Quail…Are They Still Around?
The old farm truck slowed down and came to a stop. The driver’s side window slowly rolled down. The lone occupant, an older grizzled gentleman, wore a well-worn pair of blue overalls asked, “What you fellers huntin” fer?” “Quail.”, we respond. “Quail! I haven’t seen quail around these parts for years. There was a time when quail were found just ‘bout everywhere around here. Y’all are wasting your time and yer dog’s nose!” The man chuckles and yells, “Good luck!” He shakes his head in disbelief and drives away.
The dust cloud from his truck slowly settles. I reach back into my bird vest and pull out four bobwhite quail. My compatriots each pull out a few of their own bobs. They are placed on the tailgate for us to marvel at. We count nine. Not bad by eleven a.m. Two adjoining fields had been walked. The dogs had done very well pointing multiple coveys. We were careful not to take more than a few birds from each. No one says anything regarding the man’s negative outlook and obvious lack of knowledge. Photos are taken and we pile into the truck and head a couple miles down the road for another Walk-In Hunting Area tract. We had seen a few quail walking across the road. At least four more coveys will be found before we call it quits and head home to make it by dinnertime. We laugh out loud at the thought of the man’s statement of “no quail”.
The scene above happened. In fact, it happens quite frequently. Throw in a fair number of comments as soon as we mention we are quail hunters. Now add those customers who come into the Olathe Gun Shop, where I work a day or two a week, who are perusing through the racks and racks of shotguns to say, “Don’t really need a shotgun as there’s no quail around anymore.” I smirk like a Cheshire cat and scoff at their misperceived perceptions. I want to yell, “There are quail!” But no words come out. Why?
I think of myself as a good steward of the land, a champion for habitat and conservation, a mentor to many with regards to upland hunting, and an active member with my local Quail Forever chapter, but do I owe it to others to educate them about quail? Some would say yes. Others would say, “More for me.” I can see both sides. On occasion I share with them that the beloved Bobwhite is found outside Kansas’ central region. I say this because most skeptics I talk to say that is where they hunt. Trust me, they’re found ALL over the state. Look harder.
Now, I’m also not going to sit here and tell you where to go. There will be no onX pins provided, nor clues to a place where you’ll find covey after covey…they do exist though. That is your job to put boots on the ground. Put in the work. What I can do is offer hope. Hope is what led me and our group to venture out and explore. And boy, have we found some doozies to hunt. It is not uncommon for us to move several coveys a day and on the same tract. Yes, sometimes we must drive a bit to get to the next spot, but when the landscape has all the components, and conditions are perfect, and the dogs do what they’re supposed to do, we find quail. A few of you know what I’m talking about.
We have done nothing overtly extravagant when searching for quail. We utilize onX like everyone else does, as well as Google Earth, whistle counts, forecasted bird reports, as well as talking to landowners/farmers, and other hunters. We tend to hunt in places typically ignored by other hunters. There are couple of other “intel” gathering outlets we use but those cannot be mentioned in this article. I can’t give away all my secrets.
From all the remarks and conversations, I’ve witnessed it almost seems the bobwhite quail of the Kansas heartland has become a sort of fictional unicorn of the uplands. With grim reports and tales of declining numbers, loss of habitat, it paints a depressing picture. Now I know these issues are occurring, but are these reports also swaying hunters from even going after Bob? Our group witnessed an explosion of quail, and though numbers of waned a bit, we are getting into quail.
I am confident in saying that there are quail around. Lots of ‘em! You just got to find where they’re at. Public. Private. And when you do, ooohhh the shooting can be fast and furious. Enough that you will think that you were back in the good ol’ days of yonder.
About the Author : Edgar Castillo
Visit authors website | View more articlesEdgar Castillo is a recently retired law enforcement officer for a large Kansas City metropolitan agency. He also served in the United States Marine Corps.
Born in Guatemala, hunting was a new concept when Edgar came to the U.S. His passion lies in the uplands as he travels across public lands throughout Kansas or wherever the dirt road takes him…to hunt open fields, walk treelines, & bust through plum thickets in search of wild birds in wild places.
This fervid emotion for the uplands has since blossomed into a SIGNIFICANT social media presence. It has allowed Edgar to share his experiences and connect with other bird hunters through writing.
Follow Edgar’s upland escapades on Instagram at @hunt_birdz
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