Another Kansas Quail Hunt

Posted on November 20, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

It seems as though Interstate 435 has been having work done on it for at least 10 years but this year between Interstate 35 being worked on and Interstate 435 it’s almost impossible to go hunting in central Kansas. I met Don and Linda Hanson near Emporia about 9:30 am. If I leave before 6:00 am or after 8:00 am I can make it across the metro area without going stark raving mad but just barely.

A few quail and my W. R. Pape side by side.

Mann pointing a covey in blackberry and thorn thicket.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

We pulled to the walk-in property that we wanted to hunt. This property is about 240 acres with a road on two sides. I drove down each side before we got out to hunt to make sure no one else was hunting it.

Tur Bo has been moving on his backing. For some reason he has decided that he is the one that is supposed to flush the birds when another dog is on point. He will hold until I get there then he wants to go in with me. I put his normal e-collar and GPS collar on then added another e-collar to his flanks. I walked him up and down the road and held the button on the flank e-collar down and said, “whoa”. The instant he stopped I let off the button. He has been whoa broke but I wanted to make sure that he understood that what electricity he was feeling was because he moved not because of the birds.

Don turned his male pointer, Goofy, loose and I put the e-collar and GPS collar on Mann and turned him loose. The last time we were here the dogs were on point before we were even ready. This morning we went across a south wind to the west edge of the property then turned to the north.

On the north end of this property there is a nice hedge row that runs from a soy bean field next to the property back to the south. There is CRP on each side and we usually find a covey of quail near the soy bean field. We went down the west side then crossed to the east side. As we got near the end Linda almost stepped on a quail. I neither saw or heard it. We got the dogs in to hunt the area but never saw another quail in that area. Since we hadn’t arrived until about 10:00 am someone may have already hunted this place.

My side by side and a few quail.

We went back down the west side and crossed and back through the same area on the east without seeing another quail. We crossed to the east fence row. When we got there the dogs went to the north off the property along the harvested soy bean field. As we stood watching the dogs as they ran with the wind down the hedge row a covey of quail flushed behind the dogs and flew to the south back onto or near the walk-in property.

All the way to the south end of the fence line there was heavy CRP on the walk-in property. We went all the way to another draw then back to the west along the draw. We hunted back to the truck without seeing another quail. We loaded the dogs and went to another walk-in property.

When we went by the next property I was surprised when Don pulled over. To me the CRP looked too thick for quail. We hadn’t taken the e-collars and GPS collars off the dogs so we just turned them loose. The area we were going to circle was about 20 acres. Don and I walked the edge next to the road to the east. When we got to the area we were to turn south Don saw a single quail fly from in front of us out into the heavy CRP. As we watched twelve or fifteen quail flew into the CRP.

The quail had flushed far enough ahead of the dogs they neither saw or heard them. Don and I had watched these birds right to the ground. We knew where they were. We called the dogs back and circled around where we had the wind right for the dogs.

Sally pointing wild quail.

The dogs came in and hunted right in front of us. With the strong south wind it was getting hot for the dogs. Tur Bo went on point and Goofy honored him. A single quail flushed and flew toward the trucks until it was out too far to shoot at then turned to the west. We continued to hunt the field.

As we checked the field Don flushed a quail from right in front of him. Goofy is a young dog and Don isn’t shooting at anything that isn’t pointed. We thought we knew right where these birds were but that is all we found. We continued to the west edge of the CRP and came back through where we had seen them go down all the way to the east side where we had seen them flush from. Never saw another bird.

It was getting too hot for the dogs so we loaded them into the trucks. We haven’t had much rain in this area, lately. A good rain would certainly help the dogs. There are quail in this area but we aren’t getting much dog work on them.

The single that Linda had almost stepped on had come from a covey and with the covey on the north east edge of the first walk-in and this last covey we had seen 3 coveys and not fired a shot. The time before when Don and I had hunted together we had seen 3 coveys and only got one shot.

