Where have the quail gone?

SetterNut

SetterNut

New member
Have any of you found that the quail do not seem to be in their normal places.

I have been to some of my best spots, that always have some quail. I know that they were there earlier in the year. They just haven't been there.

Any ideas?
 
I actually got a few shots in on some quail north of Dighton in some WIHA around Shields. The area was not marked for quail so it really surprised my dad and I when they flushed. It was just a small covey; maybe 10 or so but hopefully it is a sign of things to come.
 
MACC-4 said:
I actually got a few shots in on some quail north of Dighton in some WIHA around Shields. The area was not marked for quail so it really surprised my dad and I when they flushed. It was just a small covey; maybe 10 or so but hopefully it is a sign of things to come.
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Why shoot em?
 
SetterNut said:
Have any of you found that the quail do not seem to be in their normal places.

I have been to some of my best spots, that always have some quail. I know that they were there earlier in the year. They just haven't been there.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Oh it's the Fall Shuffle
 
Hunted the public ground the past 2 days, we never moved a bird! I think it's a sign of 2011. We have lean times upon us. It'll be a bit getting out of it.
 
Found two coveys opening day, big coveys at that. One in a field we'd never hunted before, the other in a field we found them in last years opening day.
 
The quail are in the areas somewhere. But I normally find them in the draws and plum thickets. They just are not there.

I am wondering if they have moved into some of the taller trees, I don't know where else they could have gone within 1/4 mile.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Why shoot em?
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MACC-4 said:
I actually got a few shots in on some quail north of Dighton in some WIHA around Shields. The area was not marked for quail so it really surprised my dad and I when they flushed. It was just a small covey; maybe 10 or so but hopefully it is a sign of things to come.
Click to expand...

Why not? Two days vacation. 1000 miles round trip. 25 on foot. $300.00 food and lodging. 250 on fuel. Didn't he earn it?
 
we moved 10 coveys in 2 days in north central ks. very happy! i would say avg of 15 birds, 150 birds total....killed 10. went through a box of shells. horrible shot!

first time i went through a box of shells while hunting the opener...i would consider a good day.

all public ground.
 
SetterNut said:
Have any of you found that the quail do not seem to be in their normal places.

I have been to some of my best spots, that always have some quail. I know that they were there earlier in the year. They just haven't been there.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I have noticed the same thing. Areas where I always find them, they are gone. But I have heard reports from others that they are finding them in fields where they haven't been in years. I don't have an answer... But I feel your pain, man.:(

I would like to find a covey for the pup.
 
No offense, but mother nature doesn't owe anybody a dead quail no matter what the hunter did. If somebody wants to "earn" shots on a quail, he should do something to help the population... like pass up shots on small coveys. Or do something in the off season like improve the habitat in the places he hunts so it can support a huntable population.

What if a hunter spends twice as much time and money, and hunts twice as hard? After all that walking he finally finds an 8 bird covey. Does he shoot his limit and obliterate the covey because he "earned" it? I hope not.:(
 
We had the same experience on opening day. We found quail... but they were not in the usual areas we find them.

BTW went to hunt Fort Riley yesterday for the first time. That place is huge, I did not see a bird. Talked to a few hunters no one was having any luck either. We hunted draws and plum thickets to no avail.
 
Toad said:
No offense, but mother nature doesn't owe anybody a dead quail no matter what the hunter did. If somebody wants to "earn" shots on a quail, he should do something to help the population... like pass up shots on small coveys. Or do something in the off season like improve the habitat in the places he hunts so it can support a huntable population.

What if a hunter spends twice as much time and money, and hunts twice as hard? After all that walking he finally finds an 8 bird covey. Does he shoot his limit and obliterate the covey because he "earned" it? I hope not.:(
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I was going to leave it alone but.........................Shooting game is not owed to anyone. Regardless of money spent. Certainly it is legal to shoot birds out of any size covey but maybe not ethical. I did jump a couple coveys on private land in NW kansas, but they were hardly huge. The birds around here have disappeared also. I would imagine it is something to do with weather patterns and i have not payed that much attention in the past. In regards to money spent, I had a guy at work ask me if he could buy a pheasant to have on thanksgiving. I told him i would give him one because if i charged him what i had in it, it would be 100-150.00 apiece.
 
No offense, but mother nature doesn't owe anybody a dead quail no matter what the hunter did. If somebody wants to "earn" shots on a quail, he should do something to help the population... like pass up shots on small coveys. Or do something in the off season like improve the habitat in the places he hunts so it can support a huntable population.

What if a hunter spends twice as much time and money, and hunts twice as hard? After all that walking he finally finds an 8 bird covey. Does he shoot his limit and obliterate the covey because he "earned" it? I hope not.
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+ 1 :thumbsup:

Regarding coveys, I've moved several this year but have yet to fire a shot. The largest covey I've moved is probably 8 birds. I'm finding them right where they should be, but all have been very small in number.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
Why not? Two days vacation. 1000 miles round trip. 25 on foot. $300.00 food and lodging. 250 on fuel. Didn't he earn it?
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It's exactly that attitude we don't need. I was going to leave it alone too, but this attitude is typical, of many who view game as a legal target, and either ignorant of the challenging issues quail face, or choose to ignore it. I hate to put it in generational terms, I'm sure there are many exceptions, but my guess is the guys who hold their fire are over or approaching 40, and have a long generational history, from childhood with quail hunting. The shooters are mostly younger, not serious quail hunters, shooting quail as a bonus bird, likely from an area with no recent quail hunting, or newbies to the sport. Illustrates why we need to educate at every opportunity, raise money to achieve habitat goals, and use peer group pressure to police ourselves against what the Brit's would refer to as "bad form".
 
westksbowhunter said:
Your an IDIOT!
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Its not about the money you ass. The guy had been on the forum a total of ten minutes and you were lecturing him. Did you hunt the ground he was on. How do you know anything about the population. I don't presume to believe that I find every bird in the field, Do you? For every bird you see there are ten you don't. An earlier thread set covey size limits at 8 birds there were ten, so he shot two. I rarely shoot quail when am pheasant hunting but If I drove to Cotez Colo. you could damn sure bet I would , and 90% of the people would also.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
Its not about the money you ass. The guy had been on the forum a total of ten minutes and you were lecturing him. Did you hunt the ground he was on. How do you know anything about the population. I don't presume to believe that I find every bird in the field, Do you? For every bird you see there are ten you don't. An earlier thread set covey size limits at 8 birds there were ten, so he shot two. I rarely shoot quail when am pheasant hunting but If I drove to Cotez Colo. you could damn sure bet I would , and 90% of the people would also.
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That does not make 90% of the people right. I actually used to live down there so I do know the area. So I do know more about that area than you do. It is in a serious drought. Those birds need all the help they can get. Quail have been quite fragile for a long time. More so in that area than anywhere else in the state. I will actually be traveling through Wichita in a couple of weeks if you would like to discuss this in person. I would love too.

Oh, I did not lecture. Just asked a question. You made it about the money.
 
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