# But Ga. Wild Quail Don't Exist....



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

Muckalees response to my earlier thread got me to stewing....

I'm sick and tired of this mess.  The majority of the "bird hunters" (if you want to call them that)that I come in contact with, most of them on this forum, go on and on about how there are no wild quail left.  Or so few that it does not justify chase.  I hear so many folks saying they buy birds, do hunt tests, run trials or leave their dog in the kennel cause it..."isnt what it used to be"...or, "isnt enough birds to worry with"! 

Gettttt real!

If you want to run trials because you like the competition..great.  If you want to shake and bake cause you are in the training stage or enjoying shooting or love fried quail in gravy..awesome.  If you hunt test for the comraderie or personal achievement it offers...so be it.  But dont try to justify these activities cause "their are no wild birds in Ga"! 

 Lets call a spade a spade...you dont want to put forth the effort, time, sweat, work etc. for that one instant of gratification when the dog you raised and trained pins a wild covey.  Period. 

Now I'm not aiming this at the gentleman who grew up in the glory days.  Truth is maybe they cant get around as good as they used to...or maybe they were spoiled from those 20 covey days in the 50's  and quail hunting in 2013 just dont compare to days-gone-by.  I get that.  I seriously get that.  But most of these folks I hear this from are 25-45years old....no excuses. 

To those of you feel this way please tell me how many wild quails would have to exist to make it worth your effort?  What would it take to make it worth your precious time???

That is...how many hours of effort are you willing to expend for the chance to see a wild covey explode in front of your coveted, AKC GSP of Atlanta registered, bench champion, family pet, daddy's boy bird dog?

I'm talking about Ga Piedmont/Upper Coastal/Lower Coastal Plain public land.... going in blind.  Doing all the work yourself.  1 hour, 2 hours, 12 hours?  Lets compare that to to some of the more popular GON forum endeavors...i.e, waterfowl or deer hunting.  

How many hours do you think the average duck hunter spends scouting, driving, setting up, hunting, etc. for one Ga. public land mallard.  I can guarantee you that statistic is jaw-dropping.  That mallard meat is more expensive than that fried quail we were talking about.  I know I put in over 100 hours easy this year and never pulled the trigger on a public land mallard.  And I'm just a weekend warrior.  Now I'm relatively new to duck hunting-5 years or so -but so are most of these guys saying that wild quail are just too hard to find.   You can't tell me anyone with half a brain and a half decent dog (regardless of tail length) can spend 100 hours hunting Ga public land and not produce a covey!!!  

What about deer hunting?  I know for me a wild covey is about as special as a 142 inch buck - and I would get tired of shooting 142 inch bucks after draggin out number 8 or so while I would never tire of wild coveys.  How many hours/dollars does the average public land prowler spend on the road or in the stand to kill a 140 inch deer?  2 seasons?  10 seasons?  I havent killed a good buck in quite some years but it doesnt discourage me. Next October is a new season.  Why is it that young/new quail hunters give up so easily and turn to other bird dog games cause "its just too hard"???

Most public land deer hunters probably spend on average 16 hours or more  in the climber to kill one doe...but the average quail hunter gives up after a few miles of walking and moves to put and take preserves after a hunt or two. 

 I hear people on here like RBC talking about stocking WMA's with pen raised birds so new hunters will take up the sport and expand our voice.  I see where you are going but really???  Why does everything have to be easy.  Why does quail hunting have to produce instant gratification?  Why can't new hunters and youth learn to appreciate what this state has to offer without receiving a handout?  

What if all those boys in the duck hunting forum started  booking hunts at Skeeter Branch after their first uncessful hunt at Clark Hill.  Those duck preserves would be popping up everywhere.  Maybe these duck hunters just got more grit than us bird doggers...cause I can assure you...its much easier to drive somewhere and drop the tailgate in the quail woods than to drive to same place 2 hours before daylight, unload gear, slosh thru the swamp in heavy waders, set out decoys, freeze your tail off, for the chance at one group of ducks!!!  

I know this...I've personally shown several guys on this forum where known coveys are on public land.  Told them to come back as they please with the only stipulation being dont bring your friends here and dont shoot the covey down.   6 months or a year later I'll ask them if they have been over to such and such covert..."naw, i just aint had the time, too far of a drive, dog aint ready, no gas money, weather wasnt right, i been busy putting out birds, blah blah blah blah blah"... ridiculous mindset held by so many guys/gals on here...

Id say the tradition of wild bird hunting is dying not cause of population decline but because of quail hunter laziness on the upswing!

TailCrackin out...


----------



## kmckinnie (Feb 15, 2013)

Quail
I didn't realize when I answered that this was a rant. I didn't read your post. Hope ya get to feeling better now that you let it out.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

kmckinnie said:


> Quail
> I didn't realize when I answered that this was a rant. I didn't read your post. Hope ya get to feeling better now that you let it out.



you saw a 17-paragraph post and didnt think it was rant?


