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Time to get this going again. How are folks doing hunting desert/mountain quail this year? My wife and I spend the winter in NM so I have a lot of time to wander with the dog. At least the dog and I are happy!
 
Can't speak for every area, but desert quail are doing very well this year. The very wet winter last year is great for them. Hoping we get more soon to make them better next year.
 
I put a wrap on Oklahoma yesterday with a group that traveled in from out of state, smoking hot temps with no wind we scratched out 5 coveys by 1pm. We didn’t set any records this year but everywhere I hunted from nm to Oklahoma was significantly better this year. I got the look from the wife yesterday when I got home that said, that’s enough! Got one place in nm that has paid out in spades and would love to see it one more time if we get a good weather day. It’s been a blast!
 
Quailnerd said:
I put a wrap on Oklahoma yesterday with a group that traveled in from out of state, smoking hot temps with no wind we scratched out 5 coveys by 1pm. We didn’t set any records this year but everywhere I hunted from nm to Oklahoma was significantly better this year. I got the look from the wife yesterday when I got home that said, that’s enough! Got one place in nm that has paid out in spades and would love to see it one more time if we get a good weather day. It’s been a blast!
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Great picture documenting what must have been a great day! A friend and I made the long trek from Wichita to Elkhart over the weekend to chase the (mythical?) scalies of Kansas. We got our a$$es kicked. On the way home we talked a little about NM...
 
Had my butt kicked many times this year but never had a day without an encounterIMG_0290.jpeg, I’m not one to keep notes but I’d say 15-18 days in nm chasing them suckers. Had a covey of 60-70 blues that I chased multiple times and took 3 birds from it all year. All you can do is tip your hat and smile.
 
If there had been a confirmed encounter that would have been a victory. Granted I've never hunted scalies before so my expectations were pretty low. There was one point were the dogs started the "dance"--point, relocate, point, relocate, etc. It looked like scalie habitat to me, but nothing came of it. And what really do I know? I like to think there was a covey running and my pheasant dogs' habits couldn't adapt to the covey's speed and eventually lost contact.

It was still a great trip. It always fun to see and hunt new country. Almost got my Tahoe stuck in the process...
 
There are still a few weeks of chukar hunting here in Utah. I'm at least going this weekend and perhaps one more before that shuts down for the year. This season has been pretty damn good for chukar in Utah. We need another cooperative spring and then hope that the insects are plentiful during the summer.
 
matto said:
Great picture documenting what must have been a great day! A friend and I made the long trek from Wichita to Elkhart over the weekend to chase the (mythical?) scalies of Kansas. We got our a$$es kicked. On the way home we talked a little
matto said:
If there had been a confirmed encounter that would have been a victory. Granted I've never hunted scalies before so my expectations were pretty low. There was one point were the dogs started the "dance"--point, relocate, point, relocate, etc. It looked like scalie habitat to me, but nothing came of it. And what really do I know? I like to think there was a covey running and my pheasant dogs' habits couldn't adapt to the covey's speed and eventually lost contact.

It was still a great trip. It always fun to see and hunt new country. Almost got my Tahoe stuck in the process..
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Thats what it looks like… wish I had the ability to keep one eye on the dogs and one eye 100 yards ahead.
 
Didn’t go to NM this year. It was tough last year. Have been on Arizona this last month. I think it’s a bit better than last season. Another rain is coming tonight, a local rancher told me he has had more rain in December and January than all last year. Might kick the desert quail up finally!
 
Well I tried the desert quail thing this year. It was pleasant walking and I managed to scratch out a few. My pheasant dogs work too close to be really effective and at 72 I can’t run like I used to, but still it was fun and I will try it again next year. For some stupid reason I am heading home to multiple feet of snow and minus 20. My wife and I along with 4 dogs have been in a 20 foot travel trailer since October. My marriage needs a little more space if it is gonna survive.
 
Dear collie man! I check my labs on running pheasants as do most retriever owners with a correction or sit on whistle. My quail mentor shared let your retriever run unchecked , flush the covey,mark the location and double time to the general area. Now keep your pup close and work the area ,back and forth.
Re travel to south west , rent an air bnb for a couple of months . Keep the trailer for a 2-3. Night prairie trip searching for bird concentrations. Away from civilization! Giving the bride some breathing room !
 
birddude said:
I would love to! But I have orders from my wife to never take the dogs into rattlesnake country! With my luck I would lose a dog. Then, while I was in the hospital, she'd divorce me. She might get everything. Wind up in town in a single room apartment. Then develop erectile disfunction and a bleeding ulcer at the same time! No more sex or beer forever!! Sometimes all I can think about are desert birds! Believe me I've given it a lot of thought. Do you really think it would be worth all that? At the moment it's 50-50!!!!!:unsure:
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Go to Nevada chucker.
 
Alaskan swamp collies said:
Well I tried the desert quail thing this year. It was pleasant walking and I managed to scratch out a few. My pheasant dogs work too close to be really effective and at 72 I can’t run like I used to, but still it was fun and I will try it again next year. For some stupid reason I am heading home to multiple feet of snow and minus 20. My wife and I along with 4 dogs have been in a 20 foot travel trailer since October. My marriage needs a little more space if it is gonna survive.
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We have a travel trailer as well. We prefer it to the B&B/motel route as we can pick up and move without a schedule and without specific destinations. This year we started on pheasants in North Dakota, then South Dakota, then Kansas. From there to New Mexico and desert quail. Only one dog this year (new one on the way), so I feel a bit "under-dogged", but we get by. My wife loves photography. She goes her way, I hunt. We'll stay down here until it warms up/melts off at home then head north, generally in late March. The dog and I bounce around a bit after the season closes until we figure out what to do besides hunting, but we survive. Some days it is just "armed dog walking", other days, like today, we find quail. Doesn't really matter. Enjoyable exercise doing what we love.
 
Powderhorn Jim said:
We have a travel trailer as well. We prefer it to the B&B/motel route as we can pick up and move without a schedule and without specific destinations. This year we started on pheasants in North Dakota, then South Dakota, then Kansas. From there to New Mexico and desert quail. Only one dog this year (new one on the way), so I feel a bit "under-dogged", but we get by. My wife loves photography. She goes her way, I hunt. We'll stay down here until it warms up/melts off at home then head north, generally in late March. The dog and I bounce around a bit after the season closes until we figure out what to do besides hunting, but we survive. Some days it is just "armed dog walking", other days, like today, we find quail. Doesn't really matter. Enjoyable exercise doing what we love.
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My wife likes to do dog agility and so do I. So we did some trials on weekends and hunted/hiked during the week. Started in MT/ND on pheasants until I fell in a badger hole and had to miss Nebraska. The travel trailer is a way better way to go than motels
 
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