Quail do make everything better. I met Don and Linda Hansen near Emporia Kansas on a walk-in property that last year we found 3 coveys of quail. We were hoping that there were more coveys this year. Don only brought one pup, Trouble, with him and I had Sally and Luke with me. We were both carrying shot guns since to be on walk-in property we had to be hunting something. We were either hunting turkeys or wood cock or maybe rabbits. The temperature was about 32 degrees with a strong north wind. In just a few minutes it had me wishing for ear flaps but I didn’t have them with me.
Luke on point almost sitting down. Sally honoring.
Sally pointing a single.
Sally in the brush pointing a single.
We hunted the area, near where we were parked, that had a covey in it last year without finding them. On a hedge row that ran out into a soy bean field Luke got birdy and Sally even pointed a couple of times but moved on before I could get to her. We came around the edge of the unharvested soy beans and started into some CRP. I thought I saw a quail flush well out in front of the dogs. A few seconds later I felt my Garmin GPS handheld vibrate. Luke was on point in the CRP. I forgot to take a picture and he looked much better than he did on the first picture I posted here. When I walked in a single quail flushed.
We got all 3 dogs into the CRP but never came up with anything else. We continued on down a hedge row in the CRP. Again I felt my GPS handheld vibrate. Luke was on point 216 yards ahead of us. As we got close Sally saw him and honored. Luke was almost sitting down. I think he slid around when he hit the scent cone and was afraid to move thinking the quail would flush. I took some pictures then walked in front of him. He and Sally moved up and went back on point. I continued around them and a covey of quail flushed. Some of the covey flew out into a milo field that was off the place we were hunting. Since this was the corner we turned and went to the west.
The property got longer after we went to the west and we turned back north along another hedge row. Don was on one side and I was on the other. About 50 yards in front of me Luke went on point. When I got closer Sally saw him and honored. When I got close Luke moved into the brush and Sally went along the side of the hedge row. Both of the dogs pointed about the same time looking in different directions. Sally was closer so I went to her. The covey of quail started flushing down in the hedge row. It was scattered out, running from the dogs.
It seemed like the birds went in every direction. We started on to the north and Sally went on point. I took some pictures and as I started to her she moved up about 5 yards. She went back on point. When I went in front of her a quail flushed but I could hear 2 or 3 more flushing behind me.
We went on down the hedge row to the north. I saw 4 quail fly across in front of me going to the west lighting in the CRP. I saw Sally on point about where the 4 quail had to have come from. I figured it was a hot spot from those 4 quail. I went to her after taking pictures. When I got right beside her a single quail flushed a few yards in front of her.
Luke was on down to the north so I went on down. I got to the end of the walk-in property and checked the GPS. Sally was on point back along the hedge row, I had just left, about 120 yards. When I got close I saw she was real close to where she had been on point before. I took pictures and when I got close a quail flushed down in the brush along the hedge row.
Sally pointing a single.
I went on through to talk to Don. I told him about seeing the 4 quail fly into the CRP. As we started back to the south west through the CRP all 3 dogs came in front of us. We were about a third of the way through the CRP and Sally went on point. I took pictures (not having to shoot I can remember to take pictures) then walked in front of her. Luke came by and I don’t know whether he could see her or not but I had to whoa him. When I got in front of her a single quail flushed.
We got back near the hedge row where the covey had flushed, originally. I was trying to show Don where they had flushed from when Sally came near a little cedar tree that I was pointing to and went on point. I told Don that was where they had flushed from originally. I thought Sally was pointing a hot spot but when I got in front of her a single quail flushed.
Luke pointing a covey of quail.
Don had seen where a quail had flown in the hedge row so we went on to the south to find it. When we got close to the south end of the hedge row I almost stepped on a quail. We went on back to the south.
We got close to the area where Luke had pointed our first single. We wanted to check that area because we had only seen one quail. I got close to a draw that ran through the CRP and got Luke in front of me. As we started to the east down the draw I checked the GPS. Sally was on point right at the very start of the draw. I went back to her. When I got close she started boring into the brush in this draw. She pointed again but moved up before I could get to her. I started on down the draw to the east and she came in front of me and went on point, again. This time when I got to her a bird fluttered up then went right back down. It only flew about 10 yards. Sally was close when it landed and it flew away.
We followed the draw on to the property line on the east, went to the south to the road then back to the truck. We had only been out for 2 1/2 hours and had found 3 coveys of quail. We had a lot of dog work for no longer than we were out. This was good for the dogs and it was also good for the dogs owners.
Sally on a single.
Luke pointing quail.