----------



## huntindawg (Feb 15, 2013)

Hahaha...4 people done checked quail.

Guarantee them 4 people ain't tagged a 4.5+ year old buck on a WMA in a long time.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

i reckon I'm duck and deer hunting on the wrong National Forest!


----------



## Nicodemus (Feb 15, 2013)

huntindawg said:


> Hahaha...4 people done checked quail.
> 
> Guarantee them 4 people ain't tagged a 4.5+ year old buck on a WMA in a long time.




It ain`t all about just deer. There is other game in Georgia too.


----------



## Jim P (Feb 15, 2013)

TC I agree with you 100%, I'm getting old and can't bust the bushes like I use to but I still wild bird hunt as much as I can.


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

I was going to respond this but couldn't think of where to start.  My head hurts now.  Might take a nap.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

moore0661 said:


> I was going to respond this but couldn't think of where to start.  My head hurts now.  Might take a nap.



Exactly...its a pretty flawless argument.  Feel free to vote if that is easier...I'm genuinely interested in the results.


----------



## huntindawg (Feb 15, 2013)

Nicodemus said:


> It ain`t all about just deer. There is other game in Georgia too.



Huh??

You missed my point, I do believe.

Currently, there are 4 people who given the choice between what they felt was harder to find on public land, a wild quail or a mature buck, chose the former.  

My post was simply calling to light that I would wager large sums of money that those 4 people have not pulled the trigger on a 4.5+ year old buck on a WMA in a long time, if ever.  And, if they have, they have not put the same amount of time in stomping the bushes as they did w/ their butt in that treestand.


----------



## Nicodemus (Feb 15, 2013)

huntindawg said:


> Huh??
> 
> You missed my point, I do believe.
> 
> ...




Reckon I missed your point.


----------



## Nitram4891 (Feb 15, 2013)

I've found public land quail...done a fair amount of public land deer hunting too and have seen one mature buck ever.  I voted buck.


----------



## Nicodemus (Feb 15, 2013)

Time for me to get new glasses! I completely missed the point!     Sorry about that Huntindawg.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

Jim P said:


> TC I agree with you 100%, I'm getting old and can't bust the bushes like I use to but I still wild bird hunt as much as I can.



Yet you feel finding a wild covey is more challenging than scouting, hunting, killing a mallard duck or mature buck on public land.  Hours of effort wise?


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> Exactly...*its a pretty flawless argument*.  Feel free to vote if that is easier...I'm genuinely interested in the results.



What argument?

 Three paragraphs or less please.


----------



## Nitram4891 (Feb 15, 2013)

I don't understand any of the covey votes.  Maybe if we were talking about an 8 covey day vs a limit of mallards vs a mature buck.  I would still vote buck.


----------



## Whiteeagle (Feb 15, 2013)

I could not vote du to lack of place to check none of the above! If yor REALLY HUNT, you can find Quail(Bob White), at least 5 species of ducks, and several MATURE(old) bucks on most WMA's(public land) in Georgia. Guess I missed the point too! Like Jim P, at 70+ y/o I don't do a lot of bush busting, but the amount I do is providing the results that others are too fast to see! Some times people can't see the game due to seeing the trees!


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

moore0661 said:


> What argument?
> 
> Three paragraphs or less please.



Reduced to 3 paragraphs or less..in this case two run-on sentences for Mr. Moore (see what I mean about folks being lazy)...

If you think finding Ga. public land coveys is impossible or requires more effort than it is worth than you are either lazy or don't truly appreciate the experience.  

If you feel otherwise please explain why with some real life stats...i.e. how many days/hours/miles you expend on pursuing wild coveys or other game you fancy and to what end.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

Whiteeagle said:


> I could not vote du to lack of place to check none of the above! If yor REALLY HUNT, you can find Quail(Bob White), at least 5 species of ducks, and several MATURE(old) bucks on most WMA's(public land) in Georgia. Guess I missed the point too! Like Jim P, at 70+ y/o I don't do a lot of bush busting, but the amount I do is providing the results that others are too fast to see! Some times people can't see the game due to seeing the trees!



I'm well aware that all three opportunities are out there...but if any of these three options is as easy for you as setting out pen raised quail to shoot then I would pay a great sum of money to become your personal apprentice for 1 season. 

 Teach me your ways...


