Oklahoma Quail Hunt, Day 3

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Dolly pointing

Dolly pointing

Dolly pointing Lucky honoring

Dolly pointing Lucky honoring

On the third morning of my Oklahoma quail hunt I got up early and drove through a thick fog to Cooper WMA near Woodward, Oklahoma. I got to Cooper WMA at about 7:00 am but the fog was so thick I couldn’t see to hunt. I let all of the dogs out to empty out and get a drink then waited for the fog to lift. I hunted here in February and found some quail so I knew where I wanted to park. The fog was so thick I wasn’t sure I had parked in the right place so I drove back the way I came in. As I drove, slowly, through the fog I saw a quail along side the road.

I drove to the next parking area and put the Garmin GPS collars and the Sport Dog e-collars on Blaze and Tur Bo. Blaze is steady to wing and shot on pigeons that I put in release traps and Tur Bo is almost there, neither of them has much experience on wild quail. I just wanted them to find some quail. We hunted down the side of the road toward where I saw the quail along the road. Tur Bo and Blaze were tired and sore. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see the dogs if they got 50 yards away. Both dogs were not often out of my sight. We crossed to the other side.

Shortly after we crossed the road both dogs started getting more animated. They were really cracking their tails and going back and forth in front of me. I didn’t see or hear the first quail to flush but I saw the dogs chasing. I watched the GPS and they took the first ones about 150 yards then came back sweeping the area. This covey must have been spread out feeding because they flushed in 3 or 4 bunches. There was enough fog that I couldn’t see all of the birds but I saw the dogs chasing. I couldn’t see where the quail were going down, due to the fog but we went in the direction the dogs had chased.



Tur Bo and Blaze were no longer tired and sore. They were covering the ground looking for quail. They found 2 singles and chased them a long ways. We continued on past the truck then turned and crossed back to the truck. I checked the GPS and both dogs were 250 yards away. Evidently, they had found something else to chase. When they came back I put them up and drove back to the other parking area.

Before I let some more dogs out I counted my shells and I only had 8 for my 16 gauge side by side without digging them out of my truck. You would have to see my truck when I’m on a trip to understand. Anyway, I figured 8 shells were enough. I turned Lucky and Dolly out. They were tired and sore but you couldn’t tell except they were a little slower than normal. We hunted to the north then swung over to the west. In the fog I went farther west than I wanted and wound up near a road. We hunted south then back to the east toward the truck. I checked the GPS and Lucky was north of me 125 yards on point. Dolly stayed in front of me on the way to Lucky.

About 20 yards before we got to Lucky, Dolly went on point then moved, saw Lucky and honored. I walked in front of Lucky and kicked the grass and nothing flushed. I released him and they both trailed then Lucky pointed again with Dolly backing. Again nothing flushed when I went in front of him. They trailed about 25 yards and went on point again. This time I made a circle that took me well out in front of the dogs and I started back toward them. A quail flushed about 40 yards behind me. I shot both barrels without connecting. Six shells left.



Dolly pointed and when I went in front of her a quail flushed at my feet. It dropped at my shot and Dolly retrieved. Lucky went on point and when I went in front a quail flushed right in front of me. I shot and when it dropped another one flushed going the other way. I dropped it, also. I threw my hat to mark where the first one had fallen and got Dolly to hunt dead on the second. She located it and reared up on me when she brought it in. That’s her way of asking for the head. I gave it to her and we went to find the other bird. Lucky went on point just past my hat and I told him to hunt dead. He picked the bird up and brought it to me. Three shells left.

Dolly pointed again. We were probably 150 yards from where Lucky had made the first point. I went in front of her and another quail flushed. I dropped it and Dolly retrieved without me having to move. I didn’t see Lucky so I checked the GPS and he was about 75 yards away on point. Dolly and I went to him. A quail flushed when I went in front of him and dropped at my shot. Dolly retrieved it. One shell left.

I moved the dogs out of the area. When I cleaned these birds I figured out that this covey was spread out feeding on the rag weed. Their craws were crammed full. I knew quail spread out to feed but from one edge to the other, of where we found birds, was over 200 yards. I’m sure they ran from us, also, but they still had to be spread over a large area. We hunted back to the truck.

Luke was the only dog that hadn’t got to hunt this morning so I turned him and Tur Bo out. Luke’s feet were really sore so I didn’t want to hunt him very long but the trip home is about 6 hours and I wanted him to empty out. He’s still young and runs faster and farther than any of the others. I let him run for about 20 minutes and returned to the truck.



One of the hardest things to instill in a young dogs is the knowledge that they can find birds, in these days of very few quail. This was a good trip for both of the young dogs. Blaze has pointed wild birds before but last year was so bad she had very few opportunities. Tur Bo was just a puppy last year but he found a few birds. On this trip, they both pointed birds and they chased quite a few this morning. Now they know they can find birds.

When I cleaned the birds from this hunt I found a band on one. I called the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and talked to a Wildlife Biologist. He said it was probably from a bird that was banded last year or the year before. They didn’t have any studies on Cooper WMA this year. He’s going to get the band number to Oklahoma State University and they will send me the information on the bird. When I get the information I will put it on the blog.



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