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Quail hunting

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trickywoo

Posted: Dec 10th 2009, 02:52 AM

I grew up quail hunting with my dad, I have seen a drastic reduction in their numbers, anyone in other parts of the country have the same problem? I would love to find a few good coveys!!!!!!

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Nov 1st 09
AL US

Recoil

Posted: Dec 10th 2009, 10:14 AM

I was talking about this a while back Tricky. Yes, I've seen the same reduction in numbers that you mention.

When I was a kid andeven in my teenage years in northern FL/southern AL, there were quail everywhere. You couldn't walk through a field with ground cover or down a fenceline without getting the bejesus scared out of you when they flew up. Then all the sudden they disappeared.

The old-timers all say it's because of a resurgence of bobcats and foxes. Also, the feral cat population is out of control and to top that off, coyotes are here now in full force. 30 years ago, coyotes were few and far between in this neck of the woods, with only an occasional sighting or hearing. Any of the aforementioned will eat quail eggs and catch quail easily.

About the only way you can quail hunt around here anymore is on quail farms. That's no sport, because they won't fly for shit. You almost have to reach down, pick him up and wait until your buddy says "pull" before you toss him!

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Dec 27th 07
AL US

BravoUD

Posted: Dec 10th 2009, 08:18 PM

LOL.

Here in good old GJ CO we got those things out of the wazzo, if anything we are seeing more of them. They have overrun my wifes uncles house, you walk out the back door and they are everywhere! Those dang things will gang up on the cats and chase em off.

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Dec 4th 09
CO US

Recoil

Posted: Dec 10th 2009, 09:23 PM

Dang! They are too good to eat to let them do those cats like that! Taste like a cornish hen, but better. I haven't eaten quail in a long time. But, I do have some butterflied backstrap in the sink thawing!!!

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Dec 27th 07
AL US

Hobie

Posted: Dec 10th 2009, 10:16 PM

Hey Bravo you ever considered trading a qual hunt for a pheasant hunt? I would love to go quail hunting some day. On my list of things to do. For upland all we got is pheasant and partridge. Partridge are pretty slim pickins. Only got into 2 covey this year.

I do not know about your neck of the woods but we had this same discussion the last few weeks on another website. Bird #'s of all sorts are way down in Iowa. Most of the biologists credit it to loss of habitat and poor weather during the winter and the spring nesting period. I will admit we have had a couple of tough winters as well as some very wet springs. Couple of guys are wondering about all of the GMO corn and beans that are being planted. As well as the advancements in herbicide and pesticides in the past few years. If you walk out in a cornfield or beanfield in the middle of july anymore there is not a single weed. No weeds at ground level equals less bugs and crawly critters the birds like to eat. The chicks need the protein as well as the adaults to try and sustain them thru the winter, when they mostly switch to weed seed and waste grain. Well with combines getting more efficient and less weeds a lot less food is hitting the ground.

We are also losing habitat at an alarming rate. Not real sure on exact #s but heard on the radio that they are expecting to see about 2 million acres of CRP ground getting tore up and planted to corn to meet demand. Can't blame the farmers. CRP payments are going way down and corn and bean prices keep going up. Simple economics. Thats why I volunteer for our local Pheasants Forever Chapter. We do our best to buy up marginal crop land and then open it up to the public for hunting. Would also recommend anyone interested to help out with this or Ducks Unlimited, Quail Forever, Turkey Federation. Whitetails, you get the picture. They are all good organizations.

Also any takers on that quail/pheasant huntswap let me know.

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Jul 9th 08
IA US

trickywoo

Posted: Dec 11th 2009, 01:14 PM

I've heard the coyotes, and all but I also heard the way farming has changed had an impact. I really hate to see it like this, fondest momories of dad are of us quail hunting. Instead of family reunions, we had family quail hunts on holidays

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Nov 1st 09
AL US

BravoUD

Posted: Dec 14th 2009, 02:32 PM

Hobie, You can come hunt these buggars as much as you want, I don't have any private land to hunt on but we could find some out in the hill for sure!

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Dec 4th 09
CO US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 12:58 AM

It has more to do with farming practices than anything, although I still spend a week every year in M

issouri and seem to do well. Small rolling hills planted with plenty of brush fence rows, etc. saw the bird flourish in the middle part of the last century. Now you see less land left to waste and more of it planted.......less habitat.