Winter will be here before long and it will cool down for the dogs and things will go better. I really like the late December and January hunting better than the early hunts. With the cooler weather the birds are in the cover, are easier to find and it’s better for the dogs. The dogs are the only reason I still do this.

Luke pointing a pigeon.

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Kansas Quail Hunt, 11/13/19

Posted on November 14, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

We didn’t get out very early for this hunt. I left the house about 6:50 am which seemed pretty late for me. I really enjoy trying to find new areas to hunt and figure out where the birds are. We, being me and the dogs, drove for about 2 1/2 hours then started looking for a place to hunt. I drove by a lot of places that had really thick CRP. These may be good for something but not for quail, in my opinion.

Sally backing Mann with Abby close.

Mann on point.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

I noticed, on my Kansas Hunting Atlas, that I was close to an area that I hunted several years ago. I found 2 coveys of quail and a couple of pheasants on it the first time I hunted it. It’s only an 80 acre place but it has a lot of buffer along a creek and some more along a hedge row.

Luke has been retired and Sally has stitches so I just had Mann and Tur Bo with me. I put e-collars and GPS collars on both of them and turned them loose. We had a pretty strong wind from the south so we went to the north down the fence line to the back and turned west to the hedge row with a good buffer strip beside it. Before I got across the harvested soy bean field the GPS showed Mann on point along the hedge row.

When I got close he was trailing. I started down the hedge row into the wind. I checked the GPS hand held and Mann was on point again about 75 feet from me. The weeds were so high I had trouble finding him but when I did he was looking either way ahead or into the trees of the hedge row. I walked in front of him kicking the cover. When I turned and looked at him he was still looking into the trees with his head high. I said, “okay” and he started moving slowly with his nose down. He trailed for a few yards then went back to hunting. I think something ran out on us.

We hunted back to the buffer zone along the creek and down it back to the truck, without seeing anything. This place has some really good cover, food in the harvested soy bean field as well as weed seeds and water along the creek. Should be a perfect place for birds. I loaded the dogs and we drove to another place.

The next place was about 240 acres. It had a pasture, that hadn’t been grazed down much, with a soy bean field on three sides. On the other side was the road I parked on. The wind had changed to be blowing out of the west south west. We went to the east along a fence row next to a soy bean field that was off the walk-in. When we got in about a half mile there was a hedge row, running to the north, in the pasture. We crossed to the east side of the hedge row and started to the north.

Mann pointing a pigeon.

A friend called me when I was about a hundred yards up the hedge row. He owed me money and wanted to come by and pay me. I had to stand still to keep from losing the signal on the phone. I talked to him for a few minutes and told him I would see if June was home so he could pay her and call him back. As I called her I saw Tur Bo go on point. I talked to her then had to call him back to go on by to pay her the money. I still hadn’t moved, afraid I would lose the signal on the phone. I got that taken care of and started to Tur Bo.

When I got closer I saw that Tur Bo was honoring Mann. Mann was in a real thick spot along the hedge row. There was a real small brush pile, that ran under a honey locust tree, that he was pointing into. I got close and kicked the brush pile. Nothing happened. I said, “okay” and he moved about a half step and went back on point. He was now standing in the edge of the brush pile, on point. I kicked the brush pile several times and still nothing.

Abby pointing a pigeon.

There was only one thing to do. I went around the brush pile and bending over went under the honey locust, with it’s long thorns. Still nothing happened. I got close to the trunk of the honey locust, all bent over and a big covey of quail flushed on the other side of a small cedar tree. Not only did I not get a shot I couldn’t even stand enough to see where they went. I could only tell the direction some of them went.

We were near the north end of the hedge row so we crossed to the west side and started back down. Tur Bo went on point along the west edge, in the grass. When I got to him he trailed a short distance then pointed again. I went by him and kicked the cover and when I turned to look back at him he whirled like something got up behind him. I thought I heard a single quail fly away but never saw it.

We went to the south end of the hedge row then back to the north end on the east side. There was some good pasture grass and we went through this back to the truck. We never saw another quail out of that covey. I loaded the dogs and started looking for another place.

