Don and Linda Hansen were going to meet me near Emporia Kansas, for a quail hunt, but couldn’t be there until about 10:00 am. I woke up real early and decided I would go hunt one place before they got there. When I started loading my truck I remembered that I hadn’t charged my GPS collars since I had been on the last hunt. Good thing I woke up early. Instead of going early I charged collars.
Sally pointing a single quail .
Luke honoring Sally.
Sally in another thicket.
I had Sally and Luke with me and Don turned his pointer Annie out. The first place we hunted was some harvested corn and soy bean fields with hedge rows around them. Where the land rose out of the bottom was in CRP.
We had not gone very far when we heard Annie barking. When birds flush in front of her she barks. She doesn’t bark if we are close enough to shoot but only when they flush before we get there. There was a hedge row between us and Annie so we had no idea where they went.
Later, as we went around a corn field we saw some quail tracks in the snow but although the dogs got birdy we never found the birds. We circled some more fields then back to the trucks through some CRP. We loaded the dogs and went to another place.
The next place was a harvested soy bean field surrounded by CRP. Luke’s feet were sore from hunting on the snow in Iowa so I left him in the truck and turned Sally out. Don turned Annie and another pointer, Goofy, loose. Goofy is a large, good looking, pup about a year old.
As we went around the edge of the soy bean field we saw quail tracks in the snow. We went to the east along the CRP then turned north along the soy bean field. We went to the east in the CRP then moved over and started back to the west. As we got near the west side the GPS showed Sally on point about 100 yards in front of us.
When we got close we saw her pointing into a hedge row beside the soy bean field. As we got close she moved up about 10 yards and went back on point. We moved to her and she started trailing. Annie and Goofy had backed her and all 3 dogs started trailing.
We saw Annie on point in the CRP. When we walked in a single quail flushed. Don and I both shot and the bird dropped. As Don started toward the downed quail another single flushed in front of him. It crumpled at his shot. He went on to the last bird and I got Sally in to look for the first bird.
The CRP was really thick but after a few minutes I saw Sally mouthing something. When I went ot look she had found the quail. I petted her for a few seconds then said, “give.” She dropped it in my hand.
Luke in the little ditch.
Sally and I went over to help Don find the other bird. As the dogs went back and forth Annie went on point for just a second then grabbed the bird. She gave it to Don.
We made a big circle through the CRP and came back through the area where the two quail were but never saw another. We went around the soy bean field through the CRP. We were almost back to the trucks when a covey of quail flushed behind me. I shot but didn’t really have a shot. I still haven’t mastered the 50 yard, from left to right, shot at flying quail yet.
There were some small trees between us and where the quail flew so we couldn’t see where they landed. We both had seen the direction of the quail I had shot at, went, so we started in that direction.
We hunted to the edge of the soy bean field then turned south. We were almost to the south edge when we started to turn back toward the trucks. I checked the GPS and Sally was on point along the edge to the south, looking into a thicket. Don came in on her left and I was on the right. A single quail flushed on the other side of the thicket. I shot and the bird was hit but kept flying. Don said, “I hit that quail.” I said, “I didn’t know you shot.” He said, “I didn’t know you shot.” I watched the quail fly to the south about a hundred yards and drop.
Sally pointing a single.
We crossed to where the quail had fallen. When we got close I checked the GPS and Sally was on point about 50 yards past where I thought the dead quail would be. When we got close a meadow lark flushed in front of her. We turned back to where I thought the quail had fallen. When we got close Annie went on point then moved down wind and picked up the dead quail. She took it to Don.
We crossed back to where the quail had been and as I watched Sally she went on point. Before I could say anything a quail flushed about 5 yards in front of her. It flew away without a shot being fired.
We stood watching all 3 dogs working the area. As we watched Sally came in front of me and went on point. She was about 15 yards in front of us. As we walked in a single quail flushed and I shot but missed. Don shot and didn’t. In this CRP we tried to keep our eye on where the birds fall so we can find them. Don hurried over to where he thought the quail had fallen. He was calling his dogs in when Sally ran right next to him, stopped and picked up the dead quail, next to his foot. She started toward me with it and I started moving away, calling her. She came about half way then put the quail on the ground. I went to her and took the bird.
Luke pointing a quail.
We continued to search the area then decided to check the very south edge. There was a ditch, with some rough cover next to it, right in front of me. I called Sally to cross in front of me. She came and went on point about 10 feet in front of me. I took a step and a single quail went almost straight up, then turned to the east. I shot and the bird dropped through a tall tree, landing in some real thick brush across the ditch. I was thinking how hard it was going to be to cross the ditch, in that cover, when Sally bounced out of the ditch with the quail in her mouth. She brought it about half way to me and put it on the ground. When I went to her she picked it up. I told her to give and she released it.
We continued to work the area without finding any more quail. Don and I had decided this late in the year, 3 were enough birds to be taken from a covey. Although they have good food, water and cover on this farm, we need to leave some for seed. I would much rather have quail to work the dogs on than a bird in my hand.
Sally pointing quail.
Luke pointing quail.
Luke on point almost sitting down. Sally honoring.