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Quails are small, plump terrestrial birds. They are seed eaters, but will also take insects and similar prey. They nest on the ground and are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some quail are farmed in large numbers and mostly kept to produce eggs.

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Quail Biology 101

California quail: (Callipepla californica) Also known as the valley quail.

The male, about 9-11 inches long, is more colorful than the female. He has a black throat circled with a white line, and the top of his head is dark brown with a plume of short, black, curved feathers. A chestnut patch is in the middle of the stomach, his breast, is scaled, and his sides are burnish gray streaked with white dashes. The female is similar, but has a shorter plume (about 1/2 the size) and a brown-gray head without all the white and black markings of the male. Average weight is about 6-7 ounces for both sexes. The call most commonly heard during the fall and winter months is their assembly call, a metallic sounding "Chi-ca-go", Thi-wa-ka". When excited California quail make a metallic "Pit, pit, pit" sound.

The California quail is associated with a combination of brushy vegetation and more open weedy or grassy habitat with some water supply. They avoid dense forests and dense chaparral. Food is usually abundant throughout the California quail's range. During the fall, the most important foods of the California quail, in order of importance, are the seeds of legumes, annual weeds, grasses, and fruits and leaves of woody plants. Once winter rains have started, their diet changes to one consisting mostly of the green leaves of forbs, clovers, and grasses. These foods may become scarce through overgrazing or a drought, or inaccessible due to a lack of cover. To see a picture of the range of California Valley quail, click on the following link.

A good distribution and quality of cover is important for the efficient and safe access to food and water. Without good cover,: quail can literally starve to death surrounded by food. During the fall and winter months, the California quail are subject to harsh weather and predators (both human and non-human), and they will rarely venture more than 20 yards from cover. In addition to being well-distributed, the cover needs to be of sufficient quality. It must be dense enough to provide some shelter from the elements and protection from predators. California quail also require good roosting cover. They prefer some dense evergreen tree or shrub that allows them to perch, a few feet off the ground. In most of their range California quail require some form of surface water. There are some coastal populations that get all their water from dew and succulent vegetation. However, throughout most of the state a good supply of water is very important.

The California quail is a social animal and spends most of the year, including the hunting season, in large groups called coveys. These coveys are usually formed in August and September when several family groups, consisting of parents and their offspring, merge to form one large group, the covey. The quail in these coveys perform all of their daily activities as a group. They roost together at night, wake up and feed together, dust bathe together, siesta and hide from predators together. During pre-season scouting and the hunting season one will almost always find California quail in these coveys. Success in finding California quail during this time can be improved by knowing something about how coveys use their habitat.

How a covey uses its habitat is usually determined by the habitat itself, the weather, and other factors. The distribution of food, cover, and water is the most important factor that influences covey activity. The most important "other factor" is usually predators, both human and non-human. California quail prefer to roost in dense evergreen shrubs or trees, usually close to water. The covey rises from its roost between first light and sunrise. In cold or foul weather they may leave the roost much later. Just before the covey leaves the roost, one of the males will usually give a few good morning "Chi-ca-go" calls. This helps any quail that may have been separated from the covey, either when they went to roost or during the night, find their way back. This also makes it easy for the early rising hunter to locate coveys.

At this point the quail will either drop to the ground and begin feeding toward water, or will fly directly to water. Once the rains have started and the hills and valleys become green, they will feed first before going, if at all, to water. The quail will feed almost non-stop for the first one to two hours after leaving the roost, and on and off for another one to three hours thereafter. They may feed on and off for much longer if the weather is bad, or for a much shorter time if predators are in the area. During the hunting season they don't like to feed much further than 50 feet from cover. In most cases this is due to the presence of the Cooper's hawk, one of their most efficient natural predators. Where they feed depends upon where the cover is. If cover permits, they will usually head straight from their roost or watering site.

If the topography consists of rolling hills or mountains, this usually means uphill or along a draw. Because California quail don't migrate, food may become scarce around activity centers toward the end of fall. Because of this, they will often be found several hundred yards to half a mile from these centers later in the morning. Once they have finished their morning feeding, the covey will then either find a good siesta spot where they stopped, or will return to some favorite spot. The quail will stay here resting, dust bathing and digesting food during the middle of the day.

Usually the covey will begin feeding again about 24 hours before dark. Early in the season when it is still hot and dry they will probably go to water before going to roost. Later in the season when it gets wet and cool, they probably will not. During the last two hours of light they will be feeding so that they may go to sleep with a full crop. The covey will usually feed in the direction of the roost, and may spend the last hour of light feeding nearby. During this time they will be giving assembly calls to re-group the covey before going to roost at twilight. If they are disturbed -as they go to roost or during the night, many of the birds may be forced to spend the night exposed to predators and the elements. Because quail cannot see well at night, they will not move from where they land.

Mountain quail: (Oreortyx pictus) Also known as the mountain partridge.

The mountain quail is the largest of the native quail in North America. Unlike the other quail, the sexes look alike. They have a long, slender black plume; the, throat is chestnut bordered with white; the breast, upper back and head are bluish gray; and the sides are chestnut with broad black and white stripes. They are 10 to 12 inches long and weigh an average of about 8 to 9 ounces. The call a hunter is most likely to hear is their alarm call, a series of "cle-cle-cle", "ca-ca-ca, cree-a-a, cree-a-ca-ca", or sharp rapid "scree" or "T-r-r-rt" notes. Another call heard during the hunting season is their assembly call which is a series of whistled "kow, kow, kow" or "How, how, how" notes.

The mountain quail is an animal of mixed evergreen forests and chaparral. This quail is found in habitats associated with pinon-juniper, oak woodland, chaparral, coastal forest, and mountain forests. This quail likes thick brush that covers about half of the area. They appear to do best in areas with a good, even distribution of brush. For example, an area where you can walk through the brush, but not in a straight line for more than 10-30 feet in any direction, and you can just see over the brush is probably very good mountain quail habitat. This area should also have a good sprinkling of oaks and pines. To see a picture of the range of mountain quail, click on the following link.