----------



## GA DAWG (Feb 15, 2013)

I don't specially see what's so hard about killing a public land duck. Dang. Find some water and get ready. I see them all the time on my local wma. Yes I've killed several mature bucks there to. Quail?  I have saw 2 covey in 20 yrs on the place. So I vote yes they are harder. Just because we don't have any much.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

GA DAWG said:


> I don't specially see what's so hard about killing a public land duck. Dang. Find some water and get ready. I see them all the time on my local wma. Yes I've killed several mature bucks there to. Quail?  I have saw 2 covey in 20 yrs on the place. So I vote yes they are harder. Just because we don't have any much.



Which statement do you feel more confident about...the one where you've hunted said Piedmont WMA with bird dogs for 20 years and seen two coveys or the one where you walk into some water and "BANG"...dead mallard?  I'm not talking wood ducks and I'm not talking coveys you spook while walking to coon tree.  

I would love for tgose to weigh in on this...hes always got an opinion.


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> Reduced to 3 paragraphs or less..in this case two run-on sentences for Mr. Moore (see what I mean about folks being lazy)...
> 
> If you think finding Ga. public land coveys is impossible or requires more effort than it is worth than you are either lazy or don't truly appreciate the experience.
> 
> If you feel otherwise please explain why with some real life stats...i.e. how many days/hours/miles you expend on pursuing wild coveys or other game you fancy and to what end.



You're still not making a argument, you are just calling us lazy. I would try to argue with you, but I still don't know what we're arguing about.  So far you're just name calling.


----------



## bigdawg25 (Feb 15, 2013)

this is a rant, nothing else. It has no basis in reality. Quail was something GA was known for, and some even called the best. Similar to duck hunting in LA or AR or deer hunting in mid-west. 

Now, 40-50 yrs later, I never got to see those "glory days" and wild quail are so rare around here that I dont even pull the trigger. 

I dont remember EVER having a time when duck hunting was that good around here.....same for deer, which they had to stock back up in 60s from Wisconsin. 

so to say that duck hunting is more work, hence quail hunters must be happy to put that much work too is crazy. The decline in quail has really been spectacular to say the least; and to complain about it somehow makes everyone sissies ? everyone around here has to work their pointers with woodcocks in absence of quail, and they put in enough hours scouting that; so if quail was even as abundunt as them, then I am sure people would do that instead of trying to shoot at woodcocks.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

moore0661 said:


> You're still not making a argument, you are just calling us lazy. I would try to argue with you, but I still don't know what we're arguing about.  So far you're just name calling.



by "US" who do you mean?  If you are one that proclaims Ga. wild quail are too hard to find so I quit, even though I love bird hunting ...then yes.  

My purpose was to debunk this myth by pointing out how much time, money, gas, effort and work other hunters put into to chase their preffered game.  If you want instant success...get a pack of beagles and chase rabbits or maybe a cane pole and a tube of crickets...I hear the bream will be on bed shortly.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

bigdawg25 said:


> this is a rant, nothing else. It has no basis in reality. Quail was something GA was known for, and some even called the best. Similar to duck hunting in LA or AR or deer hunting in mid-west.
> 
> Now, 40-50 yrs later, I never got to see those "glory days" and wild quail are so rare around here that I dont even pull the trigger.
> 
> ...



so prove it...lets "base this in reality" as you say.  how many hours did you spend this year with your dog(s) targeting wild quail to produce "X" number of coveys...surely you must have found 1 or you wouldnt have used the phrase "I don't even pull the trigger".

Your words only support my argument...that duck hunting and deer hunting on public land in Ga is anything but a "tourist attraction".  Very few come to this state for duck or deer or quail anymore yet local spend countless dollars/hours/divorces on duck and deer hunting.  Why not chasing wild birds...is it not perception more than population?    Yes there are fewer quail than deer or mallard but there are about 10,000 deer hunters and 1,000 duckmen to every quail hunter.  If someone has the real stats I would love to see.

something else...as of September of last year you state you are "new to hunting here in Ga" so tell me about all the ducks and mature bucks you have slayed while attending university in the Classic City.


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> by "US" who do you mean?  If you are one that proclaims Ga. wild quail are too hard to find so I quit, even though I love bird hunting ...then yes.
> 
> My purpose was to debunk this myth by pointing out how much time, money, gas, effort and work other hunters put into to chase their preffered game.  If you want instant success...get a pack of beagles and chase rabbits or maybe a cane pole and a tube of crickets...I hear the bream will be on bed shortly.



Then debunk the myth.  Take a stance and support your stance with factual information.  That's how an argument works.  You just posed a question and then went on a rant.


----------



## kmckinnie (Feb 15, 2013)

The Question to the poll was; What takes more effort?
Quail takes a dog to find point and retrive the bird, If you can find a good place to hunt them on public land
Duck takes sitting on a back cove on a lake, swamp or creek and wait. You canuse a dog or not!
Deer you go set up in a tree or on the ground, you do not need a dog. Unless to track after the shot.
There are more places to hunt deer & ducks on public land and be successful & produce more game chances than quail.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

Umm...I did.  Including driving time, scouting, hunting, patching things up with the wife etc...

