunting though. I will seriously consider moving West for retirement.
 
serious quail hunting requires dogs, w/o dogs it's just luck to jump birds. however once you hunt over decent dogs few things in nature are more exciting.
dennis
 
I know I need dogs. If this story has a point, and I'm not saying it does, it's that I walked for hours and didn't see a bird until after I was safely in the truck. Of course having a dog would have changed that.

Chad
 
ChadHahn said:
I walked for hours and didn't see a bird until after I was safely in the truck. Of course having a dog would have changed that.

Chad
Click to expand...

Hi,

Or not.:D That's why it's called hunting and not shopping.

I've been training and hunting with birddogs for more years than I care to think about. Just because you have one doesn't mean you get to shoot birds. I've hunted and shot over National champions, (ESS), and I've seen them come up empty handed. Even on a training field with planted birds.

It's generally understood by serious trainers that even the very best of dogs, no matter which breed, will flat out miss upwards of 60% to 70% of all possible wild bird contacts while hunting.

Don't get me wrong, it does help your odds to have a dog with you. And I never leave home without at least one. They are great pals to have around. But they ain't the total answer.

A better perspective for you might be, you had a nice hike and got to see some pretty scenery on a fine morning. At at the end, you did get to at least see a bird.:thumbup: It was still better than being at work!

dalee
 
I did have fun. I found a geocache and scared up a rabbit plus got out in the country.

Chad
 
Many years ago I was invited to hunt quail on a friend of a friends MS plantation. We hunted from horseback with a mounted dog handler and his young son also on horseback whose job it was to hold our horses when we dismounted to shoot.

I've killed more quail on other hunts but NONE were more memorable.

Some folks just know how to live.
 
Do not feel bad. I have hunted quail 3xs in my life, and never a bird. When I go hiking, I see them alot. However, no hunting allowed there. I give you an A plus for going hunting after dropping your daughter off at school. You are an accomplished hunter in my book.
 
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