Well, Ready or Not, it happened, on the Calendar at least.

Today is the designated Texas Quail Season Opening.....
Don't recall a Warmer , Non Fall ever...... 89*F today and it must have pushed 95*F+ in South Texas.

It has been so warm I have not even had one exercise session with my Bird Dogs yet.

This a BIG State and a one size fits all opening really does not work.

That said, I am on a Quail lease for the first time in 13 years, even though I have a record Quail population here on my Home Ranch.,

I took the spot on this 20,000 + ac. lease because I know the place and area, and it is less than an Hour away from my Home.

The place probably has a RECORD number of Both Blue and Bobwhites on the property. Even higher than last seasons unbelievable numbers.


I went over to drive the property (sans dogs , first time in years for that, but the SNAKE problem is all TOO real in this climate)

I have a young Air Force Major I'm very fond of (Cindy's Oldest) that has a rare break from deployments as an F 16 Squadron Leader, coming to the Ranch next week to open the Deer season and try the quail on for Three days.

I won't be able to provide traditional Bobwhite shooting over dogs but we will employ the West Texas run and gun shooting for Bobs and Blues on the lease property.

I opened the season over there today while scouting it out, and sighted my first covey five minutes after driving onto the ranch at 8:20 am and stayed in Birds continually on the roads finishing a 15 Bird limit at 9:15. 8 Bobs, and 7 Blues....

What a BIRD Population....

I did not hunt around Amarillo, too hot!!
Mike

So glad to hear that you have them again in great numbers. How rare for you to have two seasons like that back to back! Please keep us posted throughout the season. At least we can enjoy it vicariously through your posts and pictures.

All my best, Stan

I'm up again, and off to the West to drive more of the leased country, scouting as much as Bird shooting, but with these bird numbers multiple contacts are pretty much a given.....

Pretty stout southwest wind (20+mph) out there now.
Ought to make em sporty enough to humble even pretty good shots.

Stan, I tell everyone interested enough to ask, that in my lifetime I never recall back to back Super seasons, and yesterday began my 57th Texas Quail season.

No doubt won't see it again in my lifetime, but intend to enjoy it to the maximum while it is here.

December should find me behind Dogs and in full stride , in the meantime I'll be a Quail Shooter, not a Bird Hunter

Discretion being the better part of valor ................ especially when dogs and rattlers are involved.

I'm happy for you, man.

All the best, sRH

You are a fortunate man Georgia has none to speak of except on the plantations. Bobby

We had a great opener in the eastern Panhandle. Temperature was somewhat over 90! We lucked out with a high overcast and light breeze till about 1 pm so with very frequent rest and watering stops for men and dogs we did ok. Lots of birds. And healthy. No idea of numbers yet due to heat and cover.

Paul, you live in quail heaven. A kick'em up and shoot wild birds without dogs to a limit is amazing. I respect a man who doesn't treat his dogs like expendable livestock. I'm sure your dogs do, too. . I know of two men who lost dogs to gators in their sight. Fluke occurences. Dogs get killed here during the winter as well by snakes. I avoid hunting in balmy conditions around here. Snakes can be out year round in these parts and hogs can be a nuisance as well. Gil

Thanks for the kind comments, and insights on other parts of the Country.

I have hunted as a guest, of friends/owners I know, on three of the stellar Wild Bird Plantations in the Albany, GA. region. I have had contact ,but no close calls, with Eastern Diamondbacks down there on two occasions. They are a little more lethargic and laid back than our Western diamondbacks.

Out here we can generally count on reasonable periods of hibernation once our freezing weather sets in with some regularity.
I try to start exercising dogs on any cool to slightly cold mornings in November (40*F -30*F) and give it up after the sun comes up and and begins to warm the hillsides.
At those temps , if a dog encounters a rattler , the snake is too stiff and lethargic to be a menace.

February finds the opposite, warm afternoons and south facing slopes invite the reptiles to sun near den openings , ready to seek cover when night falls. I know this ranch well enough to steer away from trouble spots , or confine my late season outings to Mornings only.

I have lived out here most all of my life and I really don't worry about snakes on a personal level , I have killed hundreds in the course of ranch life, but a dog focused on Bird scent, or boldly pursuing a wing tipped bird is susceptible to a life threatening strike , no matter how familiar he or she is at avoiding snakes.

I liken rattlesnakes to Highway Patrolmen, I don't mind them, as long as I know where they are!

By the way, the morning turned out nice, wind subsided shortly after daybreak , and the birds were out feeding widely.

I managed another limit driving the roads, 9 Blues and 6 Bobs, taken between 8:15 and 10:00 am. it was 77*F when I finished.

Joe , I'm glad you got Mike to chauffeur you around , and put you in good position for the easiest shots on every rise.
Man you do Know a GOOD thing when you find it , don't you?

We ran five labs along with two of my Brittanys. Edit: and a setter and an English Pointer.

Had a few productive points but lots of shooting and wild flushing birds.

My shooting student, Joe Wood, put on considerable weight during the off season and so he busted the drop down table on one of the Polaris Rangers. He sat on the table first and, almost instantaneously, the ground next. I put him to fetching birds with the labs in hopes of dropping him down a couple of pounds. About three more months of that and he will be back where he was in February. If he does get back to that February weight he will almost be down to "merely chubby."

Our group saw no rattlesnakes. But about half of us, including Joe and me, had on snake gators.

I got in Thursday night from a month in Montana. Quite a change in weather.

Best,

Mike

True observations and concerns noted above. We were walking past the camp restroom last night where one of the owners had just showered, the last vestige of light nearly gone in the West. I heard a very big sound of a critter going through the brush ten feet to my left, and I stopped to look while my .45 exited its holster. My son went the 30 yards to the trailer and traded his AR for his 9mm with the light.
Not seeing anything from my position, I moved from North to East and had him follow me. His light fell on the snake and an instant later I fired a quick couple rounds. I saw the snake reel from the first shot, and I had my son go get a shotgun and shovel while held the light on the immobile diamondback. Two rounds into the head with the shotgun, the head cut off and immediately buried. Tail cut off and saved. Body left in a clear area with a game cam set up to see mother nature's nightshift clean up crew. Snake was gone this morning.

Y'all shot it too young !

Its TOO hot and the snakes are abundant- will try once the weather turns cooler- which may never happen. Everyone is seeing birds on their places though...