Public/Private Land Mallards 100 hours + on 2 leases, ONF, Redlands WMA, Clybel WMA....saw 5-6 groups at airplane level.  None committed, none fired at, none harvested.  

Public/Private Land Mature Bucks....200+ hours on 2 leases and ONF.  caught a glimpse of one decent buck.  Several on the coveted trail cam of course...

2011-12 stats...averaged around 1 covey per 3-4 hours (including travel) on public land.  Nothing spectacular but well worth it in my opinion.  

2012-13 stats coming in two weeks.

*Would honestly love to see other's estimates that pursue all three species. Maybe I'm the worst deer hunter to ever live or my dog's need to be competing at Ames this week...I doubt either is the case.*


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

kmckinnie said:


> The Question to the poll was; What takes more effort?
> Quail takes a dog to find point and retrive the bird, If you can find a good place to hunt them on public land
> Duck takes sitting on a back cove on a lake, swamp or creek and wait. You canuse a dog or not!
> Deer you go set up in a tree or on the ground, you do not need a dog. Unless to track after the shot.
> There are more places to hunt deer & ducks on public land and be successful & produce more game chances than quail.



If you dont have a bird dog then clearly this was not aimed at you...


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> Umm...I did.  Including driving time, scouting, hunting, patching things up with the wife etc...
> 
> Public/Private Land Mallards 100 hours + on 2 leases, ONF, Redlands WMA, Clybel WMA....saw 5-6 groups at airplane level.  None committed, none fired at, none harvested.
> 
> ...



But you listed private and public land.  I thought this was about public land only.  You're all over the place with this.

You think we're lazy.  I get it.  I think you are a terrible duck hunter.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

moore0661 said:


> But you listed private and public land.  I thought this was about public land only.  You're all over the place with this.
> 
> You think we're lazy.  I get it.  I think you are a terrible duck hunter.



I qualified my stats as you asked.  the fact that i hunted private and public land for deer and ducks doesnt retract from the poll does it....only supports my argument?  

And in fact I am probably a terrible duck hunter.  But I started duck hunting and quail hunting at about the same time so I'm equally bad at both.  

Now that the pot has been stirred please post a photograph of your bird dogs worn out from a days hunting at Silver Lake with nothing to show and your strap full of mallards from Lake Hartwell to qualify your argument.


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> I qualified my stats as you asked.  the fact that i hunted private and public land for deer and ducks doesnt retract from the poll does it....only supports my argument?
> 
> And in fact I am probably a terrible duck hunter.  But I started duck hunting and quail hunting at about the same time so I'm equally bad at both.
> 
> Now that the pot has been stirred please post a photograph of your bird dogs worn out from a days hunting at Silver Lake with nothing to show and your strap full of mallards from Lake Hartwell to qualify your argument.



I haven't made an arguement yet, just an observation.


----------



## kmckinnie (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> If you dont have a bird dog then clearly this was not aimed at you...



I have a black lab, she is a companion & a deer tracker for bow if needed....

1 other thing; I'm sorry you have to patch up thing with your wife about hunting. You have said that several times.( well not so much with yours but ours)
My wife hunts and turkey season is coming & she can't wait. Public land turkey was not on your poll. I never have to patch up fpr hunting.
I have a friend that is a manager on a wild quail plantation & I see what work goes it to hunting and having wild birds.
No for sale hunts here! Family & friends they kill 2000 or more birds a year. They have flooded fields for ducks.
They ride horses for quail & have a wagon with more dogs once those are wore out. They have dinner brought to them at a picnic area at 1pm. You can hunt ducks in the morning, quail til 4 then have a dove shoot.
All it takes is money, they fly in on a helocopter worth 10 million. I seen ol Donald Trump there with his daughter.

I'm just a plain ol poor country boy that does some work for them that they trust.


----------



## Forthebirds (Feb 15, 2013)

I am one of the lucky guys who grew up in the glory days,however I think I enjoy the sport now better than I did back in Bama 30 years ago when we didn't plug our guns and didn't have to hunt singles because of the excess coveys.  Instead of the slaughter, now it is about my dog finding birds and being in the field.  When woodcock season is out I probably average 1 covey every 3 or 4 hours on public land only.  Hard to imagine a lot people putting in more combined hunting hours than me and I have seen one mature buck all year as far as the ducks are concerned wouldn't know a mallard from a woody. If my dog doesn't point it I have no interest in shooting it


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

See if I have this straight, you think wild quail hunting on public land is easier than a Georgia mallard or a mature deer on public land.

Then you use your hunting statistics to prove your point, and call everybody that disagrees lazy.