The "icing on the cake" for mountain quail is steep slopes - they race up slopes to escape danger. However, not one quail will be found here unless there is water nearby. This need is strong enough that during hot weather they will almost always be found within a short distance of water. Before winter "green up," mountain quail are rarely found more than one mile from water, and usually much closer. As with the other two quail species, once fall rains start and bring about a new flush of growth, the quail will start feeding in areas that they are not found in during the preceding dryer months.

The diet of mountain quail is similar to that of the other two quail species, but with the addition of more fruits such as elderberry, hackberry, seviceberry, grape, gooseberry, poison oak, toyon, and manzanita. They also make extensive use of bulblets, and the meats of acorns and pine nuts.

Populations of mountain quail that live in areas that receive snowfall usually migrate down from higher elevations in fall. This migration may be as far as 20 miles. In the Sierra, the migration down the mountains starts in late August or early September with the first snows, and by the beginning of October most of the mountain quail are below 5,000 feet in elevation. They spend the winter roosting and loafing under scrub oaks and feeding in low brush. They do not move much during this time, and will usually be found in the same area they were found previously. Coveys living below snow line, which includes most of those in the coast range, generally do not migrate.

Mountain quail usually come to water after their morning feeding. They spend the mid-day hours loafing under thick brush. They come out again in the late afternoon to feed until twilight, before going to roost in heavy cover. They probably will visit water in the late afternoon during hot weather.

Unlike the Gambel's and California quail, the fall/winter mountain quail coveys usually consist of one or two single families and a few unsuccessful breeders, and generally are not larger than about 10-20 birds. When hunting you will hear their alarm call more often than you will see them. 'However, because of their very secretive nature, they use alarm calls sparingly. It is not uncommon to get very close to them before they show any signs of alarm.

A trait that makes finding them very difficult is their intense dislike for open space. They very rarely get more than 20 feet from cover. They also will go to great lengths to avoid having to cross open spaces, such as dirt roads.

Gambel's quail: (Callipepla gambelfl) Also known as the desert quail.

The Gambel's quail, which is 9 to 11 inches long and weighs 5 to 7 ounces, is somewhat smaller than the California quail. The male is again more colorful than the female, and has a rust-red cap with black plume, black throat with a white border, gray upper breast, black stomach patch without scaling, and chestnut sides streaked with white. The female looks like the male, but without the black throat and stomach patch, and has a shorter plume. The most commonly heard call during the hunting season is their assembly call, a nasal "Chi-ca-go-go".

Gambel's quail prefer desert valleys and uplands of the Mojave desert where mesquite, cat's-claw, saltbush, tamarisk, creosote bush, desert thorn, skunkbush, yuccas, burroweed, or prickly pear are found in the vicinity of water. They are most abundant in valley bottoms of decomposed granite or transported soils of river bottoms, and areas where January temperatures rarely drop to freezing. To see a picture of the range of California Valley quail, click on the following link.

The diet of Gambel's quail is heavily dependent upon the foliage and seeds of annual plants and legumes. Their most important foods art the greens and seeds of annuals such as deervetch, filaree, and legumes of the locoweed and lupine families. These annuals and legumes are in turn very dependent upon annual rainfall. Good rainfall produces good annual growth which usually results in large Gambel's quail populations.

Cover requirements are similar to those of the California quail, but Gambel's quail are able to cope with cover that is both less dense and more sparse than that favored by the California quail.

The availability of water is important, but apparently not to the extent it is for California quail and mountain quail. Gambel's quail are able to get by with less water and are apparently able to travel greater distances to get it. However, the best populations exist where there is a good supply of water, food, and cover together.

Coveys of Gambel's quail, like California quail, are often made up of several family groups. The average size of a covey is between 20 and 40 birds. In some parts of their range coveys of several hundred quail can be found around watering holes during the late summer.

During the early fall, coveys of Gambel's quail keep their activities centered around a water source. Later, when the desert greens a little, the coveys will range over a much larger area. They prefer to keep their activities centered, around good cover. Throughout most of their range in California this usually means the vegetation found in most desert washes. This vegetation and water is usually most abundant where the washes begin, at the base of some hills or mountains.

As with the other quail, Gambel's quail are most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours. While feeding, they commonly move across the desert floor in a wide arc, rarely standing still, always on the move. This and their willingness to cross large open spaces gives the hunter an advantage in finding them or their tracks. During the mid-day hours they will siesta in a good stand of cover

Quail Hunting Safety and Ethics

SAFETY

Quail hunting is a relatively safe sport. However, it is imperative that to remain a safe sport that certain safety rules be adhered to without exception. When you take a newcomer, especially children, into the hunting experience, part of your responsibility as a hunter is to teach that person proper safety. The following rules are good ones to LIVE by:

THE ELEVEN COMMANDMENTS OF QUAIL HUNTING SAFETY

1) Always treat the gun as loaded.

2) Never have a loaded gun except when hunting.

3) Always make sure that the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.

4) Always carry your gun so dig you can control the direction of the muzzle, even if you stumble.

5) Always keep the safety on until the gun is brought to shoulder.

6) Always make sure your target is a quail and your backstop is not a hunter or a dog.

7) Never point a gun at anything you do not want to shoot.

8) Never leave guns or ammunition within reach of children or careless adults.

9) Never climb trees or fences with a loaded gun.

10) Never shoot at a flat, hard surface or water.

11) Never drink alcohol or take other mood-altering drugs before or during a hunt.

Always know where all members of your hunting party are. The more members in your party the more difficult this will be. It is recommended to keep hunting parties as small as possible, preferably two, but no more than three. If you are with a large party, try to spread out or split into several groups of two.

If your party has found some quail, determine in which directions it would be unsafe to shoot. Each person should wear some safety orange, a little is better than none. Camouflage clothing is not necessary for quail hunting, they know where you are regardless of what you wear. Take extra precautions during deer season. This is most important when hunting mountain quail. Most of their range is also popular deer hunting country. Wear plenty of safety orange and talk with your buddy while hunting.

If you have to chase down a crippled bird, make sure your gun is on safety. Almost all good quail country is -good rattlesnake country. Be careful around brush and water. When hunting in the deserts of California, always be sure to carry plenty of water. If you are hunting with a dog, make sure to carry additional water for your dog. It also pays to avoid hunting during the mid-day hours when it can be quite hot. Be prepared for cold temperatures at night.