Sally pointing wild quail.

I found another place about like the last. It was pasture with harvested soy bean fields on 3 sides of the pasture. We went to the east along a hedge row. About a half mile in a draw ran across to the south through the middle of the pasture. There was water in the bottom of the draw and a lot of good cover. The dogs and I worked down this to another fence row/hedge row and back to the west then back to the truck up another small draw. We had good cover, food and water but no birds. I loaded the dogs and started home.

I was close to some walk-in places that I had never seen so I drove by them. Some of them looked better than what I had been hunting but the dogs were tired and it was a long way home but I will try to get back in that area next week.

Tur Bo on point.

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Opening Day Of Kansas Quail Season, November 9, 2019

Posted on November 11, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

I got up in the middle of the night (2:45 am) to meet Don and Linda Hanson at a walk-in property, in Kansas, for opening day of quail season. We thought if we waited until later someone else would be hunting this property. This property is maybe 240 acres and a couple of years ago we had someone start hunting it while we were on it. As a courtesy, I usually drive around a property, to make sure no one is on it, before I start hunting.

Mann on point.

Tur Bo pointing a pigeon.

Josie pointing a pigeon.

As we sat in Don’s truck waiting on the sun to rise we saw a covey of quail fly in. Don thought he had seen one fly in before we saw the covey. The birds had flown in from a harvested corn field at just about daylight. They must have been feeding really early.

We still waited a few minutes before we turned dogs out. I put e-collars and GPS collars on Tur Bo and Mann and Don had already put his track and train e-collar on his pointer, Tigger. We turned the dogs loose and grabbed our guns. As I turned to walk away I saw Tur Bo first and then saw he was honoring Mann, who was on point just in front of the truck, maybe 30 yards.

I was watching both of the dogs as the covey flushed well out in front of Mann, flying through a large thicket. We didn’t get a shot. I don’t think either of the dogs moved before the birds flushed.

Don went around the north side of the thicket and I went on the south side. All three dogs were in between us working the thicket. As I walked along the edge a single quail flushed about 20 yards ahead of me flying toward where Don and Linda were. I heard a couple of quail flush in the thicket without seeing them.

Several times as we went around the thicket we had dogs on point but before we got to them they were moving. The wind was strong from the south and I think, with every thing shaking, the birds were spooky. We continued around the thicket then up a hedge row. At the end of the hedge row, we went to the east along a draw that ran to the fence row.

We started down the fence row to the north. As we walked along with the dogs in front of us I saw a single quail flying toward us down the fence line. When it got about even with us I shot and it dropped along the fence. With the dogs all ahead of us, I retrieved it myself.

As we went on to the north there were a few more quail that flushed along the fence line but well out front, without giving us a shot. When we got to the north east corner we turned to the west. We hunted the CRP that was next to a soy bean field that was off the walk-in.

Abby, pointing a pigeon.

About half way to the west the property turned to the north and we went along it to the end. About the time we got to the end the GPS showed Mann on point to the west of us. He was about 125 yards from us. Before we got to him, he was moving. He had been on the north end of a hedge row with CRP down both sides. We started to the south down the hedge row.

I had my shotgun in my left hand and the GPS handheld in my right and a quail came through the hedge row from Don’s side. It got over my head and turned to the north and flew back down the hedge row. I stood and watched it fly away. I have worked dogs too much without shooting to think about what I really should be doing. Later in the season I will be more prepared.

We went on to the end of the hedge row. There were a couple of wild flushes but we never fired a shot. We went along a draw to the west and back to the north across some CRP. When we got back near where the last covey had flushed from, a single quail got up near us without drawing a shot. We hunted back to the truck.

I think we had moved 3 coveys of quail and only fired one shot. The dogs had worked hard but the birds, in the strong wind, wouldn’t hold. We drove several miles to another walk-in property.