You might just be the best quail hunter in the land.  Good job, congrats.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

kmckinnie said:


> I have a black lab, she is a companion & a deer tracker for bow if needed....
> 
> 1 other thing; I'm sorry you have to patch up thing with your wife about hunting. You have said that several times.( well not so much with yours but ours)
> My wife hunts and turkey season is coming & she can't wait. Public land turkey was not on your poll. I never have to patch up fpr hunting.
> ...



I apologize if I dont consider a black lab a bird dog. 

 public land turkey hunting should probably be added to the list. not sure how to amend the poll.  While tough to bag a tom on public land...there are plenty of them out there at almost every single WMA in the state...right up there with catching a limit of crappie if one sets his mind to it.  

1 other thing...i mentioned my wife once, jokingly, congratulations to you on finding a companion that loves to hunt.  They are few and far between.  

as for Donald Trump and the picnic lunch...  I'm calling it a day...


----------



## kmckinnie (Feb 15, 2013)

I use the same shotgun as you for turkeys,Nice photo album you have and I think you do hunt hard. G/L to you and your group.
Nice dogs also.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

moore0661 said:


> See if I have this straight, you think wild quail hunting on public land is easier than a Georgia mallard or a mature deer on public land.
> 
> Then you use your hunting statistics to prove your point, and call everybody that disagrees lazy.
> 
> You might just be the best quail hunter in the land.  Good job, congrats.



To support and "prove" are two different things.  I'm asking for others accounts and opinions as well.  Please serve up your own data set...even if its only from recent memory.  I welcome any input from those guys/gals who hunt quail/ducks/deer on public land.  

If you dont own a bird dog then why are you pestering?  

Not only me but everyone I know that puts forth the effort finds their share of public land quail...I was simply urging other to do so as well before bringing their pessimistic view of Ga. public quail hunting on here.  Maybe it will motivate someone and they will go out and stumble upon their first covey. I know similar threads on the duck forum did the same for me.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

kmckinnie said:


> I use the same shotgun as you for turkeys,Nice photo album you have and I think you do hunt hard. G/L to you and your group.
> Nice dogs also.



many thanks...

the wingmaster is a nice tool for any game...though I've never taken a public land 142 inch buck with it.


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> To support and "prove" are two different things.  I'm asking for others accounts and opinions as well.  Please serve up your own data set...even if its only from recent memory.  I welcome any input from those guys/gals who hunt quail/ducks/deer on public land.
> 
> If you dont own a bird dog then why are you pestering?
> 
> Not only me but everyone I know that puts forth the effort finds their share of public land quail...I was simply urging other to do so as well before bringing their pessimistic view of Ga. public quail hunting on here.  Maybe it will motivate someone and they will go out and stumble upon their first covey. I know similar threads on the duck forum did the same for me.



2012 public land deer hunting:   0 hours logged, 0 mature bucks.

2012 public land duck hunting:  0 hours logged, 0 mallards

2012 public land quail hunting:  0 hours logged, 0 coveys

You might be on to something.  Maybe I am lazy.


----------



## PJPOINTER (Feb 15, 2013)

I grew up hunting wild quail. I'm over 60 yrs old still only hunt wild quail and still find wild quail even on public land, just have to put in the effort, time and miles on the ground to do it.


----------



## bigdawg25 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> so prove it...lets "base this in reality" as you say.  how many hours did you spend this year with your dog(s) targeting wild quail to produce "X" number of coveys...surely you must have found 1 or you wouldnt have used the phrase "I don't even pull the trigger".
> 
> Your words only support my argument...that duck hunting and deer hunting on public land in Ga is anything but a "tourist attraction".  Very few come to this state for duck or deer or quail anymore yet local spend countless dollars/hours/divorces on duck and deer hunting.  Why not chasing wild birds...is it not perception more than population?    Yes there are fewer quail than deer or mallard but there are about 10,000 deer hunters and 1,000 duckmen to every quail hunter.  If someone has the real stats I would love to see.



Yes, I did see a wild covey early on this season; but it was a chance encounter. Most folks I know see quail occasionally, but then again, I see a lot of other wildlife occasionally like sandhill cranes and songbirds, that doesnt mean that there is a good "huntable population" of those.

also, saying that there are more duck hunters then upland bird hunters is a bit doubtful. I think around here there is a big chunk of deer hunters, and then there are us "other hunters" who are all pretty much are of same number. I see woodies all the time, so may be I am just a lousy hunter, but I really think that there are more deer or ducks then quail.


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

i wouldnt be so hard on yourself...those redbreast are worthy adversaries.

well this was fun..


----------



## moore0661 (Feb 15, 2013)

TailCrackin said:


> i wouldnt be so hard on yourself...*those redbreast are worthy adversaries*.
> 
> well this was fun..



They taste better than quail too.