There are several remote areas of the state where marijuana cultivation can pose a serious hazard. A recent Campaign Against Marijuana Planting report lists counties with significant levels of cultivation that include, but are not limited to, Humboldt, Mendocino, Shasta, Trinity, Santa Cruz, Butte, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Siskiyou, and Tehama It is recommended that you contact the local sheriffs department or Department of Fish and Game before hunting in unfamiliar remote areas of these counties.

HUNTER ETHICS

Hunting in this state and country is not a right, but a privilege. In order to preserve this privilege, it is essential that each quail hunter, as a representative of all quail hunters, conduct him or herself in an ethical manner. Without the public's support even if this support is in the form of indifference, we could lose our cherished privilege. The following are some suggestions:

1) Respect other's property: don't trespass without permission; don't litter, leave gates as you find them; if driving on someone's property, drive slowly, and don't drive off the roads; don't harass livestock; and do offer to repair or compensate for damage you may have caused.

2) Be kind and courteous: don't interfere with other hunters, campers or bird watchers; and always be helpful - whether it be telling a landowner about a hole in his fence, or offering to help fix the fence.

3) Conduct oneself as a sportsman: always hunt safely! always follow the regulations - nobody likes a game hog and don't shoot birds of prey (this includes Cooper's hawks).

Quail Hunting and Scouting Tips

EQUIPMENT

CALIFORNIA QUAIL: The most important piece of clothing is foot wear. They must protect and support your feet, provide sure footing, and be light and comfortable enough to walk all day in them. Lightweight hiking boots are a good choice. However, the running-shoe type of lightweight hiking boots do not provide much protection against rocks for the sides of your feet and ankles. In the northern parts of the state, boots that are also waterproof are desirable.

Pants should be rugged enough to withstand wading through brush. Many hunters choose to wear "brush pants" or chaps. Brush pants are pants with an extra layer of canvas or nylon across the lower legs to protect them from the thorny brush that quail seem to love to hide in Chaps are similar material that are worn separately.

Using the "layering method" of dressing is preferred as it is often cold starting out in e morning and becomes progressively warmer as the morning wears on and you have done sot hiking. Be sure you have some way of carrying the clothing you shed. Tossing them in the game bag is not a good idea. Not only will it get your clothes stained with blood, but also will it prevent the quail from cooling off quickly.

While hunting, game should be carried in a manner that allows air to circulate around them and at the same time minimize exposure to dirt. A game bag made with vents or at least partially made with a mesh material would be helpful Snake boots, leggings, or chaps can be worn for protection from rattlesnakes, but are generally not comfortable enough for long hunts.

Many hunters carry a small pair of "mini" binoculars. These 6 or 7 power binoculars with usually 20mm objective lenses are made to fold up and can be carried in a shirt pocket. They can be very handy in scouting the terrain ahead, to assist you in finding guzzlers, your hunting partners when you get separated or even your truck at the end of a long day.

The best gun and ammo for quail hunting is a popular subject of debate among hunters. Many of the reasons for choosing a particular set-up are based on personal preference. Here are several things to keep in mind when making a selection:

1) You will have to carry the gun and shells up and down hills. The lighter the gun and smaller the gauge, the less weight you will have to carry. Quail are relatively easy to kill, and all the gauges - .410 bore, 28, 20, 16, and 12 - are successfully used to hunt them. However, the smallest gauges, 28 and .410 bore, generally require more skill to be used effectively. Because of their reduced shot capacity and longer shot strings, tighter chokes (full) must be used to achieve sufficient pattern densities, making it harder to hit quail.

2) The gun should be responsive. It should shoulder and swing quickly. Quail move out like missiles and rarely fly straight.

3) In heavy cover, use an open choke: the shots are closer, it makes it easier to hit the birds, and it does less damage to the bird. Long shots in heavy cover usually result in lost birds

4) In open cover you can use either a tight or open choke. If the quail flush close, and you are using a tight choke, let them get a short distance away before shooting to avoid excessive damage to the bird.

#8 or #7-1/2 shot gives you plenty of killing power while still providing good pattern density.

Coveys and scattered birds will sometimes answer a call simulating the "Chi-ca-go" call. There are several quail calls being manufactured that can be used on California quail and Gambel's quail. Mountain quail calls are effective as well. Instructional tapes are available to help you master the calls of the various species.

It is very important to cool bagged quail as soon as possible and keep them cool. You should use a container that will keep the quail cool and dry. Do not let them get wet or sit in water because it promotes bacterial growth, which increases the chances of spoilage. Keeping quail cool is even more important during the warmer, earlier part of the season.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL: For mountain quail equipment should include rugged pants and shirts for some brush wading. An open choke is almost always preferred because most of the shots will be close and quick. Trying to hit them before they get behind a tree or bush requires using every advantage at your disposal. Without a dog it is better to shoot only at close birds with an open choke. The reason is that long shots in mountain quail habitat without a dog usually result in lost birds.

A body in good shape with good stamina is almost always required. In most cases, the country you will be hunting mountain quail is rugged.

A good dog can be a great asset when hunting mountain quail. The dog is equally, if not more, important for finding coveys as for retrieving downed birds.

GAMBEL'S QUAIL: For Gambel's quail you need the same basic equipment as for California quail, but with some differences:

1) a pair of shoes or boots that resists spines because much of their range is also cactus country,

2) a pair of pliers to pull out spines,

3) barrels commonly in the modified to full choke range, and

4) more water. It can be very hot during the early part of the season. If you bring a dog, you need to carry water for it too. Many hunters carry the two liter bota bags for themselves as well as their dog. The bota, is a soft easy to carry method that allows you both to share the canteen without sharing saliva.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SHOOTING

Hitting flying quail is one of the most challenging shooting feats around. They can be difficult to hit for both the beginner and the expert. There are several things that can increase your success at hitting these elusive targets.