The next place was a 160 acres place. There was a draw with some CRP on the south west side with a huge soy bean field in the middle. I had run dogs here before the season opened and found a covey of quail. That’s not true. You can’t run dogs on walk-in property. I had been turkey hunting on this property. I had even carried a gun. I have a 20 gauge side by side that weighs 5 pounds and only shoots 2 1/2 inch shells. I carried it with, 3/4 ounce 7 1/2 shot, loads. Not only is this gun light it’s short as well. I don’t shoot it well but I don’t plan on shooting when I carry it.

Tur Bo on point.

Don turned Goofy, his pointer male, out on this corner and I had only brought Mann and Tur Bo with me so I turned them loose. We went through the same area that I had found the covey earlier and back to the truck without seeing any quail. We loaded the dogs and went to the north east corner. It was about like the south west corner. It had a draw that ran to the south almost the whole way with CRP on both sides.

The farmer had combined the soy beans the day before and were just pulling their equipment out of the field when we were there. We hunted to the south and moved over and came back along the soy bean field. We never saw a quail.

When we got back to the truck we loaded the dogs. It was getting warm and Don needed to get Tigger to a vet. She had cut her leg. Not bad but she needed a few stitches. Dogs are tough. When we noticed it, it was no longer bleeding and we never heard her yelp, or anything.

I was thinking about going to north west Kansas for the opener until I saw the weather forecast. When I saw how hot it was going to be I had decided to just stay home. Don called and wanted to go, not so far into Kansas, and when it got warm we could go home. That was a better idea than staying home. Although the birds didn’t cooperate we did see 3 coveys and got some dog work. And Don and I don’t have to kill birds to have a good hunt.

Sally, on point.

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Woodcock Hunting In Kansas

Posted on November 7, 2019 by windypointsj1s@aol.com

Or maybe I was turkey hunting, since Kansas allows you to hunt turkeys in the fall, with dogs. To be on walk-in properties you must be hunting. You can’t just run dogs. Kansas has added several new walk-in properties and I wanted to check some of them out so I loaded all of my dogs early Tuesday morning (3:30 am) and went toward the Greensburg area.

Luke

Abby

Mann pointing what may have been a skunk.

Most of the time I let the dogs out to clean out at a Conservation area before I get to the area I want to hunt. They have been in the truck for about 4 1/2 hours and are usually ready. I don’t put e-collars or GPS on them. They are used to the exercise and usually load back up to go on down the road. Most of the time Luke is the first to get back in the truck. When I loaded the others he wasn’t around. I called him. No Luke.

I wasn’t too concerned because I could run dogs on this Conservation area. I drove the road both ways looking for him. I don’t often use a whistle but I got one out and blew it for him. After driving up and down the road several times I circled the sections on both sides of where I had turned him out. Nothing.

I parked the truck where I had turned him out and put GPS collars on Sally, Mann and Abby. I put e-collars on Sally and Mann. The side that Luke had gone into wasn’t part of the Conservation place so I couldn’t run there but we ran on the Conservation side.

The cover was thick but not too thick for quail. Everything looked good as we went to the south about 3/4 of a mile then moved over and came back to the road we were parked on. I expected to see Luke at the truck but he wasn’t there.

I took my shirt off and left it in the ditch close to where the truck was parked and drove the roads some more. Still no Luke.

I went to a walk-in property several miles away and ran Tur Bo and Josie. They were the only ones that hadn’t been run. Tur Bo is Josie’s sire and it was funny watching her. She thought she was as big as he is and she could stay with him.

Josie, pointing a pigeon.

We ran in a large pasture that hadn’t been grazed down too much. There were a lot of rag weed and other weed seeds for quail food. When you have a lost dog it’s hard to stay out. We made a short circle, about a quarter mile and back to the truck. I loaded them up and started back to look for Luke.

I hadn’t driven a half mile from the last place when I got a phone call. A nice man asked if I had lost a dog. I was elated. I wasn’t sure when I lost him if I would ever see Luke again.

When I got to Bill Parker’s house, his wife, had put Luke in the garage with food and water. When I called him he came to me but it was like he was weighing his options. Maybe I could just stay with these nice people. They invited me into their home and were as nice as could be.

