Texas Hunting Forum

Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season

Posted By: reeltexan

Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 06:43 PM



Our numbers were way down from the last couple of years in the Rolling Plains and North.
I'm seeing markers that indicate trouble unless our precip rebounds over an extended time frame.

How did yours go and what do you expect next season?
Posted By: DaleGribble

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 06:51 PM

numbers were up and down- depending on the area.

I have a bad feeling about next season.
Posted By: Chet

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 07:02 PM

We got some rain in the Snyder/Jayton area today but it will have to be repeated throughout the spring and summer if we're going to have a better population next season. Guessing we had 1/3 or less the numbers we had last two years.
Posted By: tigger

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 08:25 PM

I hunt with chet and we had less than 10 inches on the ranch last year and parts of it had less than 2. I believe we have enough to come back but we have to have rain and it needs to start soon. Might have had .o25 last 5 days but I believe closer to .0099. I was there through sunday morning. I have hunted this property for 25 plus years and this year rates in bottom 5 in rain and in birds.
Posted By: quailg

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 08:41 PM

My hunts in Runnels were anywhere from 6 to 12 coveys and Dimmit County were 10 to 15 coveys on average. The late freeze really hurt. Good Spring rain is very important for a good 18-19 season.
Posted By: danceswithquail

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 09:08 PM

Hunted four counties from Baylor out to Terry County. Best was in the middle (which not by coincidence I checked probably 40 birds and none had eye worms), but all were down at least 40% and I think that Baylor county place was down 65% from last year. The residual cover as far as avian predation issue etc was good on all places, but forb growth was lower than normal because of the dry winter. I am worried about eye worm issues at the places that had eye worms taking out more of the brood crop before May/June, worried a lot. Don't feel good about next season, worried it will be down yet another 25 to 35% from this year.
Posted By: arandy

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 10:58 PM

I hunted mostly on my lease in Coke County but got to hunt a little in Fisher, Kent, and Runnels. First years on the lease but I found more birds on it than I did on the Howard County spot I had the previous year. Good thing is there were a lot of juvenile birds and very few eyeworms. Big late season coveys on the places I hunted as a guest. Conditions were never good and as the year progressed they got worse. In spite of that I got 3 pups going good and had some good days to go along with a not so good late season. Worst day I had was better than my best day four years ago so I'm happy. My dogs got plenty of work. We hunted hard and had fun. What more can I ask for? How good next year is will be entirely up to spring and summer moisture because everywhere I hunted there were enough birds to produce a huntable crop next year if they get a chance. Ranch owner just sent me a video of it raining at the gate so I'm cautiously optimistic. I have too many dogs to be anything else. We are just plumb flooded out in sw Arkansas surely enough of this moisture in the atmosphere will make it to west Texas so I can live my dream one more time.
Posted By: tigger

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 02/28/18 11:20 PM

Four years ago a pod measure
So 5 years ago is true neasure
Posted By: Flashprism

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 03/04/18 01:19 PM

Less birds than last year on my place in Dickens county. Same number of coveys but quantities down from 20 birds to 10 to 12. I'm guessing rain will be critical.
Posted By: TruckMan66

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 03/04/18 02:41 PM

Ok, I hunted Matador, Gene Howe, Sandy Sanders, Packsaddle, Bever River, San Angelo State Park & San Angelo PHL. Me & My hunting buddies average hunt was 2 1/2 days. We found about 2 coveys per hunt. Only exception was Tom Green County (San Angelo TX), there we found 4 coveys per hunt.
Posted By: TXDuckCreeklabs

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 03/05/18 08:43 PM

flush
Posted By: nate33

Re: Your overall summary of this season's hunts and what to expect next season - 03/05/18 10:42 PM

N.W. OK -- ---last yr 25 covies a day,,, this year 3. Big hunt in S. Tx ( Encino)was canceled due to no birds. Next year looks grim.
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