ANOTHER GOOD YEAR FOR TEXAS QUAIL HUNTERS - MAYBE?
By Jim Foster
It could be the excitement of watching the dogs accomplish what has been bred into them for generations – that being finding birds. It could also be getting outside with friends following behind our canine leaders – or maybe it’s the excitement when a covey of quail takes to the air. Or, it could be the feel of a light side-by-side 28 gauge following the flight of a flushing quail.
Maybe, all of the above?
If you selected all of the above you would be partially correct, but there is so much more.
Last year I found quail in just about every place I hunted and recorded and astounding 22 coveys in one day on a ranch near the famed Palo Duro Canyon. Hunting with longtime wing shooting friends. What a trip that was.
But now it’s 2008 and in a very short time the dogs will be out and hunting and I will be tagging along.
South Texas is a semi-arid region where much of the annual variation in bobwhite quail populations can be attributed to the timing and amount of rainfall.
The statewide quail season runs October 25 and closes on February 22, 2009. The daily bag limit is 15, with 45 in possession.
"For South Texas, production came late and history tells us when you get these late hatches, they tend to be less productive so right out of the box we’re going to have less birds," said Robert Perez, TPWD upland game bird program director. "I would encourage hunters to go early in the season, as soon as hunting conditions are favorable for dog work."
Surveys predict a below-average year, but at the time biologists ran these routes the bulk of hatching had no yet occurred. There will likely be a whole lot of small birds at the beginning of the season and plenty of hunter opportunity. July rains spurred pairing and nesting and September field reports indicate broods of small chicks.
"We had an extremely dry year, with some rains last September, but less than we normally receive, and then essentially little or no rain until this past July. During July, we received about eight inches the first half of the month, and then received up to a foot of rainfall with Hurricane Dolly," said Stephen Benn, area manager at the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area. "The good news is that we were coming off an extremely wet 2007, so habitat was in excellent condition going into the drought period, and has, of course, rebounded."
For those who don't have access to private land or are on a budget there are ample opportunities to take part in the upcoming quail season on public land. Wildlife biologists at the Chaparral and James Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas in South Texas predict there will be quality quail hunts early in the season. Access to hunting at these WMAs and others is available with the purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit, which can be bought wherever hunting licenses are sold. The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities.
So get out and enjoy some of the most enjoyable hunting Texas has to offer. And, should you see a gray bearded hunter following an orange and white dog and a young wirehair pointer give me a wave and take a minute to talk hunting. I just might need the break.
If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com
