# Tips on hunting pen-raised quail....???



## Derek Edge

Can anyone of you guys give me some tips on hunting pen raised birds?  I'm real new to this and am really anxious to get my GSP into more birds.  My question is, is there a certain way to put out birds?  Do I need to "dizzy" the quail?  Do I put them out the morning of the hunt or the night before?  I want it to be as close to real-world hunting situations.  I have the right land for it, be it WMA or private but I just want some tips on doing it right.

I'm planning on purchasing some quail for next weekend, maybe 20 or so for some friends and I to hunt on Saturday.  My (and my dogs) first quail hunt went so well that I can't wait to do it again.  I've found a decent place to buy birds around here (Dublin, Ga), being Wadley Quail Farm, but at $4.00 a piece, I really wish I could find a cheaper source.  I've heard of a place in Milledgeville but don't have the number, do any of you happen to know?


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## bobman

One thing you dont want to do with a young dog is have abunch of guys blasting away at the same time, try to do this with guys that will take turns and only one shooter at a time. 

$4 a bird is cheap if they fly well


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## Ole Fuzzy

We need a sticky thread on where to buy birds, it comes up here weekly.

The N. American Gamebird Assoc'n has a directory that you can search for member growers in GA.  

http://www.mynaga.org/


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## KULL NUTHIN'

Do the Wadley birds fly good?We usually spin them in a pillow case then place them under good cover if the birds see the sky when you place them they will flush so find good cover. let em sit for at least 1 hour seems to be 2 hours works best for us and have fun


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## Michael

For the "as close to real-world hunting situations" simple go to the middle of you hunting land and open up the box the birds came in. They will fly off in every direction. Then you'll actually have to hunt them.

FYI, I get my birds out of NC for $3.10, but there are some here in Hancock Co on the West side of Sparta for $3.40.


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## mstripling13

I have a guy in twiggs county that I am about to go to this coming weekend to get birds for 3.50 a bird if that's better. Send me a pm with your number and I will get back in touch with you about if they fly good, but as of right now I don't know. I have the numbers to the people you are talking about to but I have to find them. Send me a PM like I said and let me get all my stuff together and I'll get back to you. Good luck on the hunting bud. Be safe.


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## John F Hughes

All the birds you want 4 $3 to $3.25 in Douglas, Ga. 20,000 left


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## Nimrod71

Derek call William Lancaster between McRae & Milian.  He has plenty of quail and 15,000 pheasants.  The price is $3.60 or $3.50 I don't remember.  These are good birds and fly good.  

As for a real hunt as Michael said you just open the box and let them all fly out at once.  You will spend the rest of the day hunting them.  Or you can put them out 2 or 3 at the time.  Put is sack and spend.  Throw them under some cover to keep them from flushing and flying off.  when your dog points don't shot the birds on the first flush.  Flush the covey and then hunt them as singles.

If you have a young dog only let one hunter shot at the time.  To many guns going off at the time can mess your dog up.


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## Sam H

Some say dizzy them...some say don't...Lately we have just been letting them jump/fly out of the transport cage...anywhere from 3/4 birds at a time wait about 1 hr then hunt(this way you actually hunt them)...DO NOT put them out the night before because of predators..if you do the males will start to whistle to covey them up and the predators will have a buffet..IMHO


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## jcbailey55

we usually just dizzy them up a couple of hours before the hunt. that usually gives them plenty of time to get their senses back. but of course our bird guy moved, and he used to sell for 2.50 a bird. now the cheapest i can find is 4 dollars/ bird. but we dont leave ours out over night, because coyotes will have a field day.


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## jcbailey55

and also to kinda back up nimrod, we usually take our pup french brittany out to the field when we shoot skeet because normally only one person shoots at a time. and he is a little older now, and gun shots just make him want to hunt more. it was a good way to keep him from getting gun shy. which will ruin a bird dog.


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## easbell

The only drawback with letting them oput of the cages is that there will be a lot of singles. If you are wanting the covey rise then go with the pillowcase route. Getting good birds is the key. Good birds means that 90%+ get up and fly hard for 100 yrds or more.  

Call me if you need good birds, I'm 30 min North of you in McIntyre. They cost $4.00


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## Derek Edge

Gun shyness has never been an issue, I have my own range and have always had him around since 7 weeks old when we shoot.  But I do plan on only one guy shooting at a time so that I can work on his steadiness to shot.  Thanks for the tips guys!  Eric, I'm about to give you a call as you are much closer I think.


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## TurkeyH90

*Pen birds*

My main tip is DO NOT put birds out if you think they might get rained on. Once they are wet you can forget flying.


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## preston

*putin out birds*

i have tried it several ways and when i just let them fly out of the box they never seem to take to cover... just walk around out in the open which makes a dog sight point them rather than sent if hidden some. i do better putting them in the right amount of cover and try to pcik out cover that they can fly out of once flushed.


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## jbrown50

I've bird hunted for 50yrs, been a bird guide on released birds for the last 7 seasons. I put 3 to 5 birds in a clean feed sack and wire ty the top. When I get to my hunting spot, take the bag and sling it around in a big circle 3 or 4 times to dizzy the birds. If I have heavy cover, I dump the birds out in the cover, you can also kick a hole in grass or low weeds and shoot the birds into the hole. On a standard hunt, I put out 20 bags and hunt 2 different areas that have 10 bags per area.


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## Bilijack

*Quail live purchase Dublin, McRae, Ga.*

I'm looking to buy 30 to 50 live quail for our hunt in the next few weeks.

Any one know of a reputable and well priced source?

Thank you


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## GLS

Couple of points: are you sure you can release the birds at any and all WMAs?
A military base that I hunt allows pen raised releases for dog training only in certain areas and one must have proof of purchase.  The birds can't be released anywhere else.  Check the state regs.
Secondly, if you going to train your dog, you might get more bang for the buck by putting out 5 at a time and spacing them fairly far apart.  That way, when the pup chases the bird (which he will) if someone misses, he won't flush more than the one he's chasing.  Last thing you want are the quail flying in a chain reaction if the pup runs through them chasing another.  In thick grass, make a "nest" or hole with walls to dump the dizzy bird into.  That way it won't run or fly off (usually).  For the past month, we have bought 20 birds each week to be split between two trainee dogs and stretched them out over two days.  It takes about 2 hours to work the two dogs separately. We've also found that it works better for us not to put the birds out the day we get them.  They are trucked in from NC and must be stressed because they fly better the second day so we put them out the day after we get them.  Local birds are probably better. YMMV. We also put the birds where they are clearer targets when they flush so that we can down the bird and not have the pups chase them until they catch them if we miss them.  Pen raised birds (not early release) have just so many flights in them before they poop out.   This is what has worked for me and an experienced buddy who is helping me with my pooch.  None of the above was my idea.  I just did what I was told to do.


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