Quail Hunting?

[Green1]

Just moved to a new area and there are loads of California Quail running around. Who out there hunts quail? Any favorite tactics, tips, recipes, or fun facts about quails?

 

[LionHead]

Subbed for interest.

Just got into bird hunting this year too. I'm in Central California

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[Green1]

What about experience with unconventional gear like bow hunting quail?

 

[Holocene]

• Find coveys. They will tend to be near riparian areas near brushy stuff. Exact habitat will change depending on where you live. Willow and russian olive thickets with sagebrush nearby are choice habitat where I live. Blackberry hedges are good in early season.
• Shoot them with an open or improved choke. Typical flush distance is 5-30 yards.
• Learn the "ca-caw" sound of CA quail. You can sometimes hear them before you see them.
• Birds tend to sit tight until they flush. You can literally almost step on them before they go. This is exhilarating.
• Don't kill all the birds in a covey! Shoot a few, then leave plenty of seed stock for next year.
• Pluck and eat the whole bird. They are delicious.
• Maybe get a dog one day? My Boykin spaniel is hell in a quail thicket. She gets in tight and flushes the birds and can retrieve them. If you are in a thick nasty covert, then having a dog to find downed birds is helpful.
• Have fun.

 

[sbsyncro]

If you’re in an area thick with them I think an airgun is a really fun and challenging way to selectively hunt them. Quail will usually post a sentry or two that will stand up on a rock or bush to keep a lookout while the covey feeds in the afternoon or morning sunshine. If you can sneak to within airgun distance (for me about 30-40 yards) you can pick off the sentries and the rest of the covey will just continue feeding. You can then pick off another bird or two before they figure out what is going on. Totally different than the jump-shooting them with a shotgun (both are a lot of fun)


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[Rockrods]

Good advice from Holocene. Base the # of birds you shoot in a coveys by the size. A small coveys only 1 or2. A large covey I'll take up to 5. My only problem with plucking the whole bird and eating it is trying to remove the shot. Please fill me in. Would also like any advice you guys in that area have on mountain quail. Would love to do that trip in the next year or two.

 

[mh1]

I do a lot of quail hunting in Iowa and I would agree with Holocene, I would add to pick out one when the covey gets up...newer quail hunters can get lost in the group getting up and shoot at the whole bunch. Lastly, a good hunting dog is really helpful in finding down birds.

 

[wildwilderness]

I have shot a few with a bow. Usually its been in urban areas where firearms are not allowed. Use a rubber blunt to not break your arrow.

 

[qwerksc]

Good dogs help.
Vietnamese fried quail
KFC fried quail
BBQ
Some of the best eatin birds.

 

[Forks]

Without a dog you're just killing IMO. Break the covey up and go after singles. With a pointing breed.......better than sex. As mentioned, don't get greedy and kill a bunch.

 

[Southern Heritage]

I’m a expert quail hunter. I buy a quail shoot a quail. It’s to awesome. You shake it up real good and stick in some cover. Come back 2 hrs later and there right there! As for cooking I like a coffee rub and then also deep fried

 

[ianpadron]

Seems I say this about most every upland species but quail hunting is about as fun as it gets. They're so dang fast and hold very tight for both pointing and flushing dogs.

Once you hunt quail with a 28 gauge side by side, you'll never want to do anything else haha.

Hunt em in the thickest creek bottoms you can find. Chokecherries, brambles, red whip, Russian olives...all quail magnets.

Best way to eat em...spatchcocked and grilled with a glaze or halved and Texas fried with white gravy.

 

[mh1]

I like to eat them with a little salt and pepper then sautéed in a little butter and garlic

 

[sbsyncro]

I’m a expert quail hunter. I buy a quail shoot a quail. It’s to awesome. You shake it up real good and stick in some cover. Come back 2 hrs later and there right there! As for cooking I like a coffee rub and then also deep fried

Huh?


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[Holocene]

Most of my shot whizzes right through a quail. I shoot lead or steel 6 depending on regs at where I'm hunting. I'd say most shot whizzes right through the bird. You can see wound channels easily, especially with lead shot, and it's helpful to rub that wound channel or maybe stick something like a chopstick in there to dislodge any shot. Also helps to shoot premium shot like zinc or copper coated lead -- that keeps the lead out of the meat okay.

We have mountain quail here in coastal Oregon. I hunt them opportunistically once finished with archery elk season but would not consider myself a pro or anything. They are very elusive birds. Sometimes see a few, other times coveys of 25+. Very challenging terrain and probably more calorie negative than chukar hunting. Gorgeous, huge quail though. My favorite time is September when the blackberries are still ripe and be birds can gorge on them until their livers turn purple. Techniques for mountain quail are quite pedestrian. Literally, walk or drive gravel logging roads on the coast range and hope to jump a covey gritting in the road near dawn or dusk. Then hunt the covey. These quail will associate with logging roads, recent clear cuts, and creeks. Southern Oregon is the place to be for highest numbers.

 

[Dos XX]

 

[c3cross]

Thanks for the recipe, definitely have to give that a try!

 

[BBob]

What about experience with unconventional gear like bow hunting quail?

I shot two Mearns quail with my bow once
Shot em with mechanicals cause that's all I had in the quiver

 

[Ca45acp]

You’ll see quail running around first dove opener and they disappear the next. Look for water sources and cover. Some areas near the AZ you see them just running around.

Pluck, salt pepper, light toss in tapioca flour, sauté in butter and olive oil. Don’t overcook or you wasted your bird.

 

[6t4nova]

Lot's of good advice already given. Quail are fun to hunt and great to eat. Go scout out some areas in mid summer to get an idea of hatch sizes and areas they frequent. I'm in Central CA also (Bakersfield) and do quite a bit of quail hunting once season rolls around.