When you picked up the phone and called them, what did they say? Did they offer to come on the forum and provide an opinion? Because my money says they would.

We are in constant contact with our Colorado biologists, and while my opinion means nothing, I think THFrs would all benefit from the facts from biologists, rather than the theories from Grandpappy's rocking chair.

I'm done. I provided email addresses and phone numbers. You guys can manage the way you want, and hunt the way you want.

I have no other goal in my human life but to provide better management, habitat, and hunting for future generations. Bigger rack, easier hunting..bleh. I want my kids and everyone elses' to have chance to hunt. And, that means hunting when the misguided say not too.

God bless, have your views, and call your biologist(s) I can't provide any further info.

http://www.quailresearch.org/

Your never ending search for information would be greatly aided by a trip to the above link. And by the way we hunt quail here in Texas not Colorado, and the situation here is very different. Hope offering more info and a differing view of our situation here in Texas isn't insulting to you.

The two biologists I offered up are Texas biologists. I hope those of you in quest of knowledge and better management can get some use out of them. Anyone who wants to continue their "management" plan based on the way it used to be is welcome to continue. Our collective good would be better if you did not.

That's all I've got guys. Nobody has taken me up by calling, or even offering to call YOUR biologists. I guess ya'll have it all figured out.

I'll sign out of this one, not with animosity, but with a bit of reservation and sadness, because this is not something I'm trying to argue about, I was trying to share factual information.

If somebody gets bored and wants to call Curtis or Jordan, I bet you'll have a great conversation.

Enjoy, and happy hunting to all.

"I think THFrs would all benefit from the facts from biologists, rather than the theories from Grandpappy's rocking chair."

I see you're still intent on insulting folks, and guess you didn't visit the link I provided.

Punkin do you have a clue what a quail master is? Well I hunt a help manage the hunting on one of the better ranches in the rolling plans. We have been managing that property with the help of the most respected and best quail researcher in Texas. I suggest you visit the people who are on the cutting edge of quail research.

I'd simply rather point that bird again on my next hunt, than to shoot it on this hunt.

Mr. Oxner is sooooooooooooooooo right.

I think it might have to do with age.

We don't run dogs. But, we often point a finger at them as they run away. The older I get, the better the dogs are looking.

On a good note nice rains through out all of west texas and getting reports of 1/2 grown birds in the kent county area.

Punkin- It appears that you are the one that is misinformed. There are three organizations that do all the real quail research. And NONE of them are run by state or federal biologists. State biologists are often over worked and under funded, and not focused on birds. Of the three main quail research groups two of them are based in Texas, one is the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in Roby, headed by Dale Rollins, the other is Quail Tech run by Brad Dabbert at Texas Tech. BOTH of these groups have advised hunters for the past two season to NOT SHOOT ANY BIRDS. As Chet said above it is one thing when you have a 1000 birds on a property, it is another thing when you have not had a successful hatch in the last 2 years. When you have not had a successful hatch that 20% survival number you are hung up on, becomes the whole and then if only 20% of the 20% survive until the next year then you only have 4%. This is the situation for Quail in most areas of the Rolling Plains today.
Anyone who is advising the shooting of quail under those situations is ignorant of the situation. I think you are trying to justify to yourself why you should continue to shoot birds, and trying to convince the rest of us to do the same.
I have now given you names to call, I hope you do. Let me know how it goes convincing them that you should kill 80% of the birds because they will die anyway.

We have a really healthy population of quail this year. They were running from the truck in the ruts in the road last time we were down.

We don't hunt them, but I would say shoot while the shooting is good. In good years we have a bunch in dry times it don't matter most of them die anyhow.

I do believe we're in the same County...same here, quail are thick this year. Lots of young birds too & also had them running in front of the truck last weekend. I hope they stick around, it won't take very many skillet shots to get a limit this year.

What a crock!!

Bill what do you expect from deer hunters that set at feeders.

Texas Game Biologists Can anyone on this post give us the duties of a State game Biologists?

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/technical_guidance/biologists/

This web site will give the biologist by county. You can call and find out. With a little more research you might find their job description.

I hunted with one last season. I posted some of the details on this forum.

Here you go. It's at the bottom of this thread;

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...tem#Post2131207

Bottom line- coast in tx has had birds last few years when the rest of the state has had Nada. Hunted shamrock tx last year that was outstanding the previous 2. Saw 1 tiny covey in 2 days.

Problem is the biologists HAVE NO CLUE what is causing the demise of quail populations. Is it drought, ants, hogs, bacteria in corn, eye disease-maybe all of the above?!?

Shoot dove and ducks- plenty of them to go around. Adopt as a wing hunter.

This thread is a waste of time. 10-12 years ago we were kicking up 12-15 coveys a day. West tx has been a dust bowl for 100 years, yet remains pretty unchanged.

No one has a clue what the problem is. All these gimmicks, quail breeding devices are a waste of money and time. I have a buddy outside of Olney that has spent MILLIONS. On his ranch on quail restoration. Even planting 1000's of birds throughout the season- only to see them as easy pray to all the predators.

If nature and the good Lord decide its time for a population increase, it will happen. Shooting birds doesn't make a damn difference in population. This has been proven over and over for every game bird in North America and beyond.

I do agree w top post. There are more birds this year than we have seen in a while. See if they are here after the summer. Maybe it's the summer rains that are key

Uh, what happened to the carrier pigeon?

you mean passenger pigeons?

disease killed them

I stand corrected on the species name.

And yes, they were wiped out by that disease that very nearly wiped out in the american bison, us.

Lots of quail in Mitchell county