Quail

stevie · Jul 15, 2008

For a change of pace...how about quail. With the recent rains, have you all noticed some good hatches. I live in the city and don't get to see these things like I wish I could.

Quail hunting last year was great. I hope this year is the same.

nmelktrout · Jul 15, 2008

Good numbers, not like last year though. Saw more quail last June than I had ever seen in my life, not too mention the fact that there were great numbers of scalies, gambels, and pretty good mearns during the season. But the rains stopped and the mortality rates actually went up significantly before October of last year. The rains were a bit late in comparison this year which hurt the survival rates of the early clutches. There were two clutches hatched in a lot of areas last year because of the rain and this was why there were so many birds, but I don't know that we will see it this year. Last year was perfect with early rains but this year was a bit later and should also be good. I guess I'm holding my breath for now. Still in a drought cycle and these bird's lives depend on good rain.

stevie · Jul 16, 2008

Interesting response. Thanks. Last year I hunted the Carlsbad area. This year I might venture West and try out the Deming/Columbus area.

I would love to bag a Mearns, but I'm not sure where to look. I've heard the Unit 17 and 21 areas hold good numbers.

stevie · Oct 19, 2008

Just wanted to bring this topic up again. Now that many of you have been in the field this year, have you been seeing many quail?

NMPaul · Oct 20, 2008

Stevie, so far I am a little disapointed in the quail I have seen.

I am hoping that the tall grass may be hiding them better and that is not why I am not seeing them as much. This is blue scale I am talking about.

There are very few Mearns where I live. Saw some baby chicks this year. Thought they were mice at first. Size of my thumb.

stevie · Oct 20, 2008

The only placed I have been this year is the Monticello area on a deer scouting trip. I saw a few Gamble's and that's about it. Last year I hunted the Carlsbad area and did very well. I'm hoping to make another quail hunting trip there this year, but I'm not going to spend the money if the hunting stinks.

nmelktrout · Oct 20, 2008

I've seen a ton of birds down West of Roswell. Lot's of grass which will continue to be great as long as the cattle don't graze it completely down. My understanding this year is that the first clutches did decently but didn't do too great as the rains didn't come until mid-summer. The good news is that there was a second clutch hatched in most areas and these birds seem to be doing VERY well. Good numbers everywhere I have seen, especially with the scalies and pretty good with the mearns. Now, finding the mearns come season is another story...I think this year stands to be a good year for quail and I will be burning lots of gas getting my dog and I into them.

sportsman01 · Oct 23, 2008

I've been a bit disappointed with the number of birds I've seen this year. I have several spots I like to hunt for Dove and quail and usually I'm seeing decent covies early in the year. this year I've seen a few birds but the covies don't seem to be as big. Not seeing as many scaleds as i did last year. Who knows, maybe the tall grass is hiding them better. I hope it's a good year as I just got a new pup and he's just about ready for the field!!

Good luck and see ya in the field!

stevie · Oct 23, 2008

What area are you referring to Sportsman01?

nmelktrout · Oct 24, 2008

Sportsman01,

What I've noticed where I quail hunt is that there is more water than usual so the birds aren't as concentrated around the few remaining tanks as they have been in the past couple of years. I don't think it's a matter of less birds so much as smaller groups of birds at each tank due to them not having to all concentrate on specific spots. I'm basing this on the fact that I'm seeing coveys in spots where I haven't seen them before or where I haven't seen water for a couple of years. Also, the amount of good grass spread around has the birds a lot more scattered so you won't have as many covies concentrated around good feed like the past couple of years.