----------



## Forthebirds (Feb 15, 2013)

I don't know any true upland game bird hunters who are lazy. Golf gets me thru to the next hunting season and I can't say the same thing about that sport.


----------



## Luke0927 (Feb 15, 2013)

When I had the time to get out I would find wild birds on WMAs in middle GA at that....just got to many other priorities right now so haven't really had the time to strap on the boots, but I don't complain glad to have a good job and healthy kids...hopefully going next weekend for one time this season on wild birds.


----------



## redneck_billcollector (Feb 15, 2013)

" I hear people on here like RBC talking about stocking WMA's with pen raised birds so new hunters will take up the sport and expand our voice.  I see where you are going but really???  Why does everything have to be easy.  Why does quail hunting have to produce instant gratification?  Why can't new hunters and youth learn to appreciate what this state has to offer without receiving a handout? "

You might have read what I have said, but it is apparent you have no understanding of what I have said.  First, I never said handout, if you think what I have said implies a handout, then every single second spent hunting on public land is a "handout".  When this discussion started, we were talking about a "quail stamp" which would pay for the program, just as the GA. trout stamp pays for the trout program in N. GA.  From what I read, I believe you sound like you want fewer quail hunters in GA., and if that is what you want...I have no problem with that.  However, if that is what you want, I promise you...fewer quail hunters on public lands MEANS less dollars for quail on public lands.  

20 covey days in the 50s?  I have had 20 covey half days of 100% wild birds this decade.  Those numbers exist all over the wild bird plantations down here. Some recent population surveys in this area show up to 4 wild birds per acre on places like Pineland, Nilo, Blue Springs, Wild Fare, Nomani, etc...etc... As for public lands, the first year Silver Lake was open for public hunting, I harvested a limit of wild birds, NOT hunting singles, on more than one hunt.  I have done the same on other WMAs down here before.  I made the mistake of naming some WMAs on here that had decent wild bird populations...and I started seeing other bird hunters regularly now I hunt all day, to find a covey too small to harvest a bird from.  

I guess you don't understand what it takes to have any significant numbers of wild birds for more than a couple of weeks of hunting.  Most plantations down here spend an average of 1/2 million dollars a year to keep their properties up.  And even doing that....NO SINGLES are shot, only double barrels are used and no bore larger than 20 is allowed.  I personally would like to see more bird hunters....that equals more state dollars spent on bird habitat, which means more places for the public to hunt.

If I had my way....lose hunting privilages for a year if you hunt singles on public land.  Illegal to hunt with autoloader or pump on public land unless you have a plug where you can only have two shells in. Illegal to hunt public land with anything larger than 20 bore.  Even with those restrictions, if more than one person hunted the covey without a week or two rest, there would be no quail on public land to hunt....sure there is the odd covey here and there, I still find some....if you call 8 or so birds a covey.  We have to choose, either all bird hunting on public land (at least on the WMAs with potential for quail) go to quota to limit the parties to ONE PARTY a week for the whole WMA, and illegal to hunt singles.  I do not hunt public land like I did a even a couple of years ago...I feel in part that I contributed to ruining some of the decent hunting down here by openly telling people about it.


I am 51 and have hunted birds my whole life, at least since I was old enough to keep up with the adults.  I have hunted wild bird plantations, share cropper farms (that stopped in the 70s or so), public land, private land with bird populations, farms with BQI easements, farms, other states, heck even other countries, etc...etc...etc...I see what happens to birds with pressure.....no more birds, EVEN WITH PRISTINE habitat.  I still hunt, but I don't mess with public land anymore, I hunt private property now.  I always had access to good private land hunting, I liked the challenge of public land, so I would hunt it.  I feel sad when I see what the public land quail hunter has done to the birds...I hear them brag on getting singles, I see them with autoloaders, pumps and 12 bores....I actually talked to some hunters at one of the local WMAs down here last year with a Cobb Co. tag on.  They were telling me how they spent the whole afternoon hunting down the singles from the one covey they found...it made me sick, I hinted how that was nothing to brag about, it went over their head.  I know the covey they were talking about (saw their truck parked), used to take a bird or two out of it every year....I went out there the first weekend it was open this year, first time in years I couldn't find the covey. Adam here knows what I am talking about...though he wasn't with me, I showed him the covey a couple of years back. 

I understand you hunt public land and find birds...that is great. But you can't have many hunters on public land hunting wild birds and expect to keep any ammount of wild birds.

I did not answer the poll because....it is way too broad....I would say grouse take more effort to hunt on public land in GA.  Never hunted public land deer in my whole life (have a deer stand not 30 yards out my front door that I have killed mature bucks out of...but I prefer does, nor public land mallards ('cept maybe in reservoirs open to public hunting).  It isn't because I think it is not a challenge to hunt deer on public land, which is the only reason I ever hunted quail there, it is because I figure it is dangerous, all those Atlanta area tags running around down here on public land knowing they have high powered rifles scare the ......well, they would edit it, out of me.


