Bad to Great
The answer we have learned is relative to the locality of the one asking the question. For those from the south United States our quail hunts may be considered very poor. For those from the east and north ours is great. And, for locals, the birds are either expressed in terms of good or bad from year to year. For non-resident hunters the basis for their evaluation is the bobwhite population in their home state area. The southeast United States hunter frequents plantations where a covey each time stepping from the truck and a limit every day is expected on planted birds by connecting the dots between feed and water dispensers. On my own farm, my personal playground for dog training and not under lease to MAHA, I have game feeders and the coveys use them and consistently so that I may find quail in near proximity almost any time. The value of these coveys for me is for my first year pups, not for quality dog work. For good dog work I travel to better hunting spots where I can count on 4 covey/days and in good years anyone hunting past noon is either breaking bag limits, working dogs or can't shoot. The issue is if wanting to hunt natural birds on natural terrain a covey each time stepping from the truck and limit every day is not possible and we never say that it is. For those traveling from the east coast and northern states they remind us how we, as locals, are spoiled. The John and Karen Burks bird dog team from West Virginia taught us that even our worst years are better than their best years in their home state. For these hunters, finding four coveys in one day, believe they are in bobwhite heaven.
All in all if wanting the opportunity to hunt natural birds on existing terrain whether on a good year or down, MAHA offers the chance for every hunter to work his bird dogs in peace from others. The worst thing that may be encountered are Cockle Burrs. Snakes, scorpions, cactus, snow fall and alligators are not a concern. It's all about habitat
Ideal habitat (picture). Grain crop field, woody cover and most importantly for successive years of quail nesting cover year round, undisturbed, short grass quail nesting cover on the slope between the crop field and woody cover. This is 80 acres and on the last hunt with two dogs, one covey, 11 points, two shells shot and one bird in the bag. The birds were smart and true survivors by running under the cedar tree to the far side to flush away from bird dog and hunter. Central mid-west quail hunts are not like what we hear about in Texas with 10 to 20 covey flushes per day or in Georgia on the plantations where limits are bagged by 10 AM in time for the lunch at the big house. For most of us bagging a limit can be done off of two coveys where in such habitat as can be seen on this website there is much singles action for every covey flush. Those of us that do limit out on two coveys are typically working a first season dog when we shoot every bird we can over the pup's point. For those of us that find 4 to 7 coveys a day we are typically harvesting one bird per covey to motivate the dogs and dry fire the rest moving on to give our dogs a good work out that day and for future hunts. Anyone that tells us they regularly hunt 5 to 9 coveys in a day are suspect as that hunting even 4 to 7 coveys with working singles will consume all available daylight. Reality quail hunting for the real quail hunter. |
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The question of how good is our quail hunting, is a common question used as an evaluation of the private land lease quail hunting we offer.
Local hunters remember the good years when first season dogs could get enough experience their first year to become finished bobwhite hunters and simply slog through the down years. The difference between an up and down year is directly related to the combined 
