I have never bought quail and released them for me and some friends to shoot. Please let me know what you do? Is it just as easy as buying and picking up birds then releasing them in a field? Then chase after them? Curious. Are they delicate? Do you have to release 1 day after buying?

I have hunted some pen raised birds before mixed in with wild birds on a guided hunt but the place I went had like a chicken coop for theirs so they were not handled very long.

Turn them out the day you get them (unless you have a flight pen). Don't wait to long to hunt them or the predators will find them first.

In Texas a licensed Game Bird Breeder may raise pen raised quail which when leg banded by a licensed Private Bird Hunting Area may be set out for bird dog training and or hunting at any time without limits. Hunters must have Texas Hunting License and Upland extra stamp for Quail.

There is some confusion and some feel they can buy the birds, turn them lose and shoot them and that is incorrect. All quail are created almost equally and good flying quail is a challenge. Quail are easily domesticated and human contact avoided.

I have a new Private Bird Hunting Area 8 miles North of Terrell in the community of Poetry Texas. I also have live quail on site and will have quail hunts when it gets cooler. My plasce has nice field cover and is great for young dogs and close working dogs. Also have 4 ponds for water work.

Hope to hear from you bird dog folks.

Can you release some of the quail the 1st day out of the box then the other 1/2 the 2nd day or will they die? Also, can you shoot them year around without a special permit? I bought supper combo. Thinking about doing this after deer season if it is legal.

I too have been considering releasing some quail on our place.

No one really answered your question. I'll do the best I can based on my limited knowledge and experience.

We get our quail for NSTRA trials Friday afternoon. They come in plastic coated wire cages, with little bowels for food and water. We release them for trials Saturday and Sunday. There are usually some left over. Someone buys them for training purposes for the following week. I've taken home a few, to use in my Johnny house. They lasted until after season.

The special permit will cost you $82. Google Private bird hunting area.

Slice up oranges and drop them in the cage w/birds.
They love 'em plus it sustains the little rascals.

Yes, they will last more than one day. For several years I was making 150 mile round trip to pick up quality birds, so I would pick up on Friday night what we were going to need for Saturday and Sunday.

Keep them protected at night, for instance, maybe in a dog box. Something to keep them from getting wet, hot, or marauded by critters, and you will be fine. The oranges is a great idea, but if you are going to use them the next day, probably isn't necessary. If I were to do anything, I would rig up some kind of waterer.

More on penn raised birds. You have to get the Private Bird Hunting Area license and order leg bands for quail with the ID number for your PBHA and these bands must be put on the birds before release.

We are up and running and have flighty birds on site

We provide a full guided service to release birds on your property and hunt with quality bird dogs for the day. In addition we have a private game bird ranch where we release our own bird, and also provide guided and unguided hunts. My partner has completed the quail masters program and has forgot more than I'll ever know. Come out with us and see first hand how we run out operation. Ranch is located in Henrietta, Texas (1.2 hours from DFW area).

Regulation enforcement depends on your local Game Warden. The one in the area where we release birds told me he was fine with us releasing and working dogs as long as:

1. we only hunted them during season
2. we did not bag more than fifteen each
------ or ------
3. if we hunt outside season or keep more they must be banded.

I suggest you do what I did....call your Warden, tell him what you want to do and ask him his opinion.

No preserve license was required under the above circumstances.
Don't get caught charging anyone to do it though.

As for the cage question - release them as soon as possible, more than two days and the birds get a bit cannalbalistic.

... and the birds get a bit cannibalistic.

Zombie quail...funny.

Sorry I could not resist.

I don't think I could shoot them if it were not from the dogs. I never could have shot the ones in my Johnny house. I sort of felt like Walter in Second Hand Lion. He named her Jasmine. I had one rooster that I named Lucky. He was the best training quail I ever had. He'd shoot out of the Johnny house door, and find a bush in a hurry. He'd flush if crowed by the dogs, and head right back the the funnel. Lucky got sick and died. I buried him just like they buried Jasmine.

The only problem is that they aren't as scared as wild quail and it will make it easier for coyotes to get them.

If it isnt quail season, you will need to consult your local game warden as you may need a shoot to kill permit plus leg bands on the birds and a receipt in order to be legal. I have only done it during season so not as many issues as long as I don't go over my limit I am not breaking any laws. The longer you keep the birds boxed up the weaker they will get, but you can probably keep them one day in a box.