Quail hunting: Preliminary data raise hopes for this season after years of decline

By RAY SASSER rsasser@dallasnews.com

Staff Writer


Published: 01 August 2015 05:27 PM

Updated: 01 August 2015 05:27 PM




Quail hunters are an optimistic crowd. Their favorite game birds have always risen and fallen, riding the roller coaster of unstable Texas weather trends. In recent years, the quail have fallen more than they’ve risen.

So, too, have the ranks of quail hunters, once estimated at 233,000 strong. By the 2012-13 season, that number had declined to an estimated 25,000. Hunter numbers blipped up to a little more than 36,000 in 2013-14 and rose a little higher in 2014-15, to more than 45,000.

Robert Perez, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department quail program leader, said he was glad to see quail hunters on the uptick for a change. If a catastrophe doesn’t occur before quail season begins in November, the number of quail could increase significantly this fall, and hunters are expected to respond.
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http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/more-sp...-of-decline.ece

Fingers crossed. I only have a few more years of bird dogging left.

Hang in there, Mr. Bill. Everything down here is pointing to another great season. I never got started until the fall of 2001. Last season was, for us, at least, what the old timers talked about. I am glad I stuck with it long enough to see a year like that. All indications are for another bumper year in our area anyway. Here is hoping that your area is looking the same!
and
Here's hoping for great hunting for us all!

Was looking for a bumper crop of birds since we had an excellent bunch of birds last year.
Wasn't un-common to move 10 coveys in a two hr. run.. A couple of weeks ago, the ranch sprayed close to 25000 acres of mesquite with Sendero Herbicide. 1500 acres of that is, or was, some of the best hunting property that I've seen in my 73 years.. Has anyone had any dealings with Sendero and is it toxic to wildlife or quail? I know we will lose 75 to 85 percent of our canopy cover... will have some cover that is not affected by this spray.
Those doing the spraying say it won't hurt any wildlife, but I'm not convinced.

Sorry for being so long-winded.

[quote=88man]Was looking for a bumper crop of birds since we had an excellent bunch of birds last year.
Wasn't un-common to move 10 coveys in a two hr. run.. A couple of weeks ago, the ranch sprayed close to 25000 acres of mesquite with Sendero Herbicide. 1500 acres of that is, or was, some of the best hunting property that I've seen in my 73 years.. Has anyone had any dealings with Sendero and is it toxic to wildlife or quail? I know we will lose 75 to 85 percent of our canopy cover... will have some cover that is not affected by this spray.
Those doing the spraying say it won't hurt any wildlife, but I'm not convinced.



Oh yeah! There was quite the discussion on this topic a while back.

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4432553/1

Thanks for the info... Read the post in full... Sounded like a war was about to break out..LOL..