Up at 0400, hit the road at 0500, two freeway closures gets me there a lil late but still in time. Post up where I know a covey comes off PP to feed. And wait. And wait and wait...nothing. Sun is up. So is the wind. It's 20+mph sustained with 30+ gusts. Calls won't work so what's the use. Im seeing and hearing nothing and w/o a dog? This is going to come down to a lot of kicking bushes.

And I do- for an hour. Nothing 'cept a bunch of Jack's and I'm passing on those- it's quail season. The wind is so strong it's turning my barrel into a flute- it's loud and it's irritating- WEEYOWEEYOWOOPMEEEYOW. I'd kill for a cork right now.

Abandon spot one, head to spot two. More of the same.

Then, hit spot three. I find a couple but they leave me in the dust- no shot. If they get a wing up behind you it's POOF! Gone with the Wind, Virgina. I'm outta here for the mountatins.

An hour later I'm half way up and notice the reason for the wind (see pic) as a big front is coming in. Hmm...2WD truck, steep crappy road. Make this a quick one. Up to the top for a quick scout and some calls- listen for some Mountains- no one home. Back down to the valley below for a quick nap and some more bush kicking.

I'm at spot 3 as it looked the most promsing- just dozing off and ..."chi-CA-go!" No way. For reals? Poke my head up slow like- 60y away perched on a pucker bush is a big fat Valley male. Hmmm...how do I get out of my truck and not spook him? Boots? Check. Ammo? Check. Gun- where's my gun? It's in the cross-bed box locked up. Nice. I have to take eyes off what I thought was a dream for just a second and sure enuf I look back and he's gone.

Figures.

Get out, get to kicking, pass on more Jacks. Aaaand stop to take a snack break- Cliff bar, some juice, re-tie the right boot so I'm not tripping on the laces and- BOOM! 'Fatso' blows out of the bush I've been using as a windbreak, for 5 min's now! Grab the Benelli that's empty and safe, throw it at the bird like a golf club, all better.

I end up hooking up with 3 lad's and a dog. There's no way I'll get a buster w/o dog going in and popping the cork on the bird. They are bolted to the ground in 2's and 3'swith this wind. So I ask if I can hunt below them and get their scraps and we'll divy it up later? Sure. Cool!

I jump downwind about 80y and the dogs go to work. Birds are coming out, the lads are connecting and scraps are heading my way- at Mach II. I had a perfect double come my way, it was more like swatting flys with a blued 24" chopstick. Birds go WHOOSH, barrel still going MEEOOOWARPOOEE!. I get 2 or 3 Hail Mary's in but this aint working so I join back in the conga line. I finally get a break and a nice looper pops up in front of me say 30y out. I wet myself, stub the mount and miss the shot and it's 200y downrange before the Benelli can reset and chamber the next round THIS DAMN WIND!

We have a few more laughs and the dogs are getting fragged so- it's time. We head back to the trucks, part and shake hands crackin' jokes about "shoot 'n release" hunting (newest missing excuse)...ya know, hunter stuff.

I've got one more drive in me left- end up doing two and nothing. Not a peep. Except for that damn barrel.

Pack it in, time to go....I left the windows cracked a bit and it was so windy, unknown to me, grasshoppers galore had blown into my truck. So half way home I'm finding this out the hard way...AS ONE IS CLAWING IT'S WAY UP INSIDE MY PANTS LEG. "hello 911? I'd like to report a black 1996 F-250 going sideways down I-5 doing 100 miles an hour on two wheels please?". Also included is a pick of one of the offenders. I really hope that never happens again, EVER.

Happy Opening Day everyone!


- kevin.

Hey Stovie,
Its got wings - no feathers but it has wings!
You were probably right not to shoot it - a might small and messy to clean.

Better conditions next time!

sounds like you had a fun day out.. next time you might just get to shoot something.

What kind of Quail do you hunt?


-DallanC

Here stovie-I'll help out your day!My neighbor across the county road from me and I have been keeping a bunch of california quail in feed for about 3 years now.I've been removing the feral cat problems as they arise.We regularly count about 70 quail in his backyard come evening just before dusk,then about 40 of those head to my place to roost in a holly tree that is about 25 feet tall-helps keep the predators away!Only trouble is now the hawks are finding our covey.We'll let the winter opportunities take care of that situation.We don't shoot the quail just yet,we're waiting for the election to be done,cause if the imposter that's in the whitehouse now wins again-those quail might be all we have left to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRBLSHTR wrote:

:lol: Here stovie-I'll help out your day!My neighbor across the county road from me and I have been keeping a bunch of california quail in feed for about 3 years now.I've been removing the feral cat problems as they arise.We regularly count about 70 quail in his backyard come evening just before dusk,then about 40 of those head to my place to roost in a holly tree that is about 25 feet tall-helps keep the predators away!Only trouble is now the hawks are finding our covey.We'll let the winter opportunities take care of that situation.We don't shoot the quail just yet,we're waiting for the election to be done,cause if the imposter that's in the whitehouse now wins again-those quail might be all we have left to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

see if you can get hold of a DOC 250 trap in box. they will take care of your ground pests.. now as for hawks... dont know the legality of it in your region so tread carefully but the old timers here would set a gin trap on a post with meat on it. or hide in the scrub with a shottie and toss your hat up for them to see then hide and wait. we arent allowed to shoot hawks over here and the harrier numbers are very high.

Stovey, now I know why you stay so thin. Lots of hiking and scrambling around the mountain sides but nothing to eat when your done. I hear grass hoppers are delicious if you fry them! You will need a few more to make a meal, however.

What number shot do you use on grasshoppers?

Bushmaster wrote:

What number shot do you use on grasshoppers?

slugs and a headshot? With a little luck this makes only 1 hole in the frontwindow...

Damn!! Forgot about the windscreen. You are right. Slugs and maybe a 410

DallanC wrote:

What kind of Quail do you hunt? -DallanC

Valley's (California) are my favorite. I hunt Gambles too in Mojave and Az. Sometimes do Mountain quail, but, that's an altogether much gnarlier hunt- take a single shot, it's all you'll get at them.

TRBLSHTR wrote:

:lol: Here stovie-I'll help out your day!My neighbor across the county road from me and I have been keeping a bunch of california quail in feed for about 3 years now.I've been removing the feral cat problems as they arise.We regularly count about 70 quail in his backyard come evening just before dusk,then about 40 of those head to my place to roost in a holly tree that is about 25 feet tall-helps keep the predators away!Only trouble is now the hawks are finding our covey.We'll let the winter opportunities take care of that situation.We don't shoot the quail just yet,we're waiting for the election to be done,cause if the imposter that's in the whitehouse now wins again-those quail might be all we have left to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Copy that! We have Copper's Hawks here. They lead me to birds sometimes. If you're patient you can wait them out and the birds will start moving again. Hawks anchor the birds pretty good.

Bushmaster wrote:

What number shot do you use on grasshoppers?

32oz ballpeen.

PaulS wrote:

Hey Stovie, Its got wings - no feathers but it has wings! You were probably right not to shoot it - a might small and messy to clean. Better conditions next time!

Yup! And, it's illegal here to hunt from a moving vehicle! Not only would I frag my dash and glass, I'd get a ticket!

stovepipe wrote:

Bushmaster wrote: What number shot do you use on grasshoppers? 32oz ballpeen.

Good read Stovey