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Location:

Jul 18th 10
MN US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 01:01 AM

I think the birds you are seeing in Grand Junction are either desert quail or gambles quail?? Maybe I'm wrong.

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Jul 18th 10
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 10:08 AM

GM,

That makes me miss the days of pheasant and quail hunting in NE outside of Sioux City, IA on my grandfathers farm. I used to use a Remington 48 Sportsman 20-gauge auto loader back then. It's now a safe queen until I can find a replacement recoil spring for it. I'd love to get back into bird hunting again, but I think I'll need some time on the skeet and trap range.

By the way, is that a Browning Citori?

Joined:
Location:

Jan 8th 09
VA US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 12:20 PM

Actually that little 28 ga. is a Mossberg International Reserve...cheap gun, got it for my wedding from a couple friends as a "for the thick stuff" gun as I live in the grouse and quail thickets in the fall, and I don't want to beat up a nicer gun. I must say it's a fantastic $500.00 double, very impressive.

I live in MN but every year get licenses for ND, SD, and MO. This year I may add NE and WI.A couple years ago I shot 7 species of upland game over points from my setters. I'm not bragging,and I'm not rich....as a matter of fact I am a traveling salesman in charge of the midwest.....works out quite nicely with hotel and gas expenses : ).

Be happy to guide (not for cash, for fun

) members that maybe don't get to hunt birds often, don't know where to go, or don't have good dogs.

Joined:
Location:

Jul 18th 10
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 12:43 PM

That's a mighty fine offer and I may have to take you up on that. I have family in NE, MO, and WI. Depending on where you hunt in those states, I could probably make a good trip out of it. I had someone point me towards a Mossberg O/U earlier this year. For that price, it makes a lot of sense.

My quail gun:

Joined:
Location:

Jan 8th 09
VA US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 01:53 PM

Fantastic Gun! I'm a big fan of a 20 auto....I have a Remmy 1100 20 ga. from 1982 that I use when I'm not using the Mossberg 28. Love 1100's, I have the exact same 1100 in 12 gauge which is my pheasant/sharp tail tool.

Joined:
Location:

Jul 18th 10
MN US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 01:54 PM

You can see my early 80's 12 ga. leaning against the Jeep in one of the pics I posted above...they don't make them like they used to.....

Joined:
Location:

Jul 18th 10
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 02:42 PM

My Remington Sportsman 48 is the mid-1960's (serial number trace) predecessor to the 1100 action. It was a hunting version of the 11-48, which replaced the Model 11, with a crimped magazine tube. Somewhere along the line, the crimps got drilled out. It was my grandfather's upland shottie, then my father's, and then mine. The recoil spring is of incorrect length and tension now due to being stored for decades with the spring under tension. I need to find a Remington expert to figure out if it can be fixed or replaced. The guys at Remington are too young to know anything about them. 20-gauge worked great for me on pheasant and quail when hunting with dogs. I used to have a .410 for dove, but it got sold many many years ago. My brother is currently utilizing my Remington 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge for duck hunting in MO.

Joined:
Location:

Jan 8th 09
VA US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 06:26 PM

I've got an old 870 12 ga. manufactured in 1974, my dad bought it his sophomore year of college.....I keep several firearms at my place but keep a few of the older ones at my parents as they have a larger safe and more room than I do, they only live ten minutes away though. Eventually I'll get pictures of all of them up. I also have a S&W revolver from the LA Cty Sheriff Dept. that my grandpa passed down to me, I've never shot it and think it might be "locked", as I can't open the cylinder, although the firearm is in pristine condition. He was a LA Sheriff for 30 years during the riots and all.

I heard S&W made custom pistols for the LAPD back in the day...it's a .38 special, I need to put up pictures and have someone on here tell me what model it is.

Joined:
Location:

Jul 18th 10
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 08:37 PM

Well, you got me pumped enough to pull the SM 48 out of the safe and Google the parts I need. I found a guy in AZ that specializes in Remington shotgun parts. I sent him an order, so we'll see what happens. Thanks for the inspiration!

Joined:
Location:

Jan 8th 09
VA US

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