The most important is pre-season practice. Hand-thrown clay birds or visits to your local trap and skeet facility are a must. Both games should be tried if available, as each provides opportunities to work on angles and leads commonly encountered when quail hunting. One of the best practice games to come around in a long time is the new "Sporting Clays". This can come the closest to mimicking quail hunting. A recommendation when at the course is to try starting with the gun off the shoulder, down where you would have it when a covey of quail flushes on you by surprise. Learning to bring the gun to shoulder smoothly and still hit moving targets is the name of the game. This is also a good time to get familiar with your safety. Leave the safety on until the gun is being brought to your shoulder. Don't forget to put it back on again once you have brought the gun down off your shoulder.

The second factor important for consistently hitting quail is developing the ability to select targets. Quail flush as a group for a reason, to present the predator (you) a confusing whirlwind of targets. Ibis reduces the predator's ability to focus on one target, and increases the odds the predator will be indecisive long enough to allow escape by all. This system works equally well on Cooper's hawks and hunters alike. The secret to overcoming this defense system is to pick out a single target and stick with it. This sounds easy, but it is not. Many hunters have avoided this problem by not even shooting at the quail until they have flushed and scattered them to allow hunting of singles and doubles. This system works well in country where they can be reliably followed, but for many areas the first covey flush is all you're going to get.

There are several tricks to help focus on a single target. One is to try and pick out the odd bird, that is the one that's going in a different direction. Another is to focus on a bird to the periphery of the flushing covey. Something that also helps is that the members of a covey rarely flush all at once. There are almost always a few stragglers. The trick here is to let the first burst go and gather your senses back together and prepare for the stragglers. They usually come out as singles and pairs. Although it is hard to pass up shots, keep in mind that you will probably have exclusive shots at these because your buddy just emptied his gun on the main covey flush and is not prepared for the stragglers.

Before you try for that second or third bird on a rise, make sure that the first bird you hit is dead. Keep shooting at that first bird until you are sure that it is dead, Mark its fall before taking on another bird. Before moving, reload. You will feel mighty foolish if after a few steps, a straggler gets up and you have nothing to offer but the snap of an empty gun.

HOW TO FIND QUAIL

There are several factors that will influence your ability to find quail when you arrive at your spot. Weather, time of day, and presence of human and other predators will affect the quails' normal behavior. When the weather is wet, cold, heavily overcast, or windy, the quail tend to leave the roost much later in the morning. They also tend not to call as often and in many cases not at all. When it is wet they stay close to cover, and will feed intermittently all day long. Heavy overcast also makes it harder to spot them. The time of day you arrive should influence the areas you hunt. As discussed in the section on behavior, they will be near roosting cover around sunrise. Later in the morning they will be near water and feeding cover. Midday hunting should focus on dense loafing cover. In the afternoon, efforts should again be centered around good feeding cover.

In many areas the presence or recent presence of other hunters and predators will be an important influence on your decision of where to hunt. This influence can last from a few hours to several days depending upon the extent of the presence. A Cooper's hawk flying through an area can cause the quail to hide and remain silent for up to an hour or more, making the quail very difficult to find. Coveys recently hunted will tend not to hold, and will flush far out in front of you. The areas you hunt will obviously be affected if there are hunters already there when you arrive. The best thing to do is to ask them where they are going to hunt and tell them you will hunt those areas they don't plan on immediately hunting. This usually works well on areas that are large and have more than enough habitat for all. However, if the area is small, or good quail- habitat is limited, it would be wisest to go to another spot. Sometimes it is possible to join the first party if they find that acceptable.

Another approach to this situation is to place yourself on a hill or some other vantage point and watch them hunt. You want to watch for coveys that slip away from them undetected into another canyon or hill top. Then, if it is obvious they are not going to hunt that area, or are leaving, you can pursue them. This information is also useful for future hunts because it reveals to you one of the covey's escape routes.

After the first weekend of the season, and even more so after the second, hunted coveys will behave differently than during the first weekend. You will notice that they will flush further out, fly and run further, head to the thickest cover much more readily, and call much less than before. This is their response to hunting pressure. So if you are going to work an area that has recently been hunted, you should be prepared for long shots and carefully work all the good escape cover.

Similar behavior occurs in the presence of a Cooper's hawk. If you happen to notice one of these highly skilled predators in the area, you will likely not see or hear any quail. You will most likely find them in the thickest cover in the area. If there is a Cooper's hawk in the immediate area they may not leave the cover, even with you standing on it! The best thing to do in this situation is to move on to the next covey or wait for the Cooper's hawk to leave. They are known to take advantage of hunters flushing hidden quail and then snatching one up as they flee. One should never shoot a Cooper's hawk, this will not "make" more game, and it is illegal. Instead, the hunting skills of this hawk should be admired because they truly are amazing.

Calling can be used in some circumstances to locate coveys or individuals of all three quail species. Undisturbed coveys are more likely to answer calling during the early morning and evening hours. However, just because quail don't respond to your calling does not mean there are no quail in the area. Quail commonly don't answer calls of other quail in the area. During the midday hours they will usually fail to answer calls. Quail of a disturbed (scattered) covey will readily respond to calling after a short (10-20 minute) quite period. In this circumstance, with patience and stillness, one can often call some of them right to you!

CALIFORNIA QUAIL: Look over the terrain and find those areas that meet the quail's habitat needs. With a good pair of binoculars or spotting scope, scan the first 50 feet around cover for feeding quail. If you spot something that looks like it might be quail, watch it for a few seconds to see if it moves. California quail never sit still for more than a few seconds at most when feeding away from cover. Also scan the tops of shrubs, brushpiles and rocks for a perched sentinel male. He will usually be motionless for at least a few minutes. During their morning and afternoon feeding periods, you should also keep an ear open for their assembly calls ("Chi-ca-go"). This assembly call is usually given by this perched sentinel quail. So if you hear one calling, look for him on the tops of shrubs, brushpiles, and rocks.

It is worth spending a few minutes when you first arrive quietly listening for their calls. Often a quiet group can be induced into revealing their location by imitating their assembly call by mouth or with a call. Give a group of two or three calls every few minutes and listen for any responses. If you do not hear anything, it does not necessarily mean there are no quail nearby.

