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Feb 7th, 2025
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 Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
#4813419
12/06/13 11:42 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,085
blanked
OP
Veteran Tracker
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OP
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,085 |
Quite often I read bird hunters in Texas hunt 2 or 3 hours and that's it for the day. I am just getting started myself
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: blanked]
#4813459
12/06/13 11:54 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 252
txdogman
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 252 |
Quite often I read bird hunters in Texas hunt 2 or 3 hours and that's it for the day. I am just getting started myself When you have as many years behind you as most of the upland posters on here, you'll hunt 2 or 3 hrs and tell lies about it the rest of the time, just like us. The real truth is " that's about all we can endure ".
I can make 'em go! and I can make 'em whoa!
God makes 'em DO!
I carry the gun and blow the whistle.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: txdogman]
#4813474
12/06/13 11:56 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,085
blanked
OP
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OP
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Posts: 2,085 |
Good answer. But I thought that's what ATVs were for so you could last a little more
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: txdogman]
#4813490
12/07/13 12:01 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
Also, we run out of land before we run out of time. I just got an invitation to hunt Sunday morning on a 1200 acre pasture. We can cover it in 3 hours, and watch football Sunday afternoon.
Back in the old days I walked 3 hours in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. We took home limits. It's not that way anymore.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill ![[Linked Image]](https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/pics/usergals/2017/07/full-3669-105539-full_16668_105507_image.jpg)
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: bill oxner]
#4814094
12/07/13 03:06 AM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 392
OneShotSam
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 392 |
As thin as cover has been the last.......years. About 2 hours is all it takes to cover 1000 acres. On to the next place.......if there is one. 30 years ago I could walk a dog out.....not so anymore
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: OneShotSam]
#4814123
12/07/13 03:16 AM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,746
tigger
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,746 |
As thin as cover has been the last.......years. About 2 hours is all it takes to cover 1000 acres. On to the next place.......if there is one. 30 years ago I could walk a dog out.....not so anymore Also lack of birds will cause you to cover so much more country. ATV allow you to push dogs through more country and wear out more dogs. Most of old guy are very happy to hunt 3 hours, have a great lunch, a better nap, and start happy hour.
Tigger
If it isn't white it is not a birddog.
KC
Lying is lying. Don't bitch about one doing it and condone another. That's called hypocrisy.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: tigger]
#4814218
12/07/13 03:53 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3,062
MS1454
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
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Posts: 3,062 |
The few changes I get to hunt wild birds, we go a lot more than 2-3 hours. There has always been too much land to worry about covering it all in a weekend. Preserve hunt yes two or three hours
I'll take a Black Female every time.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: blanked]
#4814296
12/07/13 04:22 AM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 201
1971snipe
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 201 |
Quite often I read bird hunters in Texas hunt 2 or 3 hours and that's it for the day. I am just getting started myself Aren't you a Texas bird hunter? I don't know what you've been reading. Anyway, of the answers so far, I guess I sympathize with Bill's the most, although all have a point. But when we hunted the Chaparral, we would go from daylight until dark, with a break for lunch, and a couple breaks for coffee or water. (No ATVs allowed there, btw.) On private leases we generally take our time, have a morning hunt, go to lunch somewhere or have a field lunch, then hunt the afternoon. Of course it all depends on whether we're finding birds. Like everyone said, 1000 acres can be covered pretty well with 2-3 good dogs. Of course, woodcock hunting, for the past couple years anyway, is an all day affair, even for a bird or two.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: 1971snipe]
#4814465
12/07/13 08:57 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 56
Indymac
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 56 |
If it stays cold/cool all day, I'll hunt all day. When/if it starts to get hot for me and the dogs, we'll quit.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: Indymac]
#4814572
12/07/13 12:48 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,085
blanked
OP
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OP
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Posts: 2,085 |
Am I a Texas hunter???
At best maybe 10% of my hunting is here. If or when the numbers improve then that will change
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: blanked]
#4814595
12/07/13 01:04 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
Another thing is that I now hunt by invitation. Here's part of the invitation I got for a hunt tomorrow;
"We will meet at 8:00 A.M. and hunt about three hours or so. Directions are below and a map is included below in the email."
If he had written that we would meet at 2:00, we would have only had about 3 hours to hunt.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: bill oxner]
#4814875
12/07/13 03:16 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 117
orpco
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 117 |
Quail hunting has been an evolution for me. In the early days it was all about the birds. Many times we would hunt with a party of 4 for 2 and a half days. We didn't consider it a success unless we left with a 3 day limit for each if us. Some times no dogs were involved. As we got older and had responsibilities it turned into a day hunt starting early and hunt till dark. Still a successful hunt was a limit of birds for each hunter. The next stage involved combination deer hunts. Hunt deer until about 8:30. Then get the dogs out then hunt quail until about 4 and finish day in blind. Limits weren't important and enjoyed the dog work. After deer season quail hunts were more leisure and more attention to the dog work than how many birds were in the bag. Today still hunt the deer but a couple of hours of dog work is satisfying. After deer season the leisure quail hunts will resume. Today it's more important for dog work than actually shooting a bird. If we had more birds I'd enjoy shooting them more. But given today's situation preserving birds for next season is an important consideration. Today the overall experience is satisfying. Enjoying the outdoors, dogs, hunting buddies. Plus the old body just can't take 10 hours of busting brush. That's my take on bird hunting at this stage. Its a great sport and I miss the days when we had all the birds you could ever want to see. Hopefully those return some day.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: orpco]
#4815189
12/07/13 04:49 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 275
Bilbo Baggins
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 275 |
Don't forget to tell your friends that you limited out each and every day. They might ask, "where are your birds" and you would reply "I gave them to the landowner". For those senior citizens like me, a senior nap after lunch never hurts anything. Heck, I am on vacation from my normal job of retirement. Just saying...
