The season continues: Part II

[bauerline]

Rifle season for deer is finally over and we can get the dogs back out. I went out to see how the cover held up to the snow and ice. It got knocked down for sure but it can still provide protection for the animals. Here are a few pictures to compare:

Cover in early fall

Same area today

Food plot in the late fall

 

[bauerline]

Same food plot

Don't know when I'll get the dogs out but it should be sometime this week. Good luck for the rest of season.

 

[oldandnew]

Best time of the year! All the grasshoppers are home in front of a cozy fire, plus you get to see the reward of the hard work of summer. With your gun and dogs!

 

[FLDBRED]

Good report and pictures. Looking forward to getting back out, but the taking of birds now is far less important,I just like getting out.

 

[bauerline]

I did get the dogs out today for about an hour after work. They did have some unproductive points in the food plot and we saw some track. But no birds (except songbirds). We moved on and the dogs didn't mind crossing an icy creek so I followed them. Moving across the cut bean field I saw Blitz with his nose in the air. Then I saw this:

Hard to see him but he is in front of the light cover.

A little closer

Nittany backing after he made his way to the area.

 

[bauerline]

I went in for the flush and a covey of quail came out. I was happy the dogs found them.

Nittany on the one single that flew left. The others went into the woods.

The single

I didn't find any pheasants or fire any shots but it was a good hunt. I may take a pheasant or two this week and that will be it for shooting them in the area since I did see some chicks last spring.

 

[FLDBRED]

That's a good outing! You would think the quail would of sought out better cover. Must be nice to still see "your" quail. Wouldn't it be great if they could reproduce!

 

[bauerline]

That's a good outing! You would think the quail would of sought out better cover. Must be nice to still see "your" quail. Wouldn't it be great if they could reproduce!

I am always happy when we can find the quail. I'm not sure if we didn't find the birds when they were moving around or what. It wasn't the best cover and I did see a fox in the area on Thursday. But they must know something since they're still around. I plan to throw some extra food out for them to help them get through the ice and snow.

I would love to find evidence of nesting from the quail and will check things out over the spring. I know some of the older guys at the club like to hear how the little birds are doing.

 

[oldandnew]

I am always happy when we can find the quail. I'm not sure if we didn't find the birds when they were moving around or what. It wasn't the best cover and I did see a fox in the area on Thursday. But they must know something since they're still around. I plan to throw some extra food out for them to help them get through the ice and snow.

I would love to find evidence of nesting from the quail and will check things out over the spring. I know some of the older guys at the club like to hear how the little birds are doing.

Feeding quail is BAD! There have been lots of studies, the corn or grain you spread may have mold which will kill them, the focal point of feeding them will concentrate predators, usually raccoons, raptors, foxes who will use it stalk the quail. Raccoons will eat the corn and eat your quail! With the food plots I see, food is not their 'limiting factor", I assume nesting cover is your Achilles heel, it is for all of us quail fanciers!

 

[FLDBRED]

Brian,

Have you kept any record of your success with the quail. Your survival percentage is far above the norm. I'm convinced the JH conditioning is the key.

 

[bauerline]

I have not kept a record but I started out with 30 quail/JH the past two years and had 22-24 birds make it to final release. I do about 2-3 releases per week starting in late July and they seem to learn about the area and then return to the safety of the JH. I also think running the dogs on them helps as well. It is always nice to hear them bob-bob-white in the spring. I'll keep doing it if the club is fine with it.

 

[bauerline]

Took the dogs out again and the snow was softer. They were able to cover the ground better. We were able to find the quail again close to the same area.

Video:

There were about 10 birds in the group.

I'll get some more pictures up later.

 

[bauerline]

The dogs were able to find a few pheasants today. Almost all the birds were found in a food plot or in woods close to the food. I did see tracks through the switchgrass and we ended up putting up one bird from the grass. The first point was on some hens in the food plot:

After this we found a rooster in the nearby woods:

I did hear another rooster in the distance but it was in a area I can't hunt. We kept working but I decided not to take another bird if we found any.

 

[bauerline]

The dogs were able to find a few more hens and this last bird was found when we were walking back to the truck:

The hen is close to the small tree.

video:


It was a good day for me and the dogs. I plan to get out the next two days but I think I'll only take one more bird for the season.

 

[FLDBRED]

Nice report, that PF sign sure gets a lot of work! :thumbsup:

How far is the JH from where you keep seeing the quail? Why do you think they keep choosing such cover when there is much better cover nearby?

 

[bauerline]

The sign is a nice place to hang the bird. And I like that a PF food plot is in the behind it.

The quail are about 500 yards away from the JH. I think they were hanging out in the bean field before it was cut and then got pushed to the edges. There are a couple of wood lots and overgrown ditches for them to hide in. And the edges of the bean field didn't get picked, so I think they are eating some of the soy beans. This area doesn't get much hunting pressure because it is on the edge of the property and there is not a lot of cover after the field is harvested. The last two times I found them they were right on the property line. There could be more in the wooded areas but I can't go there since it is private property.

 

[bauerline]

I was able to finish up work early today and I was able to spend some more time out in the fields and woods. For the first time Nittany is starting to show his age. He turned 9 last month and last night and today he seemed stiff and wouldn't jump up on the bed. So, today he stayed at home and it was Blitz on his own. We started off on the gamelands and we saw a lot of rabbit tracks and a few pheasant tracks. But we couldn't find any birds. I only saw tracks in or close to the food source. I then drove to the co-op area that is close to home. For whatever reason the birds were bunched up here. A single hen flushed early and then Blitz had his first point:

He was all twisted up on this point. He was looking behind himself and the birds were on the right in the woods. It turned out to be 3 roosters. They ran further into the woods and flushed. I could have taken a shot but I wasn't worried about that today.

This find in a different section of woody cover ended up producing 5 roosters. It was something to see and hear that may birds flush at one time. I should have taken a video or something of that one.

Here was a find in the food plot:

A total of 4 hens were in this area.

 

[bauerline]

I got some of it on video:


After this Blitz had a point in what remains of the cool season grass. I didn't get a picture but 3 hens flushed wild out of the field. Next, we worked our way back to the truck and Blitz had his final point:

This rooster was tucked under the swtichgrass. He was a tough one to flush out but he came out eventually. I wish I could have gotten better video of him bursting out.


I think I saw about 8 or 9 roosters and 8 or 9 hens for the day. I'm sure I will be back again with the dogs sometime but I may bring the better camera along instead of the gun. I do want to try for a grouse before the season is over but that will be a day long adventure to get to a good area.

 

[my2britts]

Awesome! Glad you're letting the rest of us live vicariously through you.
It's pretty hard to see your dogs get old and stiff. My Britts turn 8 this year and have really slowed down, especially on back to back days. BUT... that's the great part about having plenty of photos so you can remember just how great they are/were.
THANK YOU AND KEEP THE POST COMING!!!

 

[25ott6]

Quick afternoon hunt 1.5 hrs in the thickest stuff we could find and drake tracked down a leftover.

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