It is not uncommon for coveys to let assembly calls go unanswered, even from other quail. If you arrive around sunrise, you should note where you hear the assembly calls coming from. The first calls in the morning, around sunrise, are usually given from their roost or nearby. Knowing where these roosts are will help you find them during future trips, since they tend to use the same roost for a while, if not year-round.

However, you should never hunt quail after sunset, especially near their roost. Birds scattered out of the roost will not make back to the roost after dark. This leaves them unprotected from night time predators.

If listening did not produce the location of any coveys, the only thing to do besides trying another area is to walk through the, area. Try the following:

1) Work cover around water, especially in the morning. Keep a lookout for tracks in sand and mud. Watch for rattlesnakes.

2) Along edges of cover listen for their alarm call - the metallic "pit-pit-pit".

3) Check dirt roads for tracks that may reveal travel routes.

4) Walk gully or valley bottoms first. The reasons for this are:

a) it's easier to walk,

b) it is easier to scan the slopes of both sides from the middle,

c) they appear to be more willing to give assembly calls if you are below them than above them, and

d) they may be hiding in the gully bottom, where water and escape cover is usually

abundant.

5) If they are spotted on a hill you have three choices:

a) Chase them up the hill. Unless you are an Olympic class runner you won't catch them. They will, however, usually hang up in some good cover up the hill, or just over the summit in some rocks or brush. When you do make it up to the top, be prepared for them to flush and fly either down and around the hill, or across the canyon to the next hill to start the whole process over again. However, if the canyon is much more than several hundred yards across, they probably won't fly across.

b) Try to maneuver so you can hunt them from above. They do not like to run downhill, which makes it easier to get them into the air from above. Again, when they flush they will fly down and along the slope. They then usually try to go back up the hill.

c) Go back to the car and have lunch. Coveys of quail that have been well hunted tend to flush quickly, well out of range, and head for the thickest cover around. If the cover is very good they will stay here, often even if you or your dog dive in after them.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL: These quail are often very difficult to find because of the dense nature of their habitat. An effective way of locating them is to set yourself in a likely looking place (see "Habitat" section) and try calling them. If you sit still and there are quail in the area, they will often answer your calls. In some cases they may even come right to you! Make sure you are on high ground, because they seem to prefer moving uphill rather than downhill. It is also easier to hunt them from above because they will often fly downhill and very few hunters are capable of keeping up with them uphill.

GAMBEL'S QUAIL: The same methods for California and mountain quail work with the Gambel's quail. In the desert valleys it is popular to drive the dirt roads looking for quail and their tracks crossing the road. This method can be very productive if there is not too much vehicle traffic in the area.

Something you will quickly learn about these quail is their disappearing act. They prefer to run which means running after them. As you pursue them, the covey appears to get smaller and smaller with each step you take until finally you are chasing only a bird or two.

STRATEGY WITH A DOG

CALIFORNIA QUAIL: The key to any dog being of value to you, whether it is a pointer, flusher, or retriever, depends upon control. A dog under poor control is more likely to cause you trouble than be of any enjoyment or service to you. The greatest asset that a dog can be to a California quail hunter, besides companionship, is as a retriever. Coveys are not too hard to find without a dog, but finding and retrieving downed quail can be very difficult.

The strategy is to start by letting the dog range freely and find fresh scent. Dogs of the pointing breeds are useful here. Once the dog has found some quail and come to point, the hunters must quickly decide on a strategy and maneuver into position. How well the quail hold depends largely on how good the cover is they are hiding in and whether they have been shot at recently. If the cover is poor or the covey has been hunted recently, they will most likely not hold for very long, if at all. In most cases, it is therefore a good idea to move quickly to where the dog is on point.

Anticipate that the quail always seem to be aware of the location of every member of the hunting party, and will flush in a manner and direction to put the greatest amount of distance and obstacles between the hunters and themselves in the least amount of time. They will also try to head toward the thickest, most impenetrable cover nearby. If this is your situation, try to position yourselves either to prevent them from getting to this cover, or to at least get a shot before they bury themselves in it. Once everyone is in position and the quail are still holding, they can then be flushed

If your plan is laid to waste by some unforeseen maneuver by the quail there is still hope. If you can see where they have flown, you now have the opportunity to put them at a disadvantage. By keeping close to them after the first or second flush, you force them to scatter and hide individually. This is because many of the quail will be separated from the main body of the covey each time they are flushed. Finding themselves alone or in pairs they will hold much more tightly. However, if they are not pursued quickly they will regroup and slip away. They are sometimes called "gray ghosts" for a reason. Having successfully scattered them, a dog can locate and point them for some very exciting shooting.

"It is this type of hunting, where the birds burst from cover and are taken over a pointing dog in clean wing shooting, that the maximum in sport and recreation is realized with a minimum of loss and damage to the game population. Aldo Starker Leopold.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL: A dog with a good nose can greatly increase success in finding mountain quail. The dog can be used most effectively by working canyon bottoms in the morning near water and when air currents are still coming down slopes. Then later in the morning, when the quail are usually feeding up the slopes and the warming ground causes updrafts, the ridges can be efficiently used. This puts you and the dog in the general area the quail should be and allows the dog's nose to "cover" the greatest amount of territory.

GAMBEL'S QUAIL: Are you sure you want to do this to your dog? The greatest advantage of a dog when hunting Gambel's quail is the retrieval of downed game. Gambel's quail generally do not hold for dogs. They prefer to outrun them, and if that does not work, they fly away. Only after the covey has been well broken up can a dog be effectively worked on singles. Even here the quail will start running again, especially if the cover is not thick enough.

If you still choose to use your dog, bring along a pair of needle nose pliers and some antiseptic for the inevitable cactus spines he will encounter. Consider fitting him with dog boots, the kind available through various dog supply houses. Make sure that you know how to properly put the boots on the dog to prevent loss of circulation in his feet and loss of hair on his legs.

When a covey is spotted out ahead, the dog can be sent after them to break them up. The' hunter should watch where they fly and work that area carefully. If the covey is heading for dense cover or hills, you should attempt to head them off or you may lose them. If a covey has pulled a disappearing act on you, work back along the way you chased them. What probably happened was that singles and pairs split off from the main covey as you were chasing them and hid. As you work back there is a good chance you will come across some of these quail still hiding. This is where a dog with a good nose will pay off.

