tlowell02
Lil-Rokslider
I had no idea so many Lubbockites were Rokslide members. Sounds like we all hunt the same species and places.
Scaled quail
- Thread starter ElPollo
- Start date
I prefer the term Lubbuckian. Whichever you prefer, give me a holler if you wanna get out and stomp the desert for quail. This year is likely be a lot of stomping and few quail. I will be hunting mulies from opening day to turkey day, but will be out with the dogs most weekends after that.
Dos Perros
WKR
How are the birds in eastern NM this year? I have the week between Xmas and New Year's off and thinking on doing something outside that I wouldn't normally get to do. I've hunted birds out of state a lot, just never the desert SW (unless you count private leases in west Texas). We run setters and pointers and I bet could put together a nice string to have enough dogs to hunt for the week, assuming it was worth it to make the trip. Otherwise we'll stay in KS and hunt stuff we know, just wouldn't be as exciting.
Quail numbers in eastern NM and west TX are down signifcantly this year. I haven’t been out yet due to a mule deer hunt, but my friends all reported low numbers in eastern NM for the opener. It’s not a no-quail year like 2011, but maybe a 3-4 covey a day year. That’s down from 12-20 coveys per day a couple of years ago.
How are the scalie and other desert quail hunters fairing this year so far? Are you seeing birds? How are your covey numbers and size comparing to last year? How are your dogs doing? And are you holding up your end of the bargain for the dog or are you getting the look of shame when you miss?
Our pack got a late start this year due to a mulie hunt that overlapped with the NM quail opener. We didn’t get out until last weekend. We actually started out in one of the areas that registered one of the lowest rainfall totals during the last breeding season, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of birds.
Our covey total was about half what it was for a couple of years ago, but covey size was maybe a little bigger. Two of them were in the 35-45 bird range which is something you don’t usually see until January.
The weather was tough with 30-35 mph sustained winds, but sometime you have to go because you can. The wind and low humidity made it tough on the dogs. My young dog was also a bit overzealous in terms of range. We did get some nice points, but didn’t get a lot of shots due to birds flushing before getting in range. The wind dropped in the afternoon and conditions improved.
Shooting-wise, I could tell that I did too much rifle shooting and not enough trap this off season. My first few shots were way behind the birds, but I caught up after three stares of shame from the pack.
Overall, it was great to put miles on in the desert again with the beasts for quail. For me, desert quail hunting fills that ‘ozone-like’ hole in my soul that is created by having to live in a town surrounded by 50 miles cropland that I call the “doughnut of despair”. I was missing it badly and feeling like a slacker for not getting out earlier. We were joined for half the day by a retired friend who spends most of the season camping in an RV trailer in the desert with his dogs. He said he hunted scalies for 70 days last year. Those of us who have jobs, kids and responsibilities are all jealous because we have to work at it to get out a day or two a week. But maybe we’ll be lucky enough to emulate him one of these days.
So how’s it going for y’all?
El Pollo
Our pack got a late start this year due to a mulie hunt that overlapped with the NM quail opener. We didn’t get out until last weekend. We actually started out in one of the areas that registered one of the lowest rainfall totals during the last breeding season, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of birds.
Our covey total was about half what it was for a couple of years ago, but covey size was maybe a little bigger. Two of them were in the 35-45 bird range which is something you don’t usually see until January.
The weather was tough with 30-35 mph sustained winds, but sometime you have to go because you can. The wind and low humidity made it tough on the dogs. My young dog was also a bit overzealous in terms of range. We did get some nice points, but didn’t get a lot of shots due to birds flushing before getting in range. The wind dropped in the afternoon and conditions improved.
Shooting-wise, I could tell that I did too much rifle shooting and not enough trap this off season. My first few shots were way behind the birds, but I caught up after three stares of shame from the pack.
Overall, it was great to put miles on in the desert again with the beasts for quail. For me, desert quail hunting fills that ‘ozone-like’ hole in my soul that is created by having to live in a town surrounded by 50 miles cropland that I call the “doughnut of despair”. I was missing it badly and feeling like a slacker for not getting out earlier. We were joined for half the day by a retired friend who spends most of the season camping in an RV trailer in the desert with his dogs. He said he hunted scalies for 70 days last year. Those of us who have jobs, kids and responsibilities are all jealous because we have to work at it to get out a day or two a week. But maybe we’ll be lucky enough to emulate him one of these days.
