Recently my brother did a little quail hunting courtesy of the folks at Upland Bird Country. He had a blast and I asked him to write up a review for all you bird hunters who live near Dallas, TX. Thanks bro.

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Upland Bird Country Review

Location: Corsicana, TX (~60 miles south of Dallas)

URL: www.uplandbird.com

Date: December ‘09

Game Hunted: Quail

Cost: $185/person for unguided quail hunt.  Different packages and birds are offered for varying prices. Guide and dog are also available for a per group rate.

The hunt: After looking at Upland Country’s website for awhile, I finally decided to give it a try. It was worth it. I chose the quail hunt package for $185. Upland Bird Country provides 18 birds in the package. 

Even though I was hunting alone, I was able to get a field to myself. The terrain was thick enough to allow good cover for the birds, but not so bad that you couldn’t get through it. The quail were good size and good, fast fliers. I noticed that right away as I missed the first couple of birds that were flushed.

All of the birds I shot were after they were flushed by my dog. I didn’t have any of the those birds that you have to kick to get to off the ground.

Upland Bird Country allows hunters to bring their own dogs, which was a definite plus. I was able to get my lab some good work flushing quail. She’s turned into a pretty good all around dog for both dove and quail.

Overall, it was good day. Upland Bird Country was definitely a good find, especially for those close to the Dallas area.

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Quail Forecast 2009-2010

Perspective

Statewide surveys were initiated in 1978 to monitor quail populations. This index uses randomly selected, 20-mile roadside survey lines to determine annual quail population trends by ecological region. This trend information helps determine relative quail populations among the regions of Texas. Comparisons can be made between the mean (average) number of quail observed per route this year and the long term mean (LTM) for quail seen within an ecological region. The quail survey was not designed to predict relative abundance for any area smaller than the ecological region.

Bobwhite quail hunting can be hit or miss in Texas considering these birds exist here on the very western edge of their distribution in the U. S. There are still vast expanses of suitable bobwhite habitat in the rangelands of South Texas and in the Rolling Plains, where in some years over a hundred thousand hunters flock to pursue these wary game birds. Bobs are limited in these regions by rainfall, more specifically the lack thereof.

Carryover From Last Season

This past winter was the second dry winter in a row. Dry conditions limit the availability of late winter and early spring greens, an important part of the quail diet. Of course some areas fared better than others and proper range management is also a part of the equation. Field reports indicate good carryover in parts of the Rolling Plains and to a lesser degree in northern South Texas.

Quail Survey Data in Major Ecological Regions

For quail survey data on a region, click its name in the list below.

Rolling Plains

This region was not as dry this past winter as other areas of the state and scattered mid to late summer rains resulted in substantial production in some areas. Thick vegetation and late broods have likely resulted in an underestimate by our roadside counts. Field reports are across the board this year, indicating localized effects of timely rainfall. Survey results and field staff observations predict a fair to average year. Due to the variation in weather conditions across this region it’s a good idea to scout ahead to be sure hunting areas are holding birds.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 6.6 compared to 18.7 last year. This is well below the LTM of 21.9. Despite low counts, enough young birds and coveys have been anecdotally reported that we suspect there will be good bobwhite hunter opportunity, especially in areas under good range management. Public hunting opportunities can be found at the Matador and the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas.

South Texas Plains

Unfortunately winter, spring and summer rains were lacking over most of the range, which likely increased overwinter mortality resulting in less carryover and also delayed nesting attempts by those birds that survived the winter. There has been scattered rainfall mid to late summer but not enough to trigger widespread nesting. September rains may spur some pairing and subsequent very late nesting. So there may be less than half grown birds at the beginning of the season. Overall, our surveys predict a poor to fair season for South Texas. There will be fair to good opportunities on well managed sites that were proactive in grazing management decisions during this drought year.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 5.2 compared to 6.6 last year. This is well below the LTM of 18.9 and is predictive of a below average hunting season. The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities.

Trans-Pecos

The Trans-Pecos ecological region of Texas received great weather conditions midsummer that spurred scale quail reproduction. Greatly improved numbers have been confirmed by field reports and are reflected in our survey results. Reports from the western edge of the Edwards Plateau (the Stockton Plateau) indicate poorer production than the rest of the region. We expect an average to good scaled quail season out west.

The average number of scaled quail observed per route was 16.9 compared to 6.7 last year. This is very close to the LTM of 17.8. Public hunter opportunities can be found at Elephant Mountain and Black Gap Wildlife Management Areas.

Other Areas

Our surveys indicate that bobwhite numbers in Gulf Prairies are down considerably from last year. Hunters should focus on the central and lower coast in native prairie habitats. The Cross Timbers and Edwards Plateau are well below their respective LTM’s. Although there are certainly areas within each region where some quail hunting opportunity remains, this survey is not designed to detect changes in localized populations, especially in fragmented landscapes.