----------



## thomas gose (Feb 15, 2013)

I have to say quail!! To have a dog to find and hold wild birds is all more time than one may think! Ofcorse anyone can happen to wild flush some just as one bumping a mature buck or mallard on a pond but for a dog to hunt core find and hold a wild covey, now there is a feat!!


----------



## shakey gizzard (Feb 15, 2013)

Why is ruffed grouse not on the poll?


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

redneck_billcollector said:


> " I hear people on here like RBC talking about stocking WMA's with pen raised birds so new hunters will take up the sport and expand our voice.  I see where you are going but really???  Why does everything have to be easy.  Why does quail hunting have to produce instant gratification?  Why can't new hunters and youth learn to appreciate what this state has to offer without receiving a handout? "
> 
> You might have read what I have said, but it is apparent you have no understanding of what I have said.  First, I never said handout, if you think what I have said implies a handout, then every single second spent hunting on public land is a "handout".  When this discussion started, we were talking about a "quail stamp" which would pay for the program, just as the GA. trout stamp pays for the trout program in N. GA.  From what I read, I believe you sound like you want fewer quail hunters in GA., and if that is what you want...I have no problem with that.  However, if that is what you want, I promise you...fewer quail hunters on public lands MEANS less dollars for quail on public lands.
> 
> ...



i guess you're missing my point....maybe i dont have a point.  I should have posted poll without rant first to see what people thought.  I was hoping to see how many hours the average man hunting non-plantation birds spent per covey since muckalee said it wanst plausible to calculate on a per 100 acre basis.   Guess that got lost in the rant...  

while we often disagree... at least you  put forth some effort to hunt wild birds. maybe i should keep my mouth shut and I'll have less company but thats never been my nature.  

sad about the Cobb Co boys....in a perfect world I guess we would all only hunt wild and pay them their due respect...taking only a few.  

good luck to all tomorrow morning in the snow


----------



## TailCrackin (Feb 15, 2013)

shakey gizzard said:


> Why is ruffed grouse not on the poll?



cause thats the obvious answer!


----------



## coveyrise (Feb 15, 2013)

One covey per hour has been my average this year on public land. I have walked an average of a mile per covey though. Also I keep at least 4 dogs on the ground at all times. It helps. The warm weather has been good to the birds the past few years on all land public and private.Next year will probably be off the charts. I am still seeing coveys with close to 20 birds here at the end of the season. We have averaged 4 coveys an hour on private land and the bird count is still great. Our best day has been 14 coveys in 2.5 hours.
The birds are coming back in some places and other places they have seemed to be just maintain. I don't really see any reason to put quota regs on all the wma's that hold birds. We already are loosing enough quail hunters as it is. Why restrict the few hunters we have left? The biggest thing that is doing the quail in on our public lands is this thing calleds the enternet. Why would anyone befriend something as special as a covey of wild birds and go on the internet and give away their exact location or brag and give the name of the wma where they saw so many coveys at. This is what helped cause the demise of Silver Lake. I don't see those people running so fast to get there anymore.
By the way I almost never shoot a bird. Probably one out of every 20 coveys and I still have a ball.


----------



## Sam H (Feb 16, 2013)

coveyrise said:


> One covey per hour has been my average this year on public land. I have walked an average of a mile per covey though. Also I keep at least 4 dogs on the ground at all times. It helps. The warm weather has been good to the birds the past few years on all land public and private.Next year will probably be off the charts. I am still seeing coveys with close to 20 birds here at the end of the season. We have averaged 4 coveys an hour on private land and the bird count is still great. Our best day has been 14 coveys in 2.5 hours.
> The birds are coming back in some places and other places they have seemed to be just maintain. I don't really see any reason to put quota regs on all the wma's that hold birds. We already are loosing enough quail hunters as it is. Why restrict the few hunters we have left? The biggest thing that is doing the quail in on our public lands is this thing calleds the enternet. Why would anyone befriend something as special as a covey of wild birds and go on the internet and give away their exact location or brag and give the name of the wma where they saw so many coveys at. This is what helped cause the demise of Silver Lake. I don't see those people running so fast to get there anymore.
> By the way I almost never shoot a bird. Probably one out of every 20 coveys and I still have a ball.



Well said David...If your hunting wild birds to fill your bag/for supper/bragging rights to your buddies etc.....You're in the field for the WRONG reason...It's about the hunt not the kill / it's about the dogs /it's about the beauty of the quail habitat to watch that point and the glorious coveyrise , if you get a single bird out of the point , then a retrieve....... thats icing on the cake!...It is So Much More than killing birds...If you don't understand that....Well you just don't


----------



## Nicodemus (Feb 16, 2013)

The most fun of the whole thing to me is watchin` the dogs work. There`s times I`d be just as happy with a camera than with a gun.