So how’s it going for y’all?
El Pollo
I've been out a couple times down by Socorro and only got into two small covey's of 4 or 5 birds each time so things have been pretty slow. Two of the covey's were running before I could get to them, Trapper did have a few solid points but if the birds start running he tries to adjust and it often results in an unwanted flush, if the birds hold the dog will stand and wait till I get there even if I am a long way out but we gotta work on him not moving on birds that he can see running.
I missed my shot on the first covey and redeemed myself on the second covey but one bird in two outings is not much of a meal.
I missed my shot on the first covey and redeemed myself on the second covey but one bird in two outings is not much of a meal.
JPD,
I hear you on running birds in sparse cover. That's hard for dogs and particularly younger dogs. The key is field time on wild birds and letting them know that patience is rewarded with success. I had both dogs running together yesterday and my younger dog started out busting birds. When he does that I pull him back and make him heal while the other dog works out in front. I also pulled them both back for a bit and worked on stalking singles that were calling and used my calling back to them to help locate the bird. I think that makes the dogs think about being stealthy and paying attention to sounds as well as scent. Of course the ultimate reward is getting the birds in their mouth, so your success breeds more for them.
Yesterday was windy in the am again, but we had some good weather in the afternoon (usually its reversed). We got into nine coveys yesterday. I've been pleasantly surprised about bird numbers. The good stuff happened only with three of them after the wind laid. My young dog had some nice points and a couple of good retrieves including one that wasn't hit hard enough. We ended with a bit of a scare when my older dog got into some crude oil around a pumpjack. He actually drank some of it, so I had to induce vomiting with some peroxide. It was a crappy way to end a pretty good day. He was pretty miserable after that, but seems better today.
I hear you on running birds in sparse cover. That's hard for dogs and particularly younger dogs. The key is field time on wild birds and letting them know that patience is rewarded with success. I had both dogs running together yesterday and my younger dog started out busting birds. When he does that I pull him back and make him heal while the other dog works out in front. I also pulled them both back for a bit and worked on stalking singles that were calling and used my calling back to them to help locate the bird. I think that makes the dogs think about being stealthy and paying attention to sounds as well as scent. Of course the ultimate reward is getting the birds in their mouth, so your success breeds more for them.
Yesterday was windy in the am again, but we had some good weather in the afternoon (usually its reversed). We got into nine coveys yesterday. I've been pleasantly surprised about bird numbers. The good stuff happened only with three of them after the wind laid. My young dog had some nice points and a couple of good retrieves including one that wasn't hit hard enough. We ended with a bit of a scare when my older dog got into some crude oil around a pumpjack. He actually drank some of it, so I had to induce vomiting with some peroxide. It was a crappy way to end a pretty good day. He was pretty miserable after that, but seems better today.
We had a big storm on Friday and Saturday out here on the southern plains. A foot of snow in Lubbock. I was out yesterday in eastern NM. The snow was gone there, but the scenting conditions were awesome. Just had the young dog with me, but he kicked butt. We got into birds everywhere we went. I was particularly proud of him for a point on a single that he stood off about 30 yards. Had some good retrieves too. He got a little distracted in the afternoon and started spending more time looking at bunnies, but didn’t chase them. It was a good day, but any day hunting is a good day.
tlowell02
Lil-Rokslider
A friend and myself gave it a try yesterday morning. Our dogs combined traveled 33 miles but only turned up one covey. Unless we get another snow event I'm probably done for the season.
It wasn't all a loss, at least we got into a few pheasants around the house last week during the short NM season.
It wasn't all a loss, at least we got into a few pheasants around the house last week during the short NM season.
Tlowell,
I have not hunted your part of New Mexico, but I have hunted over in the Dalhart area of TX for pheasants. Those running ditch parrots just burn my older dog up. I can't explain it because he does pretty well pointing scalies that everyone complains about being runners. He will push pheasants and end up flushing them way out from me. I think the issue is that a lot of his early training was on pen-raised birds during the drought of 2011. He still has a tendency to crowd birds more than I would like him to. That just does not work very well with pheasants. We also, don't have as many opportunities to get out on them regularly like we do with scalies.
