Coveys of my past

Having trouble falling to sleep? I don't count sheep. I count quail coveys There is one section of land with three pastures where we found sixty coveys over the year. I could walk to the covey locations after all these years. I fall right to sleep. Do still remember your covey location just as you do your brush piles while fishing?

I'm merely an opportunistic quail hunter of the past, but I will definitely remember two distinct covey locations forever.

One was on top of a "mountain" in Shackelford county. Largest covey seen in my lifetime, I thought there must've been near 50 birds when they rose(youthful overestimation, I'm sure). Your signature quote by Gene Hill fits this scene perfectly, as their was a rainbow one morning that ended so close to the covey I could've touched it.

The other is just a few hundred yards from our home. It was next to a brush pile on a gentle downward slope towards a creek. There were a dozen or so birds, and I would shoot one or two every year for many years. Every once in a while, I would see a couple out on the gravel county road and would scramble for a photo. I remember one rooster I hit that flew halfway back to the house. Watched him land under a huge cedar tree & found him exactly where I saw him touch down. There is now a house sitting in the exact spot the covey called home.

Nice pics!
Place I hunted in Zapata county had a cat claw bush that was home to a large covey.

Man beautiful pics

Thank you Bill , I always enjoy your shares.

It is easy peasy in NSTRA. They put out 5 quail for each brace. They will be found in the areas of four corners and the center.

This topic of covey locations brought this old pic to mind. A friend from Kansas was with me at the Selman Ranch in NW Okla when he walked up to a point and saw the second dog pointing to the right. I posted this recently and claimed two coveys. Dave saw it and reminded me that Kate the dog nearest me had a covey and Dixie had a pheasant pinned 30 yards away. A find I'll never forget in a season that had so many finds it was hard to remember them. Fun day in a fun season over 20 years ago.

Cool Pic Chuck!

My second pointer was Cookie. She never false pointed but a 5 hearts she pointed a meadow lark. I could now walk you to that spot blindfolded.

Great pics

One sticks out.

Somewhere in the vicinity of Turkey and Quitaque, pushing 40 years ago. I probably couldn't find the spot again if a gun was to my head. Close to a falling down old barn in some thick mesquite is all I know other than the general area. No dogs, just the 2 of us. Don't know how many birds, but a bunch. Neither of us shot, just soaked in the sight, and then asked each other, "why didn't you shoot? I don't know, why didn't you?"

It was just one of those places where it was too pretty to kill anything. At least that's what we told ourselves.

One of those pictures/videos that is in the mind only, and cherished. Of many. Unfortunately, as of a year and a few months ago, we can't make any more of them.