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Feb 7th, 2025
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 West Texas is looking REAL good.
#5144808
06/06/14 03:45 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200
therancher
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200 |
Just got back from Big Lake and there's a TON of birds already. And it's green and lush out there.
I saw mostly adult birds, but the oil company guys are telling me they've already seen a bunch of babies. If that's so it's gonna be one of those epic years.
Lot of paired up birds. Lots of cover and food.
Crotchety old bastidge
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5144823
06/06/14 03:56 AM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,105
Cajun Raider
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,105 |
What kind of birds? Dove, quail, pheasant?
Don't talk the talk if you didn't walk the walk.
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5144829
06/06/14 03:59 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200
therancher
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200 |
Quail. ~70% blues 30% bobs
Doves are a given out there. Over a water hole, if you don't limit out in 20 minutes you just can't hit a barn.
Crotchety old bastidge
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5144961
06/06/14 11:41 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 |
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: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5151970
06/11/14 04:10 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 10,496
Halfadozen
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 10,496 |
Freedom is a fragile thing ...Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.
-- Ronald Reagan
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5152158
06/11/14 12:30 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425 |
Man I miss hunting Blues. By far my favorite bird to hunt if you have good cover.
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: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5152187
06/11/14 12:59 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,647
Revoman
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,647 |
I've been seeing a bunch of bob's south of Sweetwater. Also have a few on my place NE of Abilene. Sure hope the Panhandle pheasant do well for a change. Been a few years since my last rooster.
Call'm an Kill'm
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: CCBIRDDOGMAN]
#5153584
06/12/14 05:43 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200
therancher
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200 |
Man I miss hunting Blues. By far my favorite bird to hunt if you have good cover. Took all cattle off that ranch last May. Plenty of rain (for desert plants) since then and cover is great. A lot of people don't even know blues will hold pretty tight in good cover.
Crotchety old bastidge
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5153711
06/12/14 12:43 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425 |
Man I miss hunting Blues. By far my favorite bird to hunt if you have good cover. Took all cattle off that ranch last May. Plenty of rain (for desert plants) since then and cover is great. A lot of people don't even know blues will hold pretty tight in good cover. We had a lease about 16 miles south of Sterling City (18,000 acres), for four years, it was more like 90% Blues. We had great cover (and lots of birds) and the birds held great, especially after you get em busted up. But even if you didn't bust em up, when the covey hits good cover, they usually will stick. The last year we had the place (05-06?? i think) we went down for a dove hunt in September and there were still birds everywhere, came back in November, almost nothing, lucky to find 2 coveys in a day. The first two years, it was nothing to find 20-30 coveys in a day. I sure miss that place.
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: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: CCBIRDDOGMAN]
#5153862
06/12/14 02:08 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 |
Man I miss hunting Blues. By far my favorite bird to hunt if you have good cover. Took all cattle off that ranch last May. Plenty of rain (for desert plants) since then and cover is great. A lot of people don't even know blues will hold pretty tight in good cover. We had a lease about 16 miles south of Sterling City (18,000 acres), for four years, it was more like 90% Blues. We had great cover (and lots of birds) and the birds held great, especially after you get em busted up. But even if you didn't bust em up, when the covey hits good cover, they usually will stick. The last year we had the place (05-06?? i think) we went down for a dove hunt in September and there were still birds everywhere, came back in November, almost nothing, lucky to find 2 coveys in a day. The first two years, it was nothing to find 20-30 coveys in a day. I sure miss that place. I was on that lease or one near there. We had a pretty nice old ranch house for our camp house. We'd see up to a dozen coveys flying across the road while riding my gator to our pasture each morning.
Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5153882
06/12/14 02:15 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425 |
I think you were on the place just east of ours. One of the best pastures on this place was the one the house was on. Our other favorite pasture was all the way to the back, 8 miles down the county road from the house.
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: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: CCBIRDDOGMAN]
#5154753
06/13/14 12:22 AM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,105
blanked
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,105 |
Man I miss hunting Blues. By far my favorite bird to hunt if you have good cover. Was this with James collier
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5154773
06/13/14 12:39 AM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,687
txbobcat
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,687 |
Northern Irion county around the river is looking great for quail and turkey.
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: blanked]
#5155245
06/13/14 01:10 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425
CCBIRDDOGMAN
Bird Herder
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Bird Herder
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 13,425 |
Man I miss hunting Blues. By far my favorite bird to hunt if you have good cover. Was this with James collier Yes sir.
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: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5166428
06/21/14 01:38 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 14
Billy C
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 14 |
rancher how far is Rankin from Big Lake?
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5166472
06/21/14 02:43 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200
therancher
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200 |
Crotchety old bastidge
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5166558
06/21/14 04:17 PM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 38
SteveTSN
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 38 |
Anyone recommend any guides or outfitters for this area? I have found I have an opportunity to get out next week and have never hunted bird before--sounds like fun.
Driving from Tucson, AZ...
Thanks
Steve
Steve G.
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: SteveTSN]
#5166643
06/21/14 05:37 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200
therancher
OP
THF Trophy Hunter
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OP
THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,200 |
Mulie Mike on here has some aoudad hunts out west. You should check with him.
Crotchety old bastidge
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Re: West Texas is looking REAL good.
[Re: therancher]
#5167077
06/22/14 12:22 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,359
Wilhunt
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 6,359 |
Was out that way to Lamesa this week and was surprised how green much of the area was.
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