Jim Smith and I had hunted Sandy Sanders WMA the first day and decided to try Black Kettle National Grasslands the second day. Black Kettle usually gets more pressure than Sandy Sanders. The quail ran and flushed ahead of the dogs on Sandy Sanders so we were sure we would have the same problem on Black Kettle.
Tur Bo on point.
Sally pointing Mann backing.
Luke pointing two quail.
The first place we stopped was 320 acres, a half mile by a mile. The cover that the quail inhabit is hard on dogs and boots. Most of these places are covered with shinnery oak and plum thickets. The shinnery is about knee high and thick. The plum bushes have thorns that penetrate the normal brush pants. But the quail can get away from most of the predators, hunters and dogs. The quail love it.
We parked on the north side, to hunt into the south wind. Jim turned Sue, Dottie and Willie out and I put the e-collars and GPS collars on Luke, Mann and Sally. About a half mile in, Dottie pointed in the shinnery along a hillside with Willie honoring. We started toward them and they started moving. We went on to the hillside.
We worked back to the north through the shinnery and Sally pointed close to where Dottie had pointed. She started moving and all of the dogs started trailing when we got close. We never came up with anything.
We were close to a windmill with a water tank so we took the dogs down to get them a drink. We started back to the south near where Dottie had pointed. Luke went on point. We got to him and all of the dogs started trailing. Again, we never came up with anything.
Mann had been with us when we watered the dogs but he had gone to the east. I called him and we started to the south and east. He came close but then went the wrong way. After us walking a ways with me calling him, the GPS showed him on point. He was 500 yards away. I started to him but I saw some cows in the area he was in. I knew that he was honoring a cow. To him they are just big dogs.
The other dogs started honoring Mann. Finally, we got them going but we were close to the windmill so we went by again. We went on to the south. Then after we got near the south boundary we turned to the east.
As we walked along a single quail flushed in front of us about 35 yards. No dogs or people close. We went in the direction it had flown. There was a small grove of trees that we went through. On the south east side was a opening, full of small shinnery. We were about half way across this opening when a single quail flushed from somewhere behind us and flew over us. I didn’t see it or hear it but saw one of our dogs react to it. Jim saw it.
We got the dogs in to search this opening. A single flushed well out in front of us. I shot but didn’t come close. It fired the dogs up. Jim’s dog Sue was working in front of us and pointed. We started to her but she moved on. Mann came by and within 5 yards of where Sue had pointed, he pointed. When we went toward him a single quail flushed from behind me. The bird was probably running around and had run away from Sue. It dropped when I shot and Sue grabbed it. She dropped it in my hand.
We went along the south edge to the east. When we got to the east boundary we started back to the north. As we went along Jim said, “we have a dog on point”. I looked where he pointed and I saw Willie. Jim could see Sue. When we got close Sally was in front on point and all of the others were right behind her honoring.
Mann on pigeons.
We got close and Sally moved up about 10 yards and went back on point but each of the honoring dogs moved up also. Willie was in front of me on point looking north west. Sally was looking north and each of the others were pointing except for Luke. He was a little behind and he honored Dottie. We had six dogs pointing and honoring in a line less than 5 yards long. Jim said you could throw a blanket over all six dogs.
We moved up to the dogs and a covey of quail flushed about 40 yards ahead of us, without drawing a shot. One quail flew back south but it was 50 yards from us. The main bunch never got very high and flew straight north.
I thought we would find some of the covey as we went back to the north but we never saw a bird. The dogs didn’t even get birdy. When we got to the trucks we loaded the dogs.
We ate lunch on the way to the next place. It too was a half section. A half mile by mile place. I turned Babe and Tur Bo out and Jim used Spud and Bay Lee. We went to the west along a dry creek bed. It was hot and dry for the dogs so we went by a windmill, then back to the west.
We had crossed a fence and went toward a small grove of trees and Tur Bo came in front of us and went on point. He knew those quail were right there. He was close when he came in front and was still running but when I saw him, I knew he was either going to point or flush some birds. He pointed but when we got to him he moved, then all of the dogs were trailing. We never came up with anything.
Babe on pigeons.
We went on to the south and west, making a big circle. As we came within about 75 yards of where Tur Bo had pointed well out front of us, with nothing around it, a single quail flushed. Neither of us shot. We got the dogs in to hunt this area then went back toward where Tur Bo had pointed. Nothing.
WE hunted back to the trucks. The temperature was in the sixties and we decided, although it was only about 3:00 pm, to quit for the day. Jim was heading home and I went by Skipout Lake to feed and water the dogs.
I was out early the next morning. My game plan was to hunt until noon then head home. I stopped at the place I wanted to try and turned Mann, Sally and Tur Bo out with their e-collars and GPS collars. The wind was out of the south at about 40 miles an hour. I knew, as wild as the birds had been the day before, in a normal wind, that I wasn’t going to get close. I ran these dogs for about an hour then loaded them.
I turned Luke, Babe and left Mann out with them. I had gone straight south with the first bunch so I took these dogs to the east for about a half mile then turned south. I ran them for less than an hour then took them back to the truck. I loaded them and headed home.
It had been a good trip. I had been away from the cold and snow for a few days, been able to work the dogs and visit with Jim. These quail have probably had a lot of pressure and learned to survive. There are some quail for seed and that makes me think, with a good spring, we could have a lot of quail, on the places we hunted this week. With all of the snow that has fallen in Iowa and northern Missouri, we need some birds in the south.
Miles walked on Black Kettle.
Sandy Sanders. Notice the difference in floors climbed.
Mann honoring.