how many bird hunters can safely hunt 1800 acres, as a lease?

Two. No more than three. You'll have to hold off on some of your shooting if you expect to have birds at the end of the season.

I agree with Bill. Should set up rules and limits such as o/u or s/s shotguns only, only two birds taken at a time on a covey, and the daily limit of 6-8. Guys, I really feel like we are rebounding and I don't want to go back to where we just came from. Conservation is king for a while.

PM's headed ya'll way thanks for the input

kt

One person per 1000 acres is a good rule on a quail lease. And as said above, just because the state has a limit of 15 birds does not mean that is what the lease can support. Also, as per the self imposed limit, if you drop a leg on a bird or drop a few feathers you need to count it to your limit. Even though it is not in hand it will most likely die.

Raymond - I was thinking back in my head we used to do a gun per 900 acres as a rule thumb when I had a good sized group I coordinated ...but... that is when we would also rate a good lease as pushing a covey every 40 minutes or so. Not sure what a good rule of thumb is now based on bird pops

It's not like the old days. We hunted on around 1,800 in three different pastures this year.

Some people count sheep. I count coveys when I have a difficult time sleeping. I counted 40 coveys. We only hunt half days anymore. We found 12 coveys on each of our last two days of the weekend.

The young dogs really came a long way. I saw some amazing dog work on our last two days.

I got the PM and am always open to talk, but it's more fun on this website. I agree with everyone so far.

I used a rule of thumb of 1000 acres per member walking and 1500 per member hunting from a mule. I allowed the member to bring a guest but he hunted off of the members limit. Up until 4 years ago I averaged 4 covey per hour. Went as high as 6 in great years and as low as 2 in the poor years. I managed about 50000 acres at one time.

There's one little hen quail in Wharton county that I'm pulling for. A friend dropped her. We had as many as 4 dogs looking for her. We finally gave up and started to move on. She ran out into a 30 foot open space to get to another bush. Three dogs were nipping at her tail. She made it and we still couldn't find her. I hope she gets well and produces.

I agree, no more than two. And also agree, limit how many you kill or you wont have much at the end of the season, if anything.

Why don't you give us an idea about what you're looking at and you'll get more replies? We seem to be pretty much in agreement on the numbers.

I want to lease the land out for quail hunting I have never done or been on a quail lease so I have no idea of what to ask for it, what to watch for ect...

it is very open sandy country w/ scattered oaks, lots of grass and low cover. I have been told there are tons of quail but I just got land and can't verify. The place has not been hunted in at least 3 years probably longer w/ respect to the quail.

kt

Depending on where it is, if its full season or just after deer season, if there is a house to stay in etc, it could be worth anywhere from $2-5 per acre for quail hunting. You will probably want either 2 or at most 3 people all from the same group to lease it from you. Because you cover so much country quail hunting its best for all hunters to know each other well so they can either hunt together or coordinate where they are hunting.

This thread has given more good advice than any thread I have seen in a long long time.

Heck, I am going to be the first to throw it out there. PM me the location, and meet me there and I will bring my dogs and transmule down and do a bird count for you. We need to do it quick before it gets too dang hot. By doing this, I will want first shot at leasing the place if it is showing birds.

I've hunted in Kenny county and had a lease there. There were quail there back in the old days, but I don't think tons anymore. That area can be loaded with grass burrs.

Now is a good time to try and lease it. Prospects will bring their bird dogs. You'll enjoying watching them work. I there a camp house or old farm house on the land.

1971 Snipe has a quail lease south of that area. He reported that they had a decent year this year.

I was thinking of doing a split season opening day through thanksgiving, break until last day of the regular buck season. so no bird hunting all of Dec and first 2.5 weeks of January. no overlapping each set of hunters would have the place to themselves.

the ranch is South of Falfurrias

There's one little hen quail in Wharton county that I'm pulling for. A friend dropped her. We had as many as 4 dogs looking for her. We finally gave up and started to move on. She ran out into a 30 foot open space to get to another bush. Three dogs were nipping at her tail. She made it and we still couldn't find her. I hope she gets well and produces. [/quote]

I learn something everyday with bill. Never heard of looking for one specific bird

I learn something everyday with bill. Never heard of looking for one specific bird [/quote]

They're all special to me. I never shoot any wild bobwhite quail anymore. I'd love to shoot them, hold them and let them fly away again.

You can have as many as you want on a lease, but as everyone else is saying, you need to set limits for yourself and hunting partners based on the number of birds on the place. If you hunt a place every weekend and kill 20 birds a trip you will kill all of them. We have a 200 acre places with about 13 coveys. It gets hunted about 4 times a year and we take about 10 birds or less per trip.

How does the type of shotgun make a difference?

I will be going to the ranch in mid march, the ranch is in hidalgo co. About 3.5 hours S. of SA
I have been put in as sole conservator over wild life production and cattle production. My goal is to strictly manage the birds as well as the deer. On my ranch in Kinney Co there are only a few coveys of BW and even fewer montezuma quail,quail hunting is strictly prohibited on the Kinney Co ranch. Because of this I'm in uncharted territory w the hidalgo ranch. As I said before it was said to be a quail hunters paradise.......
So that is my quandary

Do the math! Two shots versus five shots on a covey rise. Pretty simple, huh?

Thanks for the counting lesson but if you put a two bird limit per covey as you suggested it really doesn't matter what type of shotgun you use because two birds dead with an ou/sxs is two birds dead with a pump or semi.

It's a matter of decorum.