Anyone one quail hunt this area last year? I am thinking about heading down opening weekend.

I have never hunted quail there. However they have scared me there.

I was javalina hunting there last year. Spent one day ground blind hunting. The next day I decided to spot and stalk slowly across the unit the wardens assigned to me. After the third time of being scared by fluttered take off, I just got used to it and wished I have brought a shotgun. Every covey had about 5-8 birds in it.

I'd love to go back there and do some quail hunting. I have never been and we don't have any where I have hunted before. I knew what they were once they took off, but never experienced it before. Take that for what it worth.

Yes, what do you want to know?

Just trying to determine what the hunting was like last year. Hearing early reports that the quail survey results are down from last year but do not have a reference of what last year was like. Plus surveys vs actual hunting data do not always match up. I am thinking about heading down but it is a 4 hour drive for me. Some specific questions are, how dense is the vegetation, what is the terrain like, are snakes a issue as I will have two GSP pups along with me. I plan to tent camp at the WMA camp area if I head down.

They just posted how the youth weekend did on their Facebook page so it should give you an idea on how the birds are. Doesn't seem great but a decent amount of birds and dog work to be had. I have never seen a snake there but I avoid opening weekend because it's just too hot.

I have a ton of pics that I'll try to post tonight. It's typical south Texas brush country. Nice and thorny and some areas really thick and some a little more open. Seems at best you might be able to see your dog at about 30 or 40 yards here and there through the brush.

Yeah probably down from last year for sure and i would hope the dogs have their vaccination.

Heres a video instead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leCIe6Bdg8o

MS1454 Thanks for the vid. The vegetation is a little more dense than the dove fields my GSP have been hunting. I might put a bell on her so I can keep track of her.

Tell us how it goes. I love hunting there.

Be sure to have a collar with contact information on it. the video is average to what we hunt will walk thicker to get to spots, been hunting there since about 2000 have returned several to the check in station.

JB
Yeah we have contact info on her collar. She typically keeps an eye on us and come back if she does not see us. With the taller brush not sure how she will react. Hopefully stay a bit closer to us. Taking a longer shock cord if she starts ranging out too far. I saw a report from Chaparral WMA that they spotted 6-7 coveys in the area they just burned. Not sure I want to hunt that area as it will be a mess with all the charred material.

I went there one time years ago. It beat the snot out of staying at home.

I would at least check the burnt area out you can always hunt the edges few hundred yards out of the charred stuff, but the quail really like the fresh burnt areas.
I had a bearing go out in my hay baler and not going to make it this weekend.....

Jim

Yeah I will check out those areas. If the quail were seen in there it is worth taking a look.

Well we just got back home from weekend at the WMA. Tough hunting. I don't think I have ever walked so much. Struck out Saturday. Did not see a single bird. Sunday morning jumped a covey of around 12 but they flew right into the sun and only got one miss in. Jumped a couple singles fr the covey and my wife got 2.

awesome

Just few more notes from the hunt at Chaparral WMA. This is some rough hunting terrain. I fell several times from stepping in what I assume are hog ruts. The grass covered them to the point were difficult to see unless you were looking right in front of you. I put bells on my dogs and glad I did because the brush is pretty thick. As soon as I would release the they were out of sight but the bells gave me a sense of how far out they were ranging. BTW they are not trained for quail at this time, only dove retrievals. Also a dog vest is highly recommended. The vest she was wearing got covered in thorns.

The campsites on the WMA are nice with tables and shelters. Fortunately there were a couple available when we arrived late Saturday. But the truck traffic along the main highway next to the camping area is unending. So for those light sleepers bring some ear plugs cause those rigs were running all night long.

Thinking of doing a return trip for the end of the Nov. This will give time to get the dogs oriented to quail hunting.

Opening an old one.... to you guys that were quail hunting did anyone see good deer numbers?