You have to kiss a few toads

A neighbor told me he had 600 acres leased for grazing cattle, and that he had seen 5 or 6 coveys while driving around the roads. He wanted to hunt it with a bird dog. It was behind a new subdivision between Katy and Fulshear. You guessed it right. It was off the old Fulshear Katy road. I met him and his friend in downtown Fulshear. Cracker pointed the first covey on a fence line with a very tight 4 strand barbed wire fence. I didn't see anyway we could flush the covey which was just across the fence. I put Muffin down and she got them up. We saw maybe 20 birds go low and fast down the other side of the fence.

It went down from there. The weeds and nut sage were to thick for any dog. We rode the roads for a couple of hours and came home.

I'm off to Beeville next Tuesday with an old friend to hunt his lease an afternoon and a morning. He doesn't have a clue about the bird numbers.

I read all your great threads about great hunts this year. Ever kiss any toads?

Early in the season, I met up with a few fellows from the plant I worked at for 26 years, and had an unbelievably good hunt in a comparatively small pasture. We found and pointed coveys all day long. Never did figure out what is in that pasture that attracted bobwhite like it did. I mean this is a GREAT year, but I've never seen bird densities like that!

Now comes late January. Same guys meet me for another hunt in the same pasture. As I pulled thru the gate, the person helping me that day remarked " This is the place? Gary, there is no cover!" The place had been overgrazed and except for the abundant mesquite sprouts and cactus, resembled a gigantic pool table. Was it a bust? Oh yeah!

The aforementioned helper happened to know a person with some farm property where fencerows and a creek turned the afternoon into what could only be described as stellar.

He walked away with the entire tip that evening. He earned every penny of it.

With woodcock hunting you kiss some toads - since they migrate there can not be a single bird one day and you can be covered up the next. I am beginning to get the hang of the weather patterns that bring them in. Not that it matters much - I go whenever I can anyway.

This year was the exception - they were "in" all season. I'm guessing because the wet weather kept them happy with the soft ground and easy to find worms.