[deputy125]

pulled up to around 12 yds of them.
Raised on a farm but the one rule from dad was to never hunt the quail. He enjoyed watching them. Kind of passed it on to me.

 

[sheepdog]

Gorgeous...used to have a covey in a field in town and I'd talk to them as I walked to work each day...that was '68...we hunted them but I'd rather hear and watch them than eat them...I understand your Dad's feelings...I was always too slow on covey rise and singles...love to see them fly...used to hunt with 4 uncles-they'd call them and I'd (bringing up the rear) "answer" them...carried on quite a conversation before they threatened me with a long walk home if I didn't stop...[}]

 

[TnTut]

My dad loved quail hunting more than any other kind of hunting. Some of my fondest memories of dad is going quail hunting with him. For years we had a bird dog for quail hunting.

 

[REB]

I used to love to hunt them as well but for some reason our quail population has almost completely disappeared. The thing I miss the most is listening to them in the evening

 

[deputy125]

REB
Got fire ants there?
Read some studies that they are responsible for alot of wildlife damage.

 

[sheepdog]

As are skunks, snakes, possums...I can still hear them calling the covey together in the evening...oh, to live in the country again and have about 40 acres!!!

 

[REB]

You know now that I think about it the decrees in quail population and the northward invasion of the imported fire ant do coincide. For those of you that haven't been afflicted with the imported fire ant count yourselves lucky.

 

[deputy125]

I had remembered a study done by Texas Tech a few years back about the effect of the fire ants on the quail and deer populations. The study as i remembered showed that fire ants did a nasty to the populations.
+1 about those skunks. Feral cats also.

 

[REB]

Our Deer population is healthy and on a positive note our wild turkey population has exploded. Maybe the turkeys eat those pesky little ants, one can dream cant he.

 

[sheepdog]

First I heard about them in La. was early 80s..I started seeing mounds in the pastures...a cow fell into one and was eaten to the bone in a day...They were moving west...don't know what states are infected but Texas sure is...

 

[Snuffy]

I love watch quial they run from here to there and back again. Yep we got fire ants. We almost had them whiped out until that dang epa stepped in.

 

[jaredshs]

I love to watch quail too, boy they can sure scare the crap out of you when you get a covy up
right in front of you in the field!

 

[Snuffy]

they sure can I have had them fly dang near into my face.

 

[gunman42782]

The scardest I ever was in my life I was going to my deer stand before daylight and jumped a covey of quail. It will make you dance, I can tell you!

 

[rman]

Our quail population has slimmed down a lot too. I blame the wild turkeys. We are overrun with them, and I'm told they raid the quail and pheasant nests for eggs and the newly hatched.

 

[kansas45]

quote:Originally posted by rman

Our quail population has slimmed down a lot too. I blame the wild turkeys. We are overrun with them, and I'm told they raid the quail and pheasant nests for eggs and the newly hatched.

I heard the same thing rman. Also, the weather during mateing & hatching season has a lot to do with the quail population. I have not seen many coveys, & only a few singles or pairs so far this year. In my area, due to the late winter & extreamley wet spring & summer, I can only think that they must have drowned. On the other hand, the phesant's seem to be doing ok.