El Pollo
I have not hunted your part of New Mexico, but I have hunted over in the Dalhart area of TX for pheasants. Those running ditch parrots just burn my older dog up. I can't explain it because he does pretty well pointing scalies that everyone complains about being runners. He will push pheasants and end up flushing them way out from me. I think the issue is that a lot of his early training was on pen-raised birds during the drought of 2011. He still has a tendency to crowd birds more than I would like him to. That just does not work very well with pheasants. We also, don't have as many opportunities to get out on them regularly like we do with scalies.
El Pollo
tlowell02
Lil-Rokslider
Pollo - I should clarify, the quail hunting was in SE NM. I tagged along to Lubbock with my wife who had Dr appointments while I met up with a friend and we kicked around some our usual haunts. The pheasants up here are few and far between but better than the quail population. I have yet to see a quail in this part of the state this season.
I got out on Thursday and found 15 coveys over an eight and half hour day. Didn’t get a shot at all of them by any means, but the dogs did well for the most part. My shooting was pretty good in the morning. I find that my skill with the shotgun seems to decrease as the day wears on and the miles go by.
I met an older fella cleaning birds on his tailgate on Thursday who had about 25 years on me. Nice guy too. Like me, he was out solo but without dogs. It was about 1:30 and he was done for the day. I asked how he had done, and his total was more than twice mine with my two dogs. That was a little demoralizing. But I think my strategy likely handicaps me a bit. Older fella spends the day driving around the oil fields jumping birds off the road. I don’t like the roads, traffic and trash of the oil fields so I focus on the untrammeled areas where I can do long, multi-mile casts without worrying about tanker trucks, or broken beer bottles, or having my dogs get into oil spills. But those scalies like that edge and the associated disturbance. The upside of that is that maybe as I get older and lamer, my quail harvest may actually increase. Ah, a potential silver lining to arthritis...
Anyway, we had a few green chile and bacon-wrapped scalies on the grill last night. They are damned good. Perhaps the reason for that culinary delight is the miles required to earn them. My wife says they are still damned good and she didn’t have to hike 10 miles in the dunes for them. Any way you cut, desert quail hunting will definitely never be a subsistence hunt, but I’ll still still keep on doing it.
Hope y’all have a wonderful Christmas with your families.
El Pollo
I met an older fella cleaning birds on his tailgate on Thursday who had about 25 years on me. Nice guy too. Like me, he was out solo but without dogs. It was about 1:30 and he was done for the day. I asked how he had done, and his total was more than twice mine with my two dogs. That was a little demoralizing. But I think my strategy likely handicaps me a bit. Older fella spends the day driving around the oil fields jumping birds off the road. I don’t like the roads, traffic and trash of the oil fields so I focus on the untrammeled areas where I can do long, multi-mile casts without worrying about tanker trucks, or broken beer bottles, or having my dogs get into oil spills. But those scalies like that edge and the associated disturbance. The upside of that is that maybe as I get older and lamer, my quail harvest may actually increase. Ah, a potential silver lining to arthritis...
Anyway, we had a few green chile and bacon-wrapped scalies on the grill last night. They are damned good. Perhaps the reason for that culinary delight is the miles required to earn them. My wife says they are still damned good and she didn’t have to hike 10 miles in the dunes for them. Any way you cut, desert quail hunting will definitely never be a subsistence hunt, but I’ll still still keep on doing it.
Hope y’all have a wonderful Christmas with your families.
El Pollo
codym
WKR
Not a fan of this thread but thought I should share a little warning. Had a dog bit by a rattlesnake this afternoon. It was about 60 degrees out. I see a few every year out here but never had a bite. The pup will be alright I think, but if you hunt in the Southwest you need to be prepared for it.
gadrahthaar
FNG
Featured Video
Latest Articles
- TT#62 Brian Barney Hunting Bulls without Calling
- Hoyt Alpha AX-2 SD Review
- Kuiu Kenai vs Outdoor Vitals Vario Hooded Jacket Review
- Hoyt RX-9 Ultra Review
- Hunting Vampire Bucks & Building an Optics Kit
- Darton Sequel ST2 35 Review
- TT#61 Gear and Skills for Success with Aron Snyder
- Vortex Viper Shotgun Enclosed Micro Red Dot Review
- Howard’s Total Vise Legacy Bow Press
- Tcams, Point Creep, Scouting, & The Hunt Source Podcast