STRATEGY WITHOUT A DOG

CALIFORNIA QUAIL: There is no question, hunting the California quail with a good dog is the best way to go. However, there are a good many of us that for one reason or another must get by without a canine companion. For those of us in this situation, there is still hope, although there are several things that generally cause problems when hunting quail without a dog. One is finding the quail initially and then after they have flushed. Another is finding the quail once you have finally managed to knock one down. The solution to the first is to know something about the behavior of this quail. The solution to the second involves concentration and discipline.

The first step is to locate a covey of quail, this goes for persons both with and without a dog. There are two keys to this puzzle: one is cover, the other is water. In most parts of California, water is a limiting resource for quail, the only exception being the northwest comer of the state. Therefore, the search must begin by first locating water. Once water has been located, search the surrounding terrain and locate some good cover, the thicker the better. If there is no good cover within 1/4 mile try another spot. Head toward the cover, keeping an eye open for quail scurrying along the ground out the "back door". Also keep an ear open for their "pit-pit" alarm call. If they spot you and they are a good distance away, you may hear their assembly call.

When given the space and time, California quail prefer to run away rather than fly. So if you spot a covey running on the ground ahead of you, you have to keep up with them. Otherwise they will disappear like ghosts, But before you head out after them at a frenzied pace, it is wise to take a moment or two to think out a strategy.

If they are heading up a valley draw, odds are they will continue to travel along the cover in front of you. Place one person on each side of the draw and follow them. If you have a third person, put one down in the draw. This will help prevent you from moving past them. If they are heading up the side of a hill (especially a steep one) it is best to try and out maneuver them than to out climb them (unless you are quite an athlete). In most cases they will go right over the top or hang up in some cover on the hill. Send one person around the other side while the other one stays at the bottom of the hill. At some predetermined time both of you head up the hill from opposite sides. Be prepared for some fast action at the top of the hill, but also be sure of where the other hunter is before shooting.

One of the most frustrating things about hunting without a dog is finding downed quail. With a little concentration and discipline, this can largely be avoided. There are a pair of rules that must be followed to avoid losing birds.

The first rule is to ask yourself WHERE WILL THAT BIRD LAND WHEN I ROLL IT? This question should be asked as you are raising your shotgun and picking out that first bird; the question has to be answered before you smack that trigger. It does your body and the resource no good if you land a bird in the middle of a blackberry patch. A dog might be able to retrieve it, you won't! This question is especially important if you are having one of those all-to-common days where you are not quite on and are knocking down cripples. If you shoot only when they cross open areas, you are much more likely to follow and find cripples. The thing to remember about cripples is that they will fly or run to the nearest, nastiest cover, and the further they are from it when hit the less likely they are to get to it. Trying to answer this question while the little gray missiles are flying all about is not easy, but it will help improve your recovery rate and leave you much more satisfied. Mistakes will be made, but with practice you will improve and you won't come home with a body that looks like it's been through a shredder.

The second rule is MARK YOUR BIRD. The instant you pull the trigger on that first bird, your mind should be focused on the following series of questions:

Is the bird dead? If not, shoot it again. Live quail will hit the ground running if they can and disappear quickly. If the bird is still alive when it hits the ground, DO NOT take your eyes off of it. Do not even think about taking a shot at another bird. Immediately head over there and get that bird. Do not shoot the bird on the ground if you are within 15 yards of it, this is unsafe and will only destroy the bird. Humanely dispatch the bird upon retrieval.

If it is dead, where is it falling? Don't take your eyes off of it until it hits the ground, and don't move. Note the landmark nearest to where you think it landed. Next note where you are standing. This will come in handy if you can't find the bird initially and need to replay the shot in your mind, which only works well from the original location.

Are you positive the bird is dead and you have it well marked? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, you now have the choice of going for another shot or retrieving the downed bird. It is always wisest to retrieve each quail first before shooting another. You will be amazed at how often a "stone dead" quail that landed on bare ground 50 feet from the nearest clump of grass disappears on you. The same set of questions should be answered for every quail you shoot at. If you do shoot a second or third quail before retrieving any of them, start with the most recent one shot because it is usually the easiest to find. Finding at least one of them is better than none, and gives you confidence that they can be found.

Once you have worked a covey and you are not able to find them anymore, calling can sometimes produce a little more action. Find a spot where you can sit down and see some openings around cover. Give a few assembly calls every few minutes. This can be done by mouth or with a call. It may take as long as 30 minutes or more to get any responses, so patience is necessary. You will first see them creeping along or through nearby cover. When you get them close enough, stand up quickly and they will usually take to the air. If they start running, rush toward them to get them into the air. It is tempting to "ground sluice" them, but this is not sporting and usually results in badly shot-up quail.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL: Hunting mountain quail without a dog is tough. This is hunting for those who don't mind doing a lot of walking and having a light game bag at the end of the day. Because of the quail's secretive nature, they are hard to find. The most successful way to find them is by searching the edges around cover and dirt roads for tracks. Cover with tracks all around usually indicates a favorite hang out. If, there are good populations in the area, they will eventually cross roads, even though they don't like to. Once tracks have been found, look for suitable cover and work the area thoroughly. Watch for coveys running out the far side. Any coveys spotted doing this should be run down quickly without hesitation.

Your first good sight of mountain quail probably will be flushing from behind some shrubs or trees. Watch carefully where they fly, then dash over there. If the area they flew to has trees, be alert for quail flushing from them, as they do land in them for escape. Once they have been flushed and scattered, they are much more likely to hold. It is time well spent to carefully work the area you last saw them land. You will often find singles scattered all over the area. If you flush a covey more than once, it may pay to go check the area of the previous flush and search for tightly holding singles you ran by the first time. Always be alert - it almost seems as though they can tell when you have let down your guard, No sooner have you decided that there are no holders left, one will flush from somewhere nearby, often from behind you.

