Midwest Quail

Well something, I don't know what, has certainly changed for the better. Because the quail are doing far better the past few years than they have for a long time. That fact isn't up for debate.
 
I was doing some reading and one year during the 60's Kansas quail harvest was 4 million birds. In 2013-14 season 174,970 were estimated to be harvested. If I remember you could only hunt half a day back then but I may be wrong.
 
In the 50's and early 60's EVERYONE Quail hunted, many people every day of the season. Quail numbers have been very low ever since then. What I'm talking about now is the recent increase in quail numbers. Which have inarguably increased dramatically. If there were the numbers of quail hunters today that there were in the 50's and 60's, that harvest number would be way higher. On top of that, many only shoot a bird or two in a covey now days, instead of 5 people emptying their guns. I'm listening to 3 groups of quail whistling to each other right now, enjoying my coffee on the back porch. I go to my farm, I hear quail whistling. I go to my buddy's farm, I hear quail whistling. I hear them everywhere, all the time now a days. I see them daily as I drive the gravel roads. Five years ago hearing or seeing one was a big deal.
 
How long have you been hunting quail? I really have found no data to show hunter numbers today vs 30 years ago so I can't verify how many hunters it took to harvest 4 million birds. Today we have about 40,000 hunters chasing quail. What hurts hunter numbers is access. Very few opportunities to hunt in Kansas now with everything leased. Kansas only has about 10% of its land available for public access.
 
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Since about 1970 hunter numbers have dropped. Couldn't tell you exatly howmuch but I have seen the numbers and at the time it seemed a lot. It doesnt take much to figure out why go through and look at county census. Take Rush county as an example pulling numbers and dates out of my arse but today it has someting like a quarter of the population it had 1880
 
I spoke to a guy in Woodward, Ok. last year that said he's been hunting the area since 1960 and that this was the best he's ever seen. EVER! Don't know how to argue with that. Not near as many people hunting today.... The last two years have been incredible on Western Oklahoma.... and I'm assuming the same for western Kansas....
 
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I spoke to a guy in Woodward, Ok. last year that said he's been hunting the area since 1960 and that this was the best he's ever seen. EVER! Don't know how to argue with that. Not near as many people hunting today.... The last two years have been incredible on Western Oklahoma.... and I'm assuming the same for western Kansas....
 
akp said:
I spoke to a guy in Woodward, Ok. last year that said he's been hunting the area since 1960 and that this was the best he's ever seen. EVER! Don't know how to argue with that. Not near as many people hunting today.... The last two years have been incredible on Western Oklahoma.... and I'm assuming the same for western Kansas....
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It's been good all over the state. I have friends in Missouri that have seen a large increase in quail numbers. Should be a really good year.
 
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westksbowhunter said:
While quail numbers have improved the last several years in southeast Kansas, numbers are still very low. The last decent year we had was 1986 but even then they were way down from the 70's. Back in the 60's and 70's we would move 15-20 covey's a day. Just don't expect to see more than a couple of covey's per day with a good experienced dog. Some days you may not find any. 90% of Kansas if private land, so you will have to knock some doors.
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I was born in 86 :'(

I can remember hunting in the family farm with my family, down in SEK around chanute. We always hit about 3-4 coveys with 25-30 birds. Same place every year like clockwork. They are all gone now and to top it off my aunt forced my grandma to sell the fsrm.

I would give anything to be able to walk those fields again and feel the rush of a flushing covey! Over in Joplin now but I hear there's some good spots here so I hope for the best! If anyone is interested in hunting here or sek and needs an extra gun hit me up! Like the birds all my hunting partners are gone lol!
 
Hutcho said:
I was born in 86 :'(

I can remember hunting in the family farm with my family, down in SEK around chanute. We always hit about 3-4 coveys with 25-30 birds. Same place every year like clockwork. They are all gone now and to top it off my aunt forced my grandma to sell the fsrm.

I would give anything to be able to walk those fields again and feel the rush of a flushing covey! Over in Joplin now but I hear there's some good spots here so I hope for the best! If anyone is interested in hunting here or sek and needs an extra gun hit me up! Like the birds all my hunting partners are gone lol!
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The hunting is better than that nowadays.
 
Nasty-G said:
I'm from WI. & haven't shot or even seen any quail for 50 years. Did get a few in Kansas 30 years ago. Any suggestions as to where I might get my new Brittany pup into some ? Thanks.
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from

Hailing from Michigan and spending most of my hunting days chasing a mixed bag of pheasant and quail I share your pain . Just a little info you may find interesting. Passing through Wisconsin on our return from South Dakota hunt last year , what did we spot? Along the shoulder of the expressway stood a single Gentleman Bob, LOL, where there's one there's more so maybe there's hope yet. I almost stopped to take a pic. Next, returning from a winter in Arizona, where I also did a little quail hunting, we passed specifically through Kansas to check it out. Wanted to see if we could see any birds, dropped my Brittney's at a public area to stretch their legs, low and behold had a mixed bag of Roosters and Bob's in a 15 minute drop, west of Dodge city. I have never hunted Kansas but am returning to do so.
 
Hutcho said:
I was born in 86 :'(

I can remember hunting in the family farm with my family, down in SEK around chanute. We always hit about 3-4 coveys with 25-30 birds. Same place every year like clockwork. They are all gone now and to top it off my aunt forced my grandma to sell the fsrm.

I would give anything to be able to walk those fields again and feel the rush of a flushing covey! Over in Joplin now but I hear there's some good spots here so I hope for the best! If anyone is interested in hunting here or sek and needs an extra gun hit me up! Like the birds all my hunting partners are gone lol!
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I'm your huckleberry.
LOL
Just moved to Grove, OK from New Hampshire and have a Llewellin setter and we both need help figuring out the bird game out here.
PM me if ya like.
 
The vineyard I am working on is full of Californian Quail ... it is so lovely to see and hear them ... I have not seen any youngsters yet as we have had a prolonged Winter and colder temperatures this Spring ...
 
How is the quail hunting this year so far? Really, really would love to make it to Kansas in a few weeks with my son who has never hunted quail.

Don't want to make the trip from Illinois if no place to go and weak bird population. Any comments, ideas, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

Willing to pay, but keep hearing that is not needed in Kansas---yet?!

Steve
 
KS isn’t open yet, so not a lot of reports from there. Nebraska is open, and should give a pretty good feeling for how northern Kansas is going to be. Northern Missouri has been good to me so far, with multiple large covies every day I’ve been out, behind labs no less...
 
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Thanks. Should have realized Kansas not open. Really appreciate your comments. Does Missouri have public/private places to hunt available to us even though no connections.
That would be a great alternative. How many coveys can be expected on average in Northern Missouri. We have a great, big running young shorthair that can eat up a lot of land in
very little time. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Steve
 
From the farmers I’ve talked and boots on the ground scouting reports quail numbers are very good. We should enjoy a mixed bag this season. In fact I plan on a couple quail hunts thee first week of season.
 
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