Today was like most rail hunts, sweating profusely and enough mosquito bites to play connect the dots. Teal weren't flying today but first run for the rail hunt flushed 4 birds (3 sora 1 clapper). Couldn't find one sora that fell in what I can only call marsh velcro even though there was no lack of effort. Once it heated up the rails stopped flushing so called it a day. They were young one's but always a cool bird to get into.



Eric

Nice. Never hunted rails before.

You have any in your collection?

I can honestly say that they are at the top of the tough list for birds I've gotten for the collection so far. Especially mature mountable one's. I just need a stud virginia to have the coveted rail slam
Clapper:


Sora:


King:


Eric

very cool

I didn't know anyone actually hunted those! That's cool! Good luck slamming that other rail.

Thanks a lot, I will need it for sure Have a few new spots and ideas I want to try before I leave to Scotland so hope they work. As corny as it sounds I get excited just thinking about how excited I'll be when I finally drop that stud virginia!! Long long fought battle for birds that most have never heard of

Eric

Nice pics. We passed on 4 this past Sat. at the coast. That Sora is a beauty.

AAR,
Great work! As you know I love to hunt the odd game birds too. There was a public hunt area I walked into a couple years ago during Teal season that had a migration of Virginia Rail all over it and in season. Unfortunately they were not listed as legal game for the area. I got that corrected with some phone calls, but have never seen a one there since. In fact I was there looking for them just the other day. If the timing is ever right again on the migration through there, I will be sure to give you a hollar.

AAR

I think I have some seen some of these guys when we are in OK on a private marsh.. do they hang out in the same type of habitat as snipe.

John has been to the spot I am a talking about. what is the difference between the clapper rail and the king rail.


We always seen them out there and just assumed they were something else other than rails.

You probably have. I have only seen the sora/virginia up here and they are small compared to the others I think. They would be around the edges of what you have out there luke. They fly about as fast as a grasshopper and will bury up in the brush and hide when after them. I am amazed that they can migrate as far as they do, but they do migrate through there/here.

Hey it's the bird hunting version of perch jerkin, I like the idea of a slow bird (about once a year maybe).

Man that looks fun, not even sure if we got em in the rice fields, never looked for em though

I'll often find them the same places as snipe. In flooded out marsh area's. I've shot quite a few on marshes and rice fields in the El Campo area. Once you know your looking at one and how they flush it hits people on how many they have actually seen and didn't realize it
I'm going to hit a few oldie but goodie spots next week to finish out the first split of their season so hope to have some more pictures to post up. This is the year of the stud Virginia if it kills me!

Eric