Calling can be very effective once the covey has been busted. Mountain quail can often be called right to you by imitating their assembly call by mouth or with a call. This is because once they have been scattered they will try to regroup as soon as possible. The way to call them is to sit down where you have a good view of as much open ground as possible. You do not necessarily have to be well hidden, but you do have to sit still. Now try giving a few assembly calls. Sit, listen, and watch. Patience is a must, it may take as long as 30 minutes or more before you see any results. Sometimes they will call back, but more often they will just start walking toward you. Keep giving a few assembly calls every few minutes. Keep your eyes focused on the edges of the clearings. You will first spot them slowly creeping along the edges toward you. The closer you get them the better. When they get as close to you as possible, stand and rush, if necessary, toward them to got them in the air. Again, it may be very tempting to "ground sluice" them, but as stated above, this is not sporting and usually results in badly shot-up birds and lost cripples.

GAMBEL'S QUAIL: Most of the things that work for hunting California quail without a dog work for Gambel's quail. There are, however, a few differences. Because of the generally more open habitat of this quail, it does not have as many opportunities to hold in cover. 'Me result is that they run and run and run. If you and a buddy were walking across the desert at a couple miles per hour, a covey could run away from you without your ever knowing it was there. It always pays to keep an eye Out for small gray objects scurrying about 100 yards or more in front of you.

If a covey is spotted running in front of you, start running (but make sure the safety is on)! As you run after them you will notice several things: they will try to outrun you, and may succeed; the covey will appear to shrink with each step you take; the cactus you failed to negotiate begins to cause pain; and the heat gets worse. Usually they will eventually hit some good cover and hold, If you manage to get within 40 yards before they do, they will usually flush and fly there. Often when you finally manage to bust the covey, only a small fraction of the quail you started chasing are still in front of you. What happened is that singles and pairs broke away from the covey and took cover along the way. You can take advantage of this by slowly zigzagging back through the route you chased them. One can often flush a good number of these ghosts if not too much time has passed. If you wait too long, they will start moving around to escape and regroup.

If the covey was still relatively intact when you flushed it, carefully note where it landed as you head over there. The more pressure you can put on them, the more likely they will hold and try to hide. If they are not pursued aggressively, they will hit the ground running and leave you nothing but the cacti and the heal.

Once you have managed to get them to hold, you must work the area carefully, stopping often. At this point they are known to hold so tight as to allow you to practically step on them. As an example, one time the author and a buddy sat down about three feet apart for a breather after working a covey. They were discussing the action they had just experienced when, after about five minutes, the conversation was interrupted by the whir of a quail flushing from directly between them!

If you are still on your feet after chasing a covey all over the desert, take a seat. If not, stay there, because you will soon get your second (third, or fourth) chance at them. After things have been quite for a while, the quail will start calling to regroup. It is at this point where some calling on your part can bring the birds back into you.

LOCATING DOWNED QUAIL

DEAD QUAIL: You are standing in the area where you know the dead quail fell, but you don't see it. Now what? First, keep in mind that they blend in very well with just about anything you might see on the ground. Look for loose feathers on the ground. Feathers are almost always left where they hit the ground. However, there often is another group of feathers dropped by a quail when shot that can be misleading. The reason they can be misleading is that the bird often travels a considerable distance beyond where it was hit, and if there is even the slightest breeze the feathers can drift a considerable distance from where it might be. The two groups can usually be told apart by where the feathers are found and how tightly the feathers are grouped. The feathers left on the ground where the bird lands are usually tightly bunched. Feathers from the in-air hit are usually found widely scattered and on top of shrubbery. Don't expect to find the quail sitting right there among the feathers. Most often they bounce or roll a few feet from the point of impact with the ground. When you find these feathers remember the direction it was heading when you rolled it. Search the area beyond the feathers in the same direction. If you have searched this area with no success, double the distance beyond the feathers and search again. They usually travel further than you think they did. It is not unusual to spend 30 minutes searching for a single downed bird. You owe it to the bird to keep trying.

CRIPPLED QUAIL: When you knock down a crippled quail it is your moral and ethical obligation to retrieve and humanely dispatch the bird as quickly as possible. The problem is that finding crippled quail is commonly difficult, and this is the single most frustrating aspect of hunting without a good dog. The key to successfully finding a cripple is to get to where you knocked it down as quickly as you safely can.

The first thing you do before taking a step is to reload your gun and put the safety on. Flying cripples should always be shot again, as your chances of finding one of these if you don't knock it down near you is next to nothing. Assuming you have lost visual contact with the cripple and you are standing where you thought it should be, the first thing you should do is to listen for any sounds that might reveal its location. If you are met only with the sound of your pounding heart, look around for feathers. These will often give you the area and direction in which to look.

There are several things to keep in mind when looking for a cripple. One is that if the bird landed on sloping terrain, look downhill from where you think it landed. They almost always tumble or run down slope. Two, look for the nearest cover around where the bird landed. They may crawl into it and tuck themselves underneath whatever they can. Three, look down any holes in the area, such as ground squirrel holes, as quail will often try to hide in these holes. Don't forget to look under the edges of rocks or other debris.

CAUTION: All of the places you should be looking at to find a crippled quail are also good places to find rattlesnakes! Do be careful and never stick your hand into places you cannot see into.

When you do get close or find it, the quail often try to run or fly away. There is a great temptation to shoot it as it runs away, but don't unless it is at least 15 yards away or going to dive into cover that you will not be able to retrieve it from. The reason for this is that at close range there is danger of a ricochet and destroying the bird beyond use. If it is flying away, do shoot it again, but let it get a least 15 yards away before shooting. Again, shooting at it any closer will just make the bird inedible.

CAUTION: Your gun should always be on safety when looking for downed birds. Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction when trying to catch a cripple. If the bird cannot fly it is best to unload the gun and put it down so that you can use two hands.

Quail Hunting General Info: An important part of the bird hunting genre, quail hunting is increasingly popular in parts of the United States and not only. It has the advantage of being a rather new bird hunting variety and is far from the media attention other hunting branches enjoy today. Generally a chase hunting sport, quail hunting requires much set-up and planning in advance, as well as exceptional strategy and shooting skills. Furthermore, if you choose to bring a pack of hounds to aid you then you require coordinative and leading abilities in order to consider it a successful and enjoyable experience.

