Do you guys think the quail will ever come back? I have had the bird dog fever lately and thinking of getting a pup. But, there are no wild quail to train with. I guess field trialing is an option.

We had a very good population this year. Weather was perfect and bird numbers were definitely up from previous years. The birds are getting tougher to hunt due to heavy predator pressure. There are too many coyotes and the birds are extremely dog wary. As soon as they see a dog, they run. They won't hold at all. I decided to send the dogs way out in front, then signal them to sweep across and work their way in towards me. That pushed some of the quail towards me. It worked best when one dog would go from my left and the other from my right. That really confused the birds and caused them to flush instead of running. Another hunter told me that he has started using quail calls and calls them in like ducks. BTW, I have a 9 week old Brittany puppy available. I can email you pics if you want.

Not unless we restore habitat, control avian and other predators and resume more small scale agriculture.

(At no time in my nearly 60 years have there been more hawks--and I am a former falconer.)

The greatest Quail populations in Texas were in times where hawks were few, Slash Pine and Costal Bermuda were unimportant economically and truck farms abounded.

(I know the Costal and Pines are more of an East Texas situation, the other factors are more universal.)

I have used Quail restoration technologies equipment and followed many of Quail unlimited programs and Dale Rollin's strategies with some success.

But few land owners can "afford" (as they see it) these programs.

It is really pretty simple-- take their habitat, food and increase predation and they disappear--

and restoration is a slow and tedious process.

T. Boone's situation with his ranches is a truly unique setting.

LARGE areas controlled by one man with a mission to restore quail.

For the rest of us it is truly a difficult proposition.

quote:

Originally posted by The Shottist:
We had a very good population this year. Weather was perfect and bird numbers were definitely up from previous years. The birds are getting tougher to hunt due to heavy predator pressure. There are too many coyotes and the birds are extremely dog wary. As soon as they see a dog, they run. They won't hold at all. I decided to send the dogs way out in front, then signal them to sweep across and work their way in towards me. That pushed some of the quail towards me. It worked best when one dog would go from my left and the other from my right. That really confused the birds and caused them to flush instead of running. Another hunter told me that he has started using quail calls and calls them in like ducks. BTW, I have a 9 week old Brittany puppy available. I can email you pics if you want.

Good for you.

I am without a Brittany at this time for the first time in many , many years.

I can't stand to see them hunt so hard for no birds.

They love so much to be on the birds, I just can't see them as only companion dogs.