Bilbo Baggins
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: Bilbo Baggins]
#4815201
12/07/13 04:51 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,401
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,401 |
We use a Mule in Oklahoma, we rarely hunt less than 5 hr's in the mornings (7:30 - 12:30 or 1:00), take a break, maybe even run back to the motel (2-3miles up the road) and then go back out to hunt from 3:00 - 5:00. Sometimes we don't go back out in the evenings sometimes we do. Then you have final day of the trip, we like to leave by noon, so that is one of those 3 hr hunts. We have never ran out of land, we could hunt for a week & never hit the same thing twice.
Haven't had it in years but never spit any out. I am a sucker for happy endings and strapped cowboys.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: CCBIRDDOGMAN]
#4815230
12/07/13 04:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416
bill oxner
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 91,416 |
I don't think there many dogs which could run for more than 3 hours like Cracker runs.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: blanked]
#4815618
12/07/13 06:59 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,331
Dave Scott
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,331 |
They get tired- pure and simple. Always better to hunt all day. I've worked areas already worked and stirred up birds. Ever see quail just standing there? I haven't, the covey is usually moving around. Might be in an area you covered earlier.
Last edited by Dave Scott; 12/07/13 07:00 PM.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: orpco]
#4816632
12/08/13 12:35 AM
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 272
bradtown
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 272 |
Thats us these days as well. Quail hunting has been an evolution for me. In the early days it was all about the birds. Many times we would hunt with a party of 4 for 2 and a half days. We didn't consider it a success unless we left with a 3 day limit for each if us. Some times no dogs were involved. As we got older and had responsibilities it turned into a day hunt starting early and hunt till dark. Still a successful hunt was a limit of birds for each hunter. The next stage involved combination deer hunts. Hunt deer until about 8:30. Then get the dogs out then hunt quail until about 4 and finish day in blind. Limits weren't important and enjoyed the dog work. After deer season quail hunts were more leisure and more attention to the dog work than how many birds were in the bag. Today still hunt the deer but a couple of hours of dog work is satisfying. After deer season the leisure quail hunts will resume. Today it's more important for dog work than actually shooting a bird. If we had more birds I'd enjoy shooting them more. But given today's situation preserving birds for next season is an important consideration. Today the overall experience is satisfying. Enjoying the outdoors, dogs, hunting buddies. Plus the old body just can't take 10 hours of busting brush. That's my take on bird hunting at this stage. Its a great sport and I miss the days when we had all the birds you could ever want to see. Hopefully those return some day.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: bradtown]
#4816836
12/08/13 01:31 AM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 162
ALM TXhunter
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 162 |
Another perspective... I have two young kids at home and its hard to find time to hunt until they get older. So I am happy to get any time outside hunting birds. So 2-3 hours sounds pretty good to me!
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: ALM TXhunter]
#4836203
12/14/13 04:24 AM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 583
Buckenvy
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 583 |
3 hours all it takes to limit out...Headed to Webster county, IOWA Dec 22nd-Jan 2nd...Unit 2....last yr had 30pheasant in 10days by lunch and be shooting Geese and either sex deer tags in afternoons
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: Buckenvy]
#4836257
12/14/13 04:46 AM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 64
AWSjr
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 64 |
My dogs used to hunt all day, but now my dog get tired in two or three hours.....Its my dog and I know when she is tired....ok dang it .....its me.
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Re: Why do many Texas bird hunters do this
[Re: blanked]
#4846638
12/17/13 09:21 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 595
crapicat
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 595 |
Quite often I read bird hunters in Texas hunt 2 or 3 hours and that's it for the day. I am just getting started myself I don't quail hunt much anymore, due to lack of available land, lack of a bird dog dog, and lack of quail...However, I do chase the pheasant around...for me, I still hunt all day...BUT, instead of being in the field right after daylight until 11:30am and making 6 walking miles, it has become get out by 9am and hunt till 11am maybe covering 3 miles. Then instead of be back in the field at one until dark covering another 5miles or so, it has become get back out at 2pm until about 30 minutes till dark hoping we can get 2 more miles. Normally by the first hunt after lunch, half of our group is needing to block because they forgot their ibuprofen and the other half has taken some ibuprofen to be able to reduce the various pains from the ailments...also, we have been known to take an hour rest break in the afternoon while we tell some stories and BS any younger members of the group that are hot to get back to hunting...Incidentally, we just returned from our 30th anniversary panhandle pheasant hunt and that is exactly the way our hunt went both days...just saying..we are doing the best our bodies will let us do...and yes, the number of birds brought to bag is not nearly as important as it used to be....in fact, it is more fun hooting it up about the misses! Hope this information helps....
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