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Post by HighCotton on Sept 19, 2010 6:53:42 GMT -5
I love getting the dogs on birds every chance I can. There is something a bit more special when I get to guide a hunt for a gunner's first time...or maybe "first time" in over 30 years as pictured below:  |
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Post by dadfsr on Sept 19, 2010 18:52:48 GMT -5
Where did you find quail at Larry? Congrats on the bird!!!
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Post by HighCotton on Sept 20, 2010 8:04:06 GMT -5
I'd love to tell ya it was a wild quail Doug. It wasn't, though. This was one of a few taken at Royal Flush Hunting Preserve just north of Terre Haute.
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Post by duff on Sept 25, 2010 9:56:42 GMT -5
Saw a few quail the other day... good luck with your dogs!
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Post by drs on Sept 25, 2010 10:51:07 GMT -5
The last time I hunted Quail was back in 1976 & I bagged eight on one hunt. Since those bad winters of '77-'78 the Quail population has not recovered in many areas. Hope they make a comeback.
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Post by Charlie on Oct 3, 2010 2:09:23 GMT -5
Man I use to love to bird hunt. Back in the 70's and early 80's I had a couple English Setters and Quail were heavy in the area I lived in central Indiana. Had one farm alone that held 4 coveys of birds. The guy planted silage every year and was easy to shoot a 10 bird limit without a dog by just walking the cut crop rolls. After I got to hunting with a dog a limit was unthinkable. Shoot a few birds and keep a good amount of seed birds for further dog work. Use to field trail some at places like Roy Martins near Muncie & Elred Kings in Parker IN. Have had a couple English Pointers ,but always liked the English Setters, just my personal choice, great dogs in every breed. Use to drive up around Flower IN and hunt wild pheasants and do the put & release thing at Tri-County. Weird but the last Quail cover I saw was last year in northern In. in Kosc. co. Saw some birds running across the road in front of my truck and told my wife they looked like Quail. Spead up and sure enough they were Quail. Watched them cross the road and when they had run across I went on and heck the darn things broke cover right in front of my truck and a cock bird smacked into my grill. I saw it on the road as I went on ahead so I backed up and had my first Quail in 28 years. No since in throwing it in the ditch, even if it was out of season. I sure as heck didn't plan on hitting the bird and wish I had not. Was a real treat to see a cover out in the wild again.I have a few crappies I had caught and the wife was working that evening so I had crappie and a wonderful Quail for dinner. Some thing that has turned me off with watching bird hunting shows is now a days every dog you see is wearing a shock collar. I had Eldred work my setter once with one to blow the wax out of his ears when he was about 1&1/2 years old to start hearing the commands a little better. But heck no matter what show you see every mothers son has one on their dog during the hunt? Back in the day, when I did some field trails it was rare to see a guy hunt with them, just in a practice field?? Shows me a lack in training skills and less classic. Nice picture you posted , thanks for a flash back for me. Charlie
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Post by drs on Oct 3, 2010 7:11:47 GMT -5
Man I use to love to bird hunt. Back in the 70's and early 80's I had a couple English Setters and Quail were heavy in the area I lived in central Indiana. YEP! Those days prior to the years of 1977 were great years for hunting Quail & also Rabbits. Back, while I was still living in SW Indiana, I only had to go across the street to find good Rabbit & Quail Hunting. However theasedays, BOTH Quail & Rabbits are not to be found in any great numbers. Urban Sprawl, Farming pratices, Coyotes, free roaming Dogs & Cats, & also the weather, have all more or less reduced their populations. |
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Post by Woody Williams on Oct 3, 2010 7:22:41 GMT -5
Man I use to love to bird hunt. Back in the 70's and early 80's I had a couple English Setters and Quail were heavy in the area I lived in central Indiana. YEP! Those days prior to the years of 1977 were great years for hunting Quail & also Rabbits. Back, while I was still living in SW Indiana, I only had to go across the street to find good Rabbit & Quail Hunting. However theasedays, BOTH Quail & Rabbits are not to be found in any great numbers. Urban Sprawl, Farming pratices, Coyotes, free roaming Dogs & Cats, & also the weather, have all more or less reduced their populations. In southern Indiana the blizzards of 1977 and 1978 pretty well did in a lot of critters. Especially tough on quail and rabbits. |
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Post by drs on Oct 3, 2010 9:44:37 GMT -5
In southern Indiana the blizzards of 1977 and 1978 pretty well did in a lot of critters. Especially tough on quail and rabbits. I remember that blizzard of 1978 very well!! Also the -20 degrees weather of 77 & 78. Winter seemed to drag on & on those years!! |
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Post by stevenlile001 on Dec 20, 2010 9:35:36 GMT -5
We are starting to see a few quail on our wrp land but it has taken a long time to get them. We don't hunt any yet, maybe in a few years we can. I think it's all about cover, if you can keep the coyotes out and keep good cover you may stand a chance.
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Post by whiteoak on Dec 20, 2010 10:42:05 GMT -5
I jumped a covey of about 20 birds yesterday on my way to my tree stand . I thought I was going to have to cut my hunt short and go home and clean out my shorts. It has been awhile since I have had a covey do this to me.
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Post by thecommissioner on Dec 22, 2010 8:01:10 GMT -5
This fall a covey hopped across the road out at my acreage. It was the first covey I'd seen since I bought the place in 2003. Up to now, I'd seen a few pairs of birds, but that was it. Hopefully this is a trend.
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Post by mojonasty1 on Jan 1, 2011 20:42:45 GMT -5
Hello gentlemen Just wanted to say we had pretty decent quail numbers here in nw ind. till about 6-8 years ago . now Im lucky to see 1-2 coveys a year. I think we owe it to exploded predator numbers and modern farming practices.Most farmers used to keep wide filter strips along there ditch lines now only a foot or so off the bank Plus they burn off those grasses in the spring every year. Im almost surprised to see what few quail and pheasant actually are still there.
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