TXduckman...re-arrange your schedule. The guy I know down there has been guiding in that area for years and said it is the best he's ever seen. He said the SMALLEST covey they have seen has been 25-30 birds. Some are 40+. Also said, they are still seeing 1/4 grown birds and suspects a 4th hatch. I'm headed down in January with a string of competition dogs for our Winter Camp program for 3 weeks....to say i'm excited about that trip would be an understatement!!!!

Sounds incredible. It is not my schedule, just a little compromise with the mrs. till the little one is on milk or formula. I am playing defense with the 2 1/2 year old if you know what I mean. I went on a w. tex trip for 3 nights in Sept that wore us out. I already turned down a quail trip to w. tex in January. Next year I will be 100% back in the game. The place I can go is in Dimmit. 12K on the Nueces. I have been there in the spring and there were tons of quail then in 2003. This would be more a deer trip as we need to shoot as many does/culls/mgmt as possible but we can quail hunt between hunts. From it sounds like that is all the time we need but think I'll have to hope we can go the next year or sometime soon thereafter. It is not every year you get 50+ inches in the brush country!

Quail hunted as a guest between Colorado City and Snyder. Saturday was great for hunting and only fair for the dogs due to low humidity. All bobwhites, no blues, and the hunting was along fence rows and brush surrounding farmers grain fields.

Sunday was excellent early and through lunch for the dogs with more humidity to work with for the dogs. Hunted near toward Lake Thomas areas as a guest with a couple of oilfield friends and found more birds (bobs). Did not run across any immature birds in that area. Covey size was good around 25 maximum.

Good Hunting,
Mud-Dabber

Ate lunch with a hunting guide from Albany today. His outfitter tried to hunt quail up near Turkey, Texas. They had a group from out of state and six experienced pointers. Raised only one covey all day long in that area and cancelled all booked hunts in that region. He said they were not hunting birds around Albany due to the vegetation and dry conditions. I am sure deer season also has something to do with it. Anyway, in the Turkey, Texas vicinity evidently it is poor hunting.

Regards,
Mud

Wow. That is where I normally go hunting over Thanksgiving. The guys we hunt with all live in Turkey and Silverton so I'll check with them. I probably wasn't going this year but my buddy is still considering it. It's his family and friends cotton/wheat farm land and leases we hunt but that sounds depressing.

Just south of there on the Kent/Dickens line it seems pretty good in Sept for quail.

Just got back from a weekend hunt north of Colorado City and was shocked by how few birds we saw. Labor Day weekend we'd seen numerous coveys all over north Mitchell county. We were looking forward to some great shooting this weekend, but the birds apparently had other ideas. Really mystifying as to where they all went. It was warm (mid-80s on Sat.) but I don't think that alone could account for the nearly complete absence of bobwhite activity. We saw two small coveys scurrying across roads at dusk, but that was it. Really disappointing.

Am wondering if anyone has had much success around the Snyder/Sweetwater area as we are debating about scheduling another (hopefully more successful) hunt next month. Thanks.

I just got back from a 7 day hunt. To hot to hunt after lunch. 1 big rattlesnake. Cover is unbelievable. Averaged .75 coveys per hour on the ground but to many august sept birds and not enough june july birds. I hope a rain and hard freeze will help. Still beats work.

Weather is calling for a chance of snow! I plan on going Friday.

Has anyone had better dog work since the snow and colder weather moved thur during Thanksgiving? I'm planing to hunt next week and i'm hoping condictions have improved. If you have been out recently I would love to hear a report on dog work.THANKS GA DOG

GA DOG

Hunted in the southeast Panhandle Fri and Sat. Friday spit rain all morning birds were very jumpy but dogs didn't seem to have any problem smelling them. Was trying to get a young pup in birds so still can't give you a real good idea of bird count in the area though I did move 5 covies in about 41/2 hours on the ground. Don't know what kind of cover you will encounter, but my place is eat up with broom weed. Can't see a dog after 20 yards unless they are jumping in the cover. Found dogs on point twice after I gave up on which direction they had hunted to, tough year for cover. Good luck, I used to make the drive from Atlanta to hunt in Ks., Okla, and Texas and know how you stress about the birds and weather. Good hunting.......

GADOG
Hunted in the southeast Panhandle Fri and Sat. Friday spit rain all morning birds were very jumpy but dogs didn't seem to have any problem smelling them. Was trying to get a young pup in birds so still can't give you a real good idea of bird count in the area though I did move 5 covies in about 41/2 hours on the ground.

Don't know what kind of cover you will encounter, but my place is eat up with broom weed. Can't see a dog after 20 yards unless they are jumping in the cover. Found dogs on point twice after I gave up on which direction they had hunted to, tough year for cover. Good luck, I used to make the drive from Atlanta to hunt in Ks., Okla, and Texas and know how you stress about the birds and weather. Good hunting.......

Hey thanks for the report Chet,it's good to know I'm not the only one that's crazy enough to drive from GA to TX to hunt. I live just north of Calhoun which is 70 miles north of Atlanta, it's such a long drive you do get stressed out trying to make a decision about when to go. I also made many long drives to Ottawa Ks. to hunt quail and pheasants in the early and mid 90's. Quail hunting and birddoging have to be the most addictive hobby on the planet,I just can't quit. Hunting the kick and shoot places we have in Ga. just don't "get-it" for me.Hope you have a great season and I will post a report when I get home. GA DOG

Last year was the first time I ever failed to find ANY quail on my 1/2 section NE of Wheeler in eastern panhandle. Last Sunday was only slightly better with just one small covey. My cousin who lives on the place said the birds just aren't there like they used to be.

