Anyone go mountain quail hunting ?

Haven’t hunted mountain quail in years. I need to get back out after them one of these years.

 

Killed 5 last evening. Didn't jump any grouse.

 

Hunted today (the second day). Guess I am getting old... Granted I was hunting over a dog that has not done much mountain quail hunting though...

Never heard a bird all morning, and saw two pairs (should have been able to crack a shot at one, but was too slow). I developed tinnitus this year, and it has had a drastic effect on my hearing. I did see some areas with lots of tracks, and hunted those areas hard without (knowingly) getting any flushes or hearing any birds.

Then I ran into a guy from Arizona that came here to hunt with a group, and they had terrific hunting....

I generally rely a lot on calling and getting replies, or hearing flushes and chasing down singles... Guessing my lack of hearing took a toll??? If there are birds around, I usually get some... So while I was consoling myself that it was simply a bad hatch this year, it was a bit humbling to realize that it was probably me...

 

Between soccer games and baseball tournaments on bye soccer weeks I don’t think I will get to go.
But we did finish dove up strong tonight.

 

Didnt really get to hunt my grouse areas, a lot of my favorite places are either burning up, have burned or the roads are closed. Didn't feel like making a hike up to 8000 feet either. I'll have chances come deer season

 

My annual foray up to 8k ft was..as expected very eventful...if not very productive. My eldest picked up a limit of mts in 2days. Wingnut put a wad through one and completely decimated it. I picked up 1 mature female grouse and if I hadn't forgot my O2 tank, would have got the male too. All in all a great trip with great company. Getting a lil rough hoofing uphill after those suckers and try to get off a decent shot while quaking and gasping for breath. The rest of the events are probably better left unshared.

 

The first covey I missed about 6 different opportunities. Found two more coveys way up the mountain in thick stuff and every shot fired up there got me 5 quail. That evening located a big covey going to roost right at sunset so go to chase the next morning.
Go up there Sunday and the wind is blowing hard. Dog kept working the birds up hill until the manzinita brush got too thick so turned back down. Almost back to the road a bunch of clucking in a tree and 4 grouse flush out so boom boom got my grouse. Odd because they were about 1000ft lower than I have ever seen them in that area but I'm not complaining over easy grouse.