How did it go??

For those of you lucky enough to get to go opening day, how did it go? where did you hunt and how did you an your dogs do?

We only found one covey but we didnt hunt very long to get back for the football game did flush 3 roosters though I wish it was pheasant season. However I did see quail after quail all over the highway.

north of childress. 6 coveys. 18 in the bag. twenty-nine degrees at dawn 81 degrees at 4 o'clock. Had some young birds, almost full grown but at different stages of growth. (3/4 etc.). Hunted 2 1/2 hrs. in the morn. and 2 hrs. in the afternoon Sat. only. No snakes.

Kent County........hot, 1 covey, no snakes........gonna wait til it cools down to go back.

I did not hunt, but went to a pasture south of my house and made a little loop, where I usually find as many as 6 coveys. I've never found nothing until yesterday. The weeds were high, but we should have found at least one covey. Looks like it's going to be a bad year in Texas.

I still have an option to get in on a lease in Archer county. It's 9,000 acres. I was on it two years ago and killed one bird. I only went twice.

I'm thankful that I have NSTRA, to get my dogs into a few birds.

Sweetwater 12 coveys in 2 days, it went just about how I thought it would,fair year.

Was that on the Spade?

I went to the Chaparral WMA. Got a later start than I wanted, but it was about 50 when I jumped the dogs out at 10 and 72 when I quit at 1. I ran 4 dogs for an hour and then put em down in braces for an hour each. We never found a quail and this was in areas of the Chap that have always put up some birds no matter how bad in the past. It is awfully green and thick in places tho. I think we'll do better later in the season

no, our ranch is 6 miles south of 20 on hwy 70

We hunted a new place (for us) near Noodle, NW of Abilene. When we pulled up to the gate Saturday early a.m., we heard bobs calling. We hunted until noon and then from about 1 to 3 p.m. and never turned a bird. The land owner was there in the morning and saw a covey on a fence line. We went through that area four times with five dogs and still - nothing. The cover was super heavy. High grass, shin and post oaks, prickly pear, all the usual and very green. Not making excuses, he told us there were not a lot of birds on the place. We'll have better luck later.

My son,myself, and another hunting buddy ( met on a public dove arear in Granger) also hunted the chapparal this past weekeend , I don't think any quail were taken. We only heard 2 birds calling . We humted areas that produced great last year and battled some heavy cover not one covey. We only have one dog so took some breaks and gave up and busted up some dove Sunday. The biologists and guys there says wasn't any rain to mention til September and no hatch;not very optimistic about a late one either. I'll check back before the January weekend. If anyone knows of any day hunts on wild birds Pm me please. I don't know if it's in the budget but need to get that dog of mine in some wild birds. She doesn't stay primed on weaker-flying pen raised birds.

We were Northwest of Dickens on Saturday found 3 coveys and a porcupine.

x2 my dogs needs some birds too but looks like will have to wait till next year

I didnt ask when I left , but a friend sent me an email after he called the Chap on Monday. 93 hunters killed 13 quail on Saturday and 50 killed 0 on Sunday.

One thing I noticed was out of a dozen tyrucks I saw parked or driving, only me and 2 others had dogs.
The rest were foot hunting with no dogs and this is not a good year to do that.

I'm gonna probably go every Saturday this month and again in Jan. It's only-an hour and a half for me and my dogs need to run if nothing else, but I think we'll find a few here and there.

This news sds terrible. Was hoping to get invited back to my buddy's place in Ballinger that had birds last year.

This is a copy of an email that I got from a NSTRA friend who has a lease near Tilden. He has really good dogs.


"Slow opener compared to last year. However it is o.k. in my book because we saw a lot of birds still paired up; there is lots of new grass with a lot of food available. I located 4 coveys in a few hours was the best that I did. We moved several pairs and heard lots of calling early. The doves were there in good numbers and we were able to scratch together an even 200 dove between Sat, Sun, & ½ day Mon. I am ready to go back but probably won’t for a few weeks so the new birds have time to get out and about. Let me know of any more reports you hear of, I would be interested in what is going on."

Hunted 25 hours over 7 days in kent county and moved 10 different coveys. I have hunted this place for 19years and I believe this is as bad as I have seen it.

I just got a report from north of Victotia. Only two birds flushed. They stuck the jeep and had a flat. Bummer!!!!!




Edit: From the PDJ forum; four coveys in two days in Fowlerton. Not a bird in 5 hours at Port Mansfield.
Looks like a grim year in S. Texas.