I was in the cafe eating breakfast when my 6 am alarm went off on the second day of my quail hunt. After breakfast I drove to the area I wanted to hunt and got there before daylight. As I sat waiting for the sun to come up I saw movement in my rear view mirror. A young bobcat was sneaking into the area I was wanting to hunt.
Sally pointing a quail.
Luke on another single.
Betsy pointing a quail.
I turned Lucky, Dolly and Sally out with Garmin GPS collars and Dolly and Lucky had Garmin E-collars on, also. We went to the east along the north fence row to the east edge then moved over about 400 yards and started back to the west.
My friend, Bill Ross, called and I took my right glove off to answer the phone. I walked along talking to him and noticed Sally on point. I told Bill, “I got to go I’ve got a dog on point.” She was about 45 yards from me. As I went to her I thought I would put my glove in my pocket. I have a one track mind. Maybe I’m obsessive compulsive. When I make up my mind to put my glove in my pocket this is what I’m going to do. I got my left hand in my pocket and a rooster pheasant flushed in front of Sally and about 10 yards from me flying from my left to the right. I was still putting this 49 cent glove in my pocket. I could have taken the hand out or dropped the glove on the ground but that’s not how my mind works. I shot at the pheasant with one hand but I put that glove in my pocket. My shot may not have been in the same county with the pheasant.
We went on to the west and Dolly went on point. Sally saw her and honored. When I got to Dolly she was sure there was a bird right in front of her. I walked past her, kicking what cover there was. I walked about 15 yards ahead of Dolly and neither dog moved. I walked back and tapped Dolly on the head. She moved to the west about 20 yards and started trailing again. Sally trailed to the south. A single quail flushed in front of Sally. Because she wasn’t pointing I didn’t shoot.
We went on to the west. There was a covey moving in front of us. All 3 dogs were trailing. Dolly was trailing through a plum thicket and pointed again. Again Sally honored. I walked in front of Dolly through the plum thicket. Sally didn’t move as long as Dolly didn’t move. I worked back to Dolly and tapped her head. As she started to move I saw a quail flush about 50 yards away.
We got back close to the truck and I put Lucky up. He’s almost 13 years old and I don’t like to work him too much. I turned Luke and Tur Bo out with Dolly and Sally. I had enough GPS collars for all 4 dogs but I had to put a Sport Dog e-collar on Tur Bo.
We went straight to the south from the truck. There was a small puddle of water along the fence row. I carry water but most of the dogs will lie down in a puddle to get cooled off. That works better than just water alone.
I watched Luke get water but the other dogs were missing. I checked the GPS and Tur Bo was on point about 30 yards away. I saw him standing in a plum thicket and Sally moved in and honored. This plum thicket was on a small hump. When I went in front of Tur Bo quail flushed on the other side of the hump. They stayed low but I got off one shot, missing. When I shot some birds closer to me flushed and I knocked one down. As I stood with an empty gun more quail flushed.
Tur Bo found my dead bird. It wasn’t a textbook retrieve but I got it in my hand. I had seen one of the later flushing quail fly just a short distance before lighting. I got Sally in front of me and we started on to the south. Just about 40 yards from where the covey had flushed Sally went on point. She held until the quail flushed and I dropped it right in front of her. She grabbed the bird and ran several circles around me. I walked away from her. She really didn’t care. She had a quail. I went on to the south with the other dogs, trailing. After about 10 minutes she laid down with the quail lying beside her. I went to her and petted her for a few seconds before picking up the bird.
Most of the birds had flown back toward the truck so we went back to the north. All of the dogs were trailing. I was standing in an open spot watching the dogs. All of them were trailing and acting birdy. After standing in one spot for a couple of minutes, watching dogs, I took a couple of steps and a quail flushed right at my feet. It stayed about 3 feet off the ground and flew straight toward Sally. It was at least 40 yards away before it hooked to the right and flew over a plum thicket.
After checking this spot for singles I loaded the dogs and went to another spot. This place was about 40 miles closer to home than the last. I turned Luke, Tur Bo and Sally out with the Garmin GPS collars and Luke and Tur Bo also had Garmin e-collars on. We circled a wheat stubble field. The south east wind was getting stronger.
There was a creek that started on the south side of the wheat field with some trees and brush growing in a large tangle. The dogs were working in the brush and I started through, following them. I turned to look for Sally and she was on point. She was a few steps behind me and off to my left. I took a couple of steps to the front of her and a large covey of quail flushed. They were still about 20 yards from me going through the trees. I got one shot and a quail dropped. I got all 3 dogs in to hunt dead but we never found the bird. Luke pointed for a second and I thought he had found the bird but he must have found the spot the quail had dropped but it had run off.
We followed in the direction the singles had flown. We went south then moved over and went to the north. We came back to the edge of the creek and worked the edge. Sally pointed where the tall grass met the brush along the creek. I went to her and she started trailing. I heard a quail flush down in the brush.
We went back through where the quail had dropped. Still found nothing. Worked a circle around where the singles should have been but didn’t find any more. We hunted back to the truck. I loaded the dogs and headed home. It had been a good quail hunt.
Sally is just 7 months old and she’s only been hunting 4 or 5 times in her life but she did a good job. She pointed a rooster pheasant, a covey of quail, 2 single quail and worked some running quail in the last two days. She also honored at least 3 times and would honor as long as the pointing dog didn’t move. When I go on a quail hunt from now on it’s going to be hard to leave her at home.
Luke
Sally
Tur Bo