Hunting reports

daboone

daboone

Member
Went out on Saturday and hunted our best private ground area. We found a really nice covey (about 20 birds in it full grown) in a fence row. Our 18 month old pup made a great point on the covey. We had troubles finding the singles - thinking the dogs were not able to smell them too good with the dry conditions. Got 4 out of the covey so there will be plenty left to hunt them again. 2nd covey had 12 young birds, they were spread out in a small patch of trees around a hay field that borders a soybean field. Took one of them and left the rest to grow. 3rd covey only had 8 big birds and they were in a grass strip in a corn field, got one and then let the dogs point the rest and didnt shoot anymore. Usually find 6-7 covies in the acreage we covered!
 
Busted a large covey on public land while running a puppy. Didn't want to shoot since the trip was supposed to be for helping him get used to the sound of a shot gun. Was a cool but windy and dry day. Exciting to still see such a large covey again this year.
 
Really windy today, saw two coveys. We werent able to see the covey rise because the birds got flushed wildly, but the second covey had 18-20 birds. We took 2 birds today for 3.5 hrs of hunting. Dogs had a tough time smelling the birds!
 
Last week actually went out 5 times and got good points every time. Got 1 phez and 3 quail out of 4 covies.
 
Went yesterday and found one covey of about 12 birds. Our young dog made some really nice points on singles and backed on the covey!
 
Afternoon hunt on public ground and found 2 Coveys with a dozen birds. 2 of them came home with me. The first covey was really wild but the second bunch held great on the covey rise and hunting the singles! Didnt see any tracks in the snow until after the coveys flushed.
 
bilby

Went to Bilby yesterday hunted about 2 1/2 hours saw 2 roosters 3 hens. Lost 1 rooster. Not near like it used to be but considering all the poor reports I have heard was pleased. Bad day of hunting is better than a good day of work.
 
son is in from the navy took him yesturday got into two covies, one was a nice covey i found a couple of weeks ago still big, they hadn't been shot up this is on public ground, kinda sad when i think about it just less and less bird hunters every year. we got a couple had a fun shootin however
 
I'm glad to here there are a few out there anyway. I continue to see more pheasants than quail, and not a great number of those, but enough to give me hope there might be a recovery if we get any decent spring weather. a little help from the MDC would'nt hurt either!
 
I'm not having any luck like I did last year at this time. The 2 reason must be no snow and the second is I am seeing a lot more hunters out probably because of nice weather.
 
We are seeing a few more hunters this year than we did last! Me and my dad hunted yesterday for 5 hrs and the dog flushed a covey before we could get close and we got 2 birds hunting the singles. About 75 yards away from the vehicle our dog locked up on a covey of 10-12 birds and we got one on the covey rise and didnt hunt the singles cause it was getting late and there werent "many" left in that covey.

Heading out in an hour to a spot we havent hunted this year.
 
What happened, Did everyone give up or shoot the last bird in MO?

I got to chase quail on a private farm and it was awesome, I wish I had a video of it. The 2 biggest covies I ever seen and both hang out 400 yards apart!!
 
We didnt see a feather on the 4th and haven't been out since then. We got one private spot left we haven't touched yet this year that is an average spot. Will be going there on Saturday and then calling it a season.

How big were the 2 coveys you got into Bones, and how many did you get out of them?
 
Both had around 20 birds. The first covey was by an old dry pond and flushed wild to the other side about 40 yards away so we worked back to that side. My dog locked up on point and since I was at my friends farm I tried moving him into the best position for shooting and I walked into the brush pile to flush. I was surprised when the entire covey flushed again. They flushed back to where they originally were so we worked back that direction but then we could not find them at all it was the strangest thing so no birds there but hopefully be even more next year!

The second was a lot of fun too because after dog was on point it was the first time I had every seen the quail walking around on the ground before flushing. We tracked them down and the singles started poping up out of the grass before the dog could get any scent. My friend got 2 out of about 8 singles. Since it is usually just me I never carry my camera but should of that day since I wasn't taking very many shots any way.

I'm going to try and get out 2 more times in Missouri and then maybe 2 more times in Kansas. Still no roosters for me.
 
well went the last day went to davisdale a quail emphis area rated good first time i went there this year didn't see a bird only other people there were rabbit hunting. then went to diana bend and found a small covey didn't shoot only 4-5 birds. no one else was there.
well the season wasn't as bad for me as last year. the first week in nov was as usual it seems hot and dry once it cooled down and some rain/snow it got better. got into two -three covies each trip in dec and jan until the last day. and thank goodness for KANSAS a couple of people i know have actually quit hunting here and go there three or four times figure they hunt there for 12 days vs 20 days(2 days per week) here, they will find four times the birds and spend about the same money on gas only extra is hotels. well i hope to ge the dogs out the next few weekends and go to some areas i did'nt go to
and hopefully find some and put them on my book for next year
 
I agree that the first two weeks of the season have been to hot and dry for several years, I too was pleasantly surprised by the bird numbers, especially pheasants where I hunt. Easily better than NE Kans and SE Neb, this year. Hope we get a decent spring for a change, I like you am going to scout local coveys for next years enjoyment over the next two months, give the dogs some experience, sow some ragweed, prairie flowers, forbs, and annual lespedeza out my pocket as I walk around, and Pray for a warm gentle spring.
 
I farm and have both grain fields and some crp and some cp33. In my area it seems that if you have some fair habitat and the weather hasnt been to bad there still are a few birds but nothing like it use to be. I hunt probably at least twice to three times a week and dont plan on killing many quail but still get to see some good dog work. I also hunt in Lincoln, Russell and Osbourne counties in Ks and have since 85. Also hunt in the panhandle of Ok. Mostly walk in in Ks but private in the panhandle. Have always wanted a place in Mo to hunt pheasant, where can hunt a day or two and not have to travel so far. Since season is over till fall in Mo will probably make another trip to Ok and hopefully again in Ks next fall.
 
On Saturday we hunted 2 different private areas. The first spot we saw a bunch of tracks in the bean field about 1.5 hrs into the hunt and never could find the covey - except for one that flushed in the adjacent idle field, and then a rooster that the dog got up wild. Second spot we got into 2 small coveys and 2 hen pheasants. The area was mostly fencerows that we got the quail up and about 80 acres worth of native grass for the pheasants. Hunted more this season than last year because we had our 18 month old dogs that were ready to participate. One out of the 4 pups turned into a strong bird dog and made this season memorable for how he progressed!
 
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