What's the best way to plant quail in a field to hunt

W

Waterfowler2001

Member
Depending how this summer goes with all the weather. How it could affect bird numbers again. Well my uncle might bring some of his co workers up to bird hunt next year and depending if its going to be bad again. I might buy some pen raised "ready to fly birds" to plant early in the morning before they get out there. There from. Arkansas and they always wanted to come hunt up here. Probably they won't know the difference. I know how to plant pheasants but not quail help! Also if it's going to be a decent next year I probably won't do it.
 
I have heard it is easiest to do it the night before you plan to hunt. Supposedly, the birds are very docile and groggy in the dark. I was told you can just drive along on a 4-wheeler in the dark and set them out more-or-less where you want them. I haven't done it myself though. Assuming it works, you could dump a covey here and there, and make it look very natural.

I have only planted birds for training using the leg-stretching method or in a release trap. The leg-stretching method works, but probably wouldn't be practical for the number of birds you are talking about. Plus, you never know exactly how the bird will react. Some of them are good to fly as soon as you turn your back, and some of them seem like they are still in a trance when you bring in the dog.
 
We've released roosters the night before in the dark and works great. Spin them lightly a couple times and toss them down with some force into the cover. They won't move much in the dark and should still be there the next morning. Our favorite way for quail is to put 5-8 in a crate, set the crate in some good cover, open the cage door and walk away. Go do your other cages the same way and on the way back around pick up the cages 15-20 minutes later. The quail will walk out of the cage and usually stick together pretty well creating a small covey to hunt.
 
I have the Cabela's bird bag which is just the handiest damn thing.
Anyways, I have planted birds early in the morning, and came back in the afternoon to work the dogs. I do this so they can be wilder, and there isn't as much of my scent laying around.

I will put a few of them in a bag, and swing the bag in a big circle with my arm a few times and walk up to some plum thickets and toss them from the bag all at once, opening the bag at the last second. (If that makes sense)

They will be disoriented enough that they won't fly off and you can do more than one at a time.

Here is the bird bag, it's a handy critter.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...Ntt=bird+bag&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products
 
I just dumped them from the box to the ground. They will covey if you spread them out a day or more before. If you want small coverys, you could put them out in groups; or if you want all singles, spread them around just before the hunt.
 
quail

question, not being funny, how do you get them to fly. over the years, i have had terrible luck at that, or if they do, they have landed before you could get the gun up, sometimes at trials, they don't have much luck either

cheers
 
mustistuff said:
question, not being funny, how do you get them to fly. over the years, i have had terrible luck at that, or if they do, they have landed before you could get the gun up, sometimes at trials, they don't have much luck either

cheers
Click to expand...

The quality and condition of quail is really important if you want to use them for training, trials or release hunts.

I think many of us have gone to a trial, only to see birds that don't fly well, or just run around on the ground. Good birds act more like wild birds, that will flush and fly more than 5 ft.
 
I have the bird bag and pull two birds at a time. Tuck and hold their heads down and swing your arms in circles 6-7 times. Plant two at a time. They will hold "cuz, they be dizzy"...and they will come up together and fly better later. Singles will run or bounce on you.
 
A buddy of mine built me several small cages that will hold up to 6 birds. I put 4 or 5 quail in each cage and hide them in the grass. I open up the doors and let the quail come out on there own. I mark the locations with red tape so I can find the cages when I am through hunting. 5 groups of 5 quail spread out can give 2 guys a good hunt for $50 each. I always keep one male quail in a call back cage if several are missing. Usually most of the birds that got away will be in the call back pen the next morning. I don't wait too long after putting the cages out, about 30 minutes, then hunt them. The birds usually fly good because I don't have to touch them.
 
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