Unlike several more famous and popular game bird type of hunting, going for quails will not necessitate the use of calls, which are known to keep young hunters away from such sports. In fact, quail hunting is perfect for the hunters that lack patience and are always trying to find a new and adventurous activity to feed their appetite for thrill and excitement. Chasing a scared bird around the field, either with dogs or not, can be very engaging and enough of a reason to consider giving it another try providing that you fail to bring home a bird. However, many hunters say that their first attempts were disappointing as they expected great results right from the start and the reality proved them wrong in a harsh way. Also, they say that the intense physical manner of hunting this sport entails can make even the laziest sportsman renew his gym subscription.

Quail hunting is a sport of balance and coordination as much as it is dependant of natural and developed capabilities. In order to consider yourself a successful quail hunter you have to master the art of perspective view over the field which will give you a hand when the situation asks for quick decisions while maintaining safety for yourself and other companions you may bring over. Also, learn to coordinate with your hounds so that you can immediately interpret their actions and collect them into small behavior patterns for later use. Balance is not only crucial in ballet but also in quail hunting, although it refers to another form of balance rather than the pure physical one.

Keeping a mental note of all the things that are happening at a certain moment, of all the positions of the hounds and/or fellow hunters as well as prey can be very confusing. One could easily fail to keep a clear mind in such stressful situations, in which an impressive amount of data in a short time, sometimes even a split-second. Concerning native skills there’s not much to say because any hunting sport requires an inborn shooting ability as well as a sharp eye. Other skills can be developed over time and they usually come along with experience, experience counted in hours and hours on the field with the gun in your hands.

About Quail: Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds in the pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. The quails are small, plump terrestrial birds. They are seed eaters, but will also take insects and similar small prey. They nest on the ground. They are capable of short, rapid bursts of flight. Some species, including the Japanese and Common Quail, are migratory and fly for long distances. Some quail are farmed in large numbers. These include Japanese quail, also commonly known as coturnix quail, which are mostly kept to produce eggs that are sold worldwide. In the world there are about 30 species, but in North America, 6 species. They are social birds with rounded bodies, short tails and small heads. Males are more brightly patterned than females. They usually inhabit open meadows with brushy borders.

Male birds of northern populations have a reddish brown plumage and white, with black bars on the belly. Their throats and lines over the eyes are white; a large black line goes from the eye back and around the gorge. This particular white part is replaced by beige in the otherwise similar female birds. In the wintertime, quails can be found in flocks. A flock of quails is generally referred to as a covey. If they get frightened quails favor running from danger; when they are flushed they fly quickly, suddenly with a piercing whirring sound, but rapidly drop to earth.

The females lay between 12 and 20 eggs, but typically 14 to 16, that are incubated by both of the parents for up to 24 days. Monogamous creatures, after the reproduction season is over, quails get together in coveys, scattering during the day to feed and reassemble at nightfall or in unfavorable weather. Members of the covey look for warmth and safety by grouping in a circle, having their heads twisted outward.

Button Quail: The Button Quail ( Excalfactoria chinensis ) is a beautiful little bird that is commonly known as the button quail or the Chinese Painted Quail. These birds are often used as micro janitors in the bottoms of aviaries where they do a very good job at cleaning up the seeds that are left by other birds. Another usage of these birds is by commercial butterfly breeders and in green houses, where they do a very good job at keeping spider and insect populations under control. In their natural habitat, these birds are only found in China but we all know that these birds have found their way into homes all over the world.

The normal size of a male button quail is approximately 4 ½ inches, a little bit smaller in comparison with the female which is about 5 inches. The male is more colorful than the female and has a black & white bib that runs under the chin. If their basic requirements are met, these birds are easy keepers and prolific breeders. It is advisable to keep these birds in solitary pairs but there are many cases in which these birds are kept in trios of one male to two hens or colony bred with several males and hens.

The male quails ( and sometimes the females too ) can become aggressive towards one another. The quail is a territorial bird and very temperamental when other birds invade its territory. The pen should be sufficiently large in order to avoid serious fighting which will surely happen if the pen’s size isn’t large enough. Button quails are known to be very active that is why it isn’t a strange thing for them to track their droppings.

If quails aren’t kept on clean bedding, you can encounter serious problems when the droppings become encrusted on their small feet and form into rather large balls at the ends of their tiny toes. Under proper conditions, the button quail will incubate its own eggs. For this to happen, you need to provide the quail with both security and privacy. In order to do so you must place a tiny shelter on the floor of their pen.

Regarding their nutrition, the button quails don’t need sophisticated food and are very cheap to feed. If you keep them with other birds, they will get approximately half of their required food right off the floor. The button quail can easily survive with seeds and water. They enjoy eating turkey and game bird pellets, if you can’t provide them with this the alternative would be growing mashes for chickens. The food should be broken up into beak size pieces in order to allow the birds to actually eat the food. Occasionally, they should be fed meal worms, fruits and vegetables. The button quail needs a constant supply of fresh water.

Regarding the housing aspect, these lovely birds feel right at home in any cage/aviary but they prefer the outdoor aviaries, the more space they have, the better. In their search for food they will run around on the floor of the cage. The button quail enjoys bathing like other birds but they don’t bath in water, they like bathing in sand & dust.

The Button Quail comes in a great variety of colors as a matter of fact there are dozens of colors available for this bird. The most common mutation is the silver. The new colors available for this bird are only a little bit more expensive in comparison with the original colors, some of these new colors being remarkably attractive.

Mountain Quail: The Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) is more often heard than seen and prefers areas of dense cover in the wooded mountains and foothills of the United States west coast. The mountain quail populations have been declining over the last 50 years although the bird’s secretive nature makes it rather difficult to accurately census. The mountain quail is one of the largest birds of the quail family with a long and straight head plume. There aren’t any noticeable differences between the male and the female mountain quail, they both have gray heads and breasts, maroon-colored throats and chestnut bellies that are marked with bold white bars, brownish-gray upperparts and rufous under tail coverts.

These birds are