Matador WMA

Any of you guys ever quail hunt at matador or any of the other WMAs? I went to matador 7-8 years ago and I haven't been back. Mostly hunt private ranches now, but curious if anyone ever has much luck.

Hunted there 1 day last year, only found one covey. Lots of good looking cover, had to pick lots of sand burrs and cactus out of my setter. Will probably go back this year, it is a pretty neat place.

In all seriousness, you're asking for feedback about public land success on the interweb? How much transparency do you think you're going to get?

If u have access to private land or a lease don't waste your time.

Typical for public land, some years it will be a bust, some years ok.
http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/4755605/

I hunted it 7-8 years ago. Big place with good habitat. Opening weekend can be a carnival like atmosphere.

Plenty. I have asked and offered feed back on chapparal and have had others do the same. I usually get PMs from people that have been before me letting me know where they found birds. There is far too much land and too few hunting days open to worry about giving away your spots. We are not all stingy thank goodness.

Back in the early 80's I had a lease in Childress and stayed in a motel there. Met 2 teachers from Dallas that hunted the Matador every weekend with 2 dogs. They said they went home with full limits nearly every weekend. I think they were great shots and good dogs and knew where to hunt. I know 2 other guys who hunt the Matador 1 weekend every year even though they are on good leases. They hunted the Matador while in college and they still have good luck.

good to hear some folks still have success. I think I only found one covey the time I went. didn't have enough time to get to know the place.

Matador is a big place and going to be poor hunting for most. I look at as one of those places that is like fishing in that likely 10 percent of the hunters find 90 percent of the birds due to any combination of experience, good dogs, knowing when to go or not to go, ombudsmen, networking, local knowledge, and luck. Much more to it than knowing it exists and showing up.
It's not as easy and simple as duck hunting where all you have to do is show up and throw down a dozen decoys.

Bingo. I'll give a hint. Head for the north west corner. Stop before you get there. Straight road...mesquites everywhere. That's a pretty good hint.

I went once back in the glory days. Three of us shot 16 quail the first morning. We didn't go back Sunday because back then we could do better almost anywhere. I don't have the energy or drive to go back.

I went there 20 or more years ago. Early November foggy cool morning. Hunted in low areas with no luck. We decided to climb up out of the bottom and hunt higher ground. I made it to the top first and went over in front of where my buddy was climbing up. I looked down and he had set his hand right next to a sluggish coiled rattle snake, 1 more step up and he would have been eyeball to eyeball with the snake. That's the only thing I remember shooting that day. Haven't been back since. Not far from there to the sw we had a lease that had bobs and blues on it. It was a great lease and had lots of both species. The only reason we quit it was the ranch brought in dozers and cleared much if the habitat.

I hunt it once or twice a year. It isn't good, but it is always fun.

Matador birds are fast studies. Singles are difficult to find after a covey flush. They hit the ground running.

Apparently all the birds I hunt are related to the WMA birds. Every year it seems that singles are harder to find. I don't shoot singles but I sometimes let me dog work them