Perryton did have a few pheasants Saturday though.

Just got back from kent county. Still slow, hot, and dry and windy. 11 coveys was the best day.

Hunted Friday near Seymour. Had a couple of 2 year olds on the ground at 7:15 in heavy fog and pushed 4 nice (18+ bird) covies in an hour. Was so happy to see nice covies me and my pardner shot like crap. One other covey the next hour then it got above 70 and dried out and it was over. Saw covey roosts all over every hill. I hunted this same pasture mid morning two weeks ago and didnt push a bird. I think there are more birds out there than it seems right now. Moisture this week will help. This is the most broomweed free pasture we have leased, pic from yesterday below.

Love that picture. Your broomweed crop doesn't look bad at all. Are you hunting on Lake Kemp / Waggoners? Should make for some good conditions next year if the ice doesnt get them.

Here is a good read from TPWLD Magazine.

What’s Up with Quail?
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2007/nov/ed_1/

Large-scale teamwork may be the only way to meet the quail’s highly specific habitat needs.

7mm, this pic was taken about 10 miles from the southern edge of the Waggoner. I used to lease a couple of sections that bordered Lake Kemp, quail was ok but the duck hunting was phenomenal

Hey Fellas-

Looks like I've got a hunt in El Paso county after Christmas. Any reports from WAY out West?

-losofshots

I have heard they have a lot of blues should be good

Can anyone give me a report for the Wheeler/Wellington area? Coming out from AL first week in Jan. Had great hunts in the area for four years then passed last year. So far what I've heard hasn't been encouraging.

Hey Bama, I hunted about 15 miles west of wellington the 2nd week of Dec. it was better than expected. We also hunted in the knox city area. Here is a report of our week, arrived late monday evening it had rained all day and it rained all night and up until about 3pm tues. We hunted 2hours tues. 3-5pm and found 3-4 covies dressed 14. Wed. morning was the best hunting condiction I have ever seen in tx. cold, cloudy and damp with a lite breeze. We found 7-8 covies by 2:30 had a 2 man limit. Scenting condictions were great, dog work better than expected.That evening my best dog got really sick, so the next morning was spent at the vet.(she had a lymphe node infection)had to leave her with the vet and then drove up to near Wellington.The dog is fine now. We hunted from noon until 5pm and had another 2 man limit. Moved 7-8 covies that day. The next morning the fog rolled in and we could not see 50 yards. hunted until 10am(2 COVIES) when the fog and lite drizzle started freezing on our guns and the trees. We load up and headed home because last year we got caught in a snow and ice storm at this same place and were trapped for a while. We drove south and got out of the ice and made it home Sat. afternoon. Bottom line the hunting is better than last year, but nothing like 2 and 3 years ago. You have to work to find your birds, there's not a covey under every plum thicket like in 04 amd 05.The damp weather cost us some feild time but it repaid us with good hunting condictions when we were albe to hunt. I'm going back the 3rd week of Jan. Give us a report when you get back. I know how you get stressed out about the birds, weather etc.. when you drive as far as we do. Good luck. GA DOG

Any reports for the area between Abiline and San Angelo? I hunt in Coke County and heard it was covered up in quail a few months ago. Now numbers are lower but still decent. These are from folks who don't hunt them, so looking for reports of anyone who has hunted in that or surrounding counties.

December 28, 2007

Quail hunting has been very spotty around Abilene. What started out as blaming the broomweed and heavy brush growth for not finding the quail has revealed that it just does not appear there are near as many birds as there were during late August and observed during dove season. It is better than last year, but it would not take much. Nowhere near like it was 3 or 4 years ago. It appears they are still in the recovery phase. Quail guides and ranchers have said that they are shooting on covey rises and forgetting about chasing singles due to number of birds. No doubt there are quail around the deer feeders and a decent amount, but those waiting for deer season to be over and expecting lots and lots of quail may be setting themselves up for disappointment.

It appears more birds are being found west of a line from Colorado City to Childress in greater numbers. I hunted south of Odessa around Crane and Rankin and found some huge covies of blues in that area, but it was tuff hunting.

Definetly birds to hunt, just keep the expectations in line and everyone will not be disappointed hopefully.

Dog working conditions are much better now, a good bit a dew and fog this last week for better scenting conditions.

Regards,
Mud-Dabber

Hunted in Garza County, north and south of Post, Texas. Some of the best bobwhite hunting I have had this year with some oilfield contractors. Might be worth a try to contact the Post Chamber of Commerce to see if they know of any bird leases in that area. Covies averaged 18-22 birds per covey.

Mud-December 29, 2007

Dabber - thanks for the report. Just got back from three day hunt north of Big Spring at a 25,000 acre ranch I have hunted at least once a year the past 5 years. Really poor, switched to taking the boys duck hunting. Averaged about 4 coveys a day. Nice sized bobwhite coveys but blue coveys were about 12-15 birds (average is about 40 birds in past years). Cover was so thick that dogs were constantly digging thorns out of pads and legs and really shortened their casts and slowed pace and ground the dogs covered. Scenting conditions seemed average, dogs were able to find dead birds well etc. We jeep hunted one afternoon and pushed only two coveys of blues where we would normally kick up 18 to 20 in an afternoon. Man I hope this season turns around, got a 7 month old pup that needs more bird contact. Pics of her and my pointer masquerading as a lab.




I have been checking around and the blues south of Midland are supposedly average to good, but not many other good reports. Got a couple of friends driving their dogs down from Wisconsin -- getting nervous about finding a decent bird crop to hunt!