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 In the mail yesterday I received Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s special drawings magazine. Right inside the front cover was an advertisement for ‘BIG TIME Texas Hunts’.

There are seven ‘Big Time’ hunts you can put in for. They all start with Texas, e.g. Texas Premium Buck Hunt, exotic safari, gator hunt, whitetail bonanza, grand slam, waterfowl adventure, and the big time bird hunt.

The Big Time Bird Hunt winner gets to take three buddies for two days of quail hunting, two days of pheasant hunting, two afternoons of dove hunting, and one buddy gets to join the winner for a two-day guided spring turkey hunt.

Naturally, to put your name in for one of the hunts it cost $10 over the phone or at a licensed retailer and $9 if you enter online. Go to http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/bighunts to check it out and enter the drawing. The deadline to enter is Oct. 15, 2009. To purchase by phone call (800) 895-4248.

These hunts appear to be top of the line and all the proceeds go to help preserve the great traditions of hunting in Texas.

The bird hunt could be the best ten bucks you ever spent, call or go online today.

Time to RELOAD!

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I came across this video from TexasHuntFish, a hunting forum. So check it out…

Click HERE to watch

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Texas‘ wild quail numbers continue to decline     Its sound is distant as it whistles out its name: Bob-White. but the sound is becoming increasingly muted as the quail population across the state decline.  ”The landscape for quail has changed very significantly over the last 40 years,” said Dale Rollins, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist based in San Angelo. the demise of the quail is on an east to west trajectory according to Rollin’s.  An aerial view of the landscape would likely show urban encroachment and introduced pastures in areas that have on average recieve high rainfall totals.  Most of the good quail country currently is an 18-to-25- inch rainfall zone. Rainfall accounts for maybe 50 to 70 percent of the variability in annual population. Land fragmentation caused by population growth also hasn’t been a quail-friendly change either he explained. “The cause for concern ultimately is human population. When all the state looks like I-35, we can’t have quail,” Rollins said.  However, his words do carry a note of optimism. There must be a more quail- friendly grazing management and brush management, by land owners and land stewards.  Grazing and brush management are the two biggest tools in the toolbox to bring back the whistles of the Bob-White in Texas.  Time to RELOAD! Dove, Dogs, & Shotguns

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I know this site is mainly about dove hunting, but hunting quail is a lot of fun also. Last Christmas, my brother took me and my oldest son, (Dad couldn’t make it unfortunately) to the Walton Ranch  just outside of the small town of Navasota, TX. The Walton Ranch is a hunting ranch where you can hunt quail, pheasant, and chukar. What a Christmas present that was….

It was my son’s first quail hunt and I really wanted it to be a good one, and it was awesome, After I got over the embarrassment of forgetting his 20 gauge shells in the back of my truck, back at home. The guys at the ranch helped me out of that jam and the hunt was on. It was a damp, overcast morning so the quail were hunkered down pretty good. My brother’s lab. Darla, helped remedy that problem as she worked to flush them out. And flush them she did, the first one that flew by me looked like a chicken it was so fat, one down 35 left to go. Seth, my son, got off to a slow start, missing the first couple that spooked him when they flew, but he settled down after hitting the next two and really had a knack for finding the covies. My brother got out of the gate the fastest, jumping out with 6 quick quail. I was able to catch up after running into two large covies and some quick shooting. All in all, in our half day hunt we brought home 35 out of the 36 quail they released. Seth is hooked on bird hunting, it was great to see Darla work, and my brother and I had some serious fun. Below is the review:

The ranch is spread out and divided into large sections for each hunting party. We probably walked three miles that morning, and it was worth every step. The sections we were on was mostly thick grass with a dry creek bed and some scattered trees. The quail had plenty of places to hide. I think they also have lodging for out of towners, but seeing how we live about a hour away, we didn’t utilize these facilities.

The people running the show were helpful and made us feel right at home. After the hunt they prepared us  some home cooked chili with all the fixings. They cleaned and bagged our quail and provided the ice to put them on. They were very friendly folks and that goes along way.

Pricing is about $160 per person per 1/2 day hunt. It’s not too outrageous compared to some other places I’ve looked at, but still expensive enough. It was our first time to hunt pinned quail. The good thing is we  knew there were some birds (unlike some public land leases), but it is a little less exciting than hunting them in the wild.

The quail themselves were fat and tasty. We made some fajitas when we got home which were delicious. My wife even ate them and that is saying a lot.

Hunting the Walton Ranch was very fun, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a sure bet on quail hunting. As for my family, we’ve started a new tradition over Christmas, I just dread when it’s my turn to buy. Thanks again, bro.

Time to RELOAD!

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