2005 - Before the Quail left the Rolling Plains -Knox County

My Hunt with "The General" Dave Gruber Host of Benelli's American Bird Hunter on the Outdoor Channel. He passed away later that same year and Tom Knapp took over hosting the show.

They were very good friends and hunted together while working on their TV shows for Benelli. We spent five days hunting Ducks Geese and Quail for our TV show episode.

He could not believe the amount of Quail he saw up there on that trip. Where all those birds went in six years, I will never know. But they sure are not that thick anymore...

I was on a $50 day lease up there several years ago. We leased from a goose outfiter, who had some pasture land near the river west of knox city. We did well both days, but got into a roost area the second morning. I think we killed them all that morning. I remember T Mitchell had a Snakefoot pup, which had come back from the trianer that year. He kept saying, "Just one more covey," as I was trying to get Peaches to the truck. I'll look in my album. I think I have a picture of Peaches from that hunt.

Yeah, I can remember those days when the quail were everywhere here in Knox County. There used to be bobs and blues both. Now the blues have all but disappeared and the bobs are very sporadic in their numbers. Last year before the season, I saw more than I could remember seeing in years, and as soon as the season opened, nothing. Where were you hunting when ya'll were here? The geese and duck hunting has been amazing here for a number of years, especially in the southwestern part of Knox county. With the dry weather, I am worried about this year though. Peanut fields are in sad shape and there stands to be no wheat fields to hunt on. I haven't seen any little quail and all the water is disappearing. May be an interesting year for wing shooters here.

I think we were hunting in the area I marked on this picture. I also remember that they had a killer buffet at one of the convenience stores.

I think we got our limits all three times we went out last year.

Where were you that you could (and would) shoot 15 birds a person three times last year?

Just north east of knox city.

I sure hope they come back. I can't help but think the hawks have a lot to do with it. Seems like when they migrate south the bird numbers down here drop.

Ya ive heard that a lot. However i dont live there anymore so i cant say for sure what the hawks migration has on the quail population. I did hear that there wasnt a hatching this year though.

Here's the picture from up there. Peaches snuck under a fence and pointed. We were in a field next to a pasture;

That is one fine looking pointer; was she as good as she looks? We hunted on the , I think it was the salt fork of the brazos near Munday. Lots of birds back in the 80's.

She had the best nose anyone had ever seen, but she was soft, and had a few holes.