----------



## JuliaH (Feb 16, 2013)

Like!!!






sam h said:


> well said david...if your hunting wild birds to fill your bag/for supper/bragging rights to your buddies etc.....you're in the field for the wrong reason...it's about the hunt not the kill / it's about the dogs /it's about the beauty of the quail habitat to watch that point and the glorious coveyrise , if you get a single bird out of the point , then coveyrise with a retrieve , thats icing on the cake!...it is so much more than killing birds...if you don't understand that....well you just don't


----------



## muckalee (Feb 17, 2013)

To all: Wow!!!!!!   I guess I got a forum member fired up!!!!!  It would have been a whole lot easier if he would have just PM'd me  to clarify my response before goin on a rant.... So I will pm him.


----------



## coachdoug87 (Feb 17, 2013)

If I walk all day and find one covey, I am happy. I Don't
mind effort at all. In my part of the state, the birds
are gone and no matter how hard you work, you
Will not find them. When I have time, I drive farther
South and find some. I also am willing to climb all
day for one grouse. To point out a lack of birds
and to discuss some possible solutions or to consider
Alternatives like trailing does not mean we are lazy.


----------



## Jim P (Feb 17, 2013)

I have been thinking about this subject, I think the word lazy is kind of harshm if you have dog's and even though a bunch of guy's use shake and bake what the heck that's there choice, I'm getting up there in age and I have to admit I do both, I'd rather hunt wild birds, but to have some to cook I shake and bake and I don't see anything wrong about it.


----------



## coveyrise (Feb 17, 2013)

Any day and any way you can find time to spend with your dogs is good.Do it while you can. Most of my old quail hunting friends are 70 plus years old now and just don't have it in them to tangle with the greenbriar anymore. Time is flying, I am 51 now and know that I will be standing in their shoes before I know it. I did get to hunt with a 82 year old gentleman from Texas on Tues. We foot hunted for 6 hours in a nasty rain and he did fine. Even with the big hills we have in this area. He even killed a banded bird for his lanyard. Maybe getting older won't be that bad after all.


----------



## Coach K (Feb 17, 2013)

There's no quail on any of GA's WMA's - quit hunting them & buy into a lease!  Then you'll really have a great time ;-)  Di-Lane even sucks!  Don't bother with that crappy place!


----------



## coveyrise (Feb 17, 2013)

Coach K said:


> There's no quail on any of GA's WMA's - quit hunting them & buy into a lease!  Then you'll really have a great time ;-)  Di-Lane even sucks!  Don't bother with that crappy place!



Next time we hear you are coming down to hunt we will just burn the place before you get here. Wait, we already did that!! That will go down as a all time good one.


----------



## Coach K (Feb 17, 2013)

coveyrise said:


> Next time we hear you are coming down to hunt we will just burn the place before you get here. Wait, we already did that!! That will go down as a all time good one.





 *(What I'd like to do to that @#$%%$^%^!)*


----------



## GLS (Feb 18, 2013)

coveyrise said:


> . Maybe getting older won't be that bad after all.


Generally speaking, not getting older is a problem.


----------



## Forthebirds (Feb 18, 2013)

I ran into a 80 year old man hunting this year who is training a pup. He told me all of his old hunting friends are dead so his brother who doesn't hunt goes with him to Oklahoma and Kansas drops him off at the public walkin areas at daylight and picks him up there at dark. Just him and his dogs everyday. Gotta luv it


----------



## Sam H (Feb 19, 2013)

Forthebirds said:


> I ran into a 80 year old man hunting this year who is training a pup. He told me all of his old hunting friends are dead so his brother who doesn't hunt goes with him to Oklahoma and Kansas drops him off at the public walkin areas at daylight and picks him up there at dark. Just him and his dogs everyday. Gotta luv it



I am seriously considering Kansas this coming fall to try the "walk in areas"....How did he do this year....I would like to concentrate on the "Flint Hills area"...North central down to South Central....Got any suggestions?Is the cover/habitat recovering from the drought?.....or reports?


----------



## Forthebirds (Feb 19, 2013)

Not sure exactly what areas he hit but he said even though the bird numbers where down from previous years still alot better than here.


----------



## coachdoug87 (Feb 19, 2013)

Coach K said:


> There's no quail on any of GA's WMA's - quit hunting them & buy into a lease!  Then you'll really have a great time ;-)  Di-Lane even sucks!  Don't bother with that crappy place!



How much per year would it take to buy in? I had
fun at Dilane this year. We did find quail, which compared
To what we have up here is a great day.


----------

