Quail now have evolved into a slightly smaller version than we had 40 years ago. There are a lot of speculation. I subscribe to the survival of the fittest. More pressure, less habitat, makes sure the birds that survive are lean and wary. I have seen recent quail tactics, where they flight to feed, ( from a jungle of cover), usually at just before dark, feed and are back into the jungle flying, before dark, maybe exposing themselves for just minutes a day. Hunting up singles is a chore, lots go to ground under a brush fall, fly 1/2 mile deep into big timber. Chasing singles was bread and butter 40 years ago. Of course they run, always did. As far as being more difficult to point, what I have seen, they are the same, if approached by a great quail dog, they hold, lots of current dogs crowd, maybe it's the nose, maybe it's in-experience, because we don't have as many quail, or the fact that their knowledge is contained by contact with pheasants, which you can crowd effectively. Most of the quail dogs I owned used that to an advantage with pheasants, team work, one straight away into the cover, one or two who drifted on a long cast, and came back to front, trapping the bird, they also would establish point, hold it, then circle to pin the bird between you and the dog. By the way, if you have a lot of dogs, for pheasants they are an advantage, create confusion among the quarry! if you can handle the chaos! Dogs who have a lot of pen-raised or released bird experience, lack this, and they usually get to close to wild birds in the beginning. Quail hunting in my youth became a follow the dog, with casual conversation. Pheasants are always a war. I like the challenges of the new quail, they now live in areas you would not hunt in the past. Human hunters were a minor source of mortality, as apposed to hawks, owls, raccoons, skunks, snakes, foxes, et. al. Gives me hope they will survive me and prosper.