By the time I went back to get my shirt and fed dogs it was almost dark. I tried to see how far Luke was from where I had turned him out and according to the odometer it was nine miles. I don’t know how far he had to go to get that far away but it was a bunch.

The second morning I turned Luke, Mann and Abby out about 8:00 am. I had GPS collars on all three and e-collars on Mann and Luke. We started to the east along a fence row next to a harvested corn field. I was trying to keep track of Luke.

Tur Bo

We were about a half mile from the truck when I saw Luke was close but headed in the wrong direction. I called him and he came in front of me. Just a few minutes later he was 500 yards behind me and still going. I called Mann and started back toward the truck.

As we were going back Mann pointed into that large yucca plant in the picture above. He didn’t look exactly right but I went to him and kicked the yucca plant two or three times. Nothing came up so I started away and called Mann. He jumped into the yucca and I continued away, calling him. He came with me.

As we walked away I got just a little of the essence of skunk. Every time he got down wind I could smell him but it wasn’t real bad but it was definitely skunk. When we got to the truck I loaded Abby and made Mann jump onto the truck without any aid from me. I opened his dog box but didn’t touch him. On a scale of 1 to 10 he was about a 1 or maybe 2.

Luke was about a half mile north, along the road, so I drove to him. When I got close he was 64 yards off the road. When I got out of the truck and called he came right to me. He acted like I should have stayed with him.

Luke has always been a handful to hunt. He runs fast and ahead. He should have been owned by someone that hunted from a horse, on a huge acreage. When he went on point he would stay until I got there or the birds flew. If they ran he would wait until I got close then move up and re-establish point. I’m not sure what has happened but I can’t hunt him they way he is. He’s almost ten years old which isn’t old for most dogs but I’m going to retire him. He will have a good home here and I will work him on pigeons, occasionally.

Sally

It was getting warm and I had dogs that hadn’t been out. I put GPS and e-collars on Sally and Tur Bo and turned them loose. When I put Josie on the ground (her neck is too small for the GPS) I opened the box Mann was in and had him jump off the tail gate. Normally, I set the dogs on the ground because I think it’s hard on their bones but I made him jump, this time. I still didn’t touch him.

We were in the same pasture as before but on a different side. That skunk was already mad. I didn’t want another encounter.

Along with the temperature getting warmer the south wind was getting stronger. We were in the pasture next to a harvested corn field going into the wind. We were getting close to the end of the place when Tur Bo went on point. His head was real high and he was looking out front quite a way. I got the camera out to take a picture and Sally came by. I waited on her to honor and just as I started to take the picture a single quail flushed about 10 yards in front of Tur Bo.

Tur Bo followed the quail for a few yards then came back and went on point, again. About two or three seconds after he pointed another quail flushed. He chased a few yards and came back and went on point, again. This time, after just a few seconds about 4 quail flushed. They were spread out. Either feeding in the weeds or spread out going to the corn field. He followed them a few yards then came back.

Tur Bo on point.

I had tried to get Mann and Sally to hunt with him in this small area but they wouldn’t stay close. He came back and pointed again. Another single quail flushed from in front of him. I think he made 4 points and none of the birds held for me to flush but they were close. I think there were probably only 7 or 8 quail that I saw. At least one of these birds was real small. A late hatch, probably.

I didn’t want the dogs catching any of the baby birds so we went on to the end moved over a couple of hundred yards and went back. It was getting really hot for the dogs. When we got back to the truck I took the e-collars and GPS off the dogs. I no longer smelled the skunk on Mann. He must have just barely got a little and running through the weeds wore it off. The collars don’t even smell. I’ve been with guys when their dogs got sprayed by a skunk and you could smell it forever. Mann and I were lucky. I think blessed.

At 10:20 am the temperature, according to the thermometer in my truck, was 64 degrees. Way too hot to run dogs and it was getting warmer. I drove toward home checking some new properties on the way. I had all of my dogs and there wasn’t a green cloud of skunk odor hanging over my truck. My life is good.

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