Quail and chukar - strategy question

[Dave3006]

Let’s say you spot a covey of quail or chukar as you are driving a dirt road by a wash. You load up and start walking carefully towards them. They end up seeing you approach and start walking away. Not fast. But, fast enough to keep a safe distance away.

Q: Do you continue to just walk towards them? Or, do you start running?

 

[MOUTHCALLINMATT]

I look for cover or a change in terrain that will allow me to flank them or keep cover between me & them. If I can stay covered I might pick up the pace. It gets tricky keeping an eye on them. You have to try & watch where they are headed. Many times the covey may split up. Don't be so focused on a few that are running ahead out of range as you may miss another few birds that decided to hold up in a bush that you just passed up.

Rarely will I run at birds that can see me. On thing to consider when first spotting a covey is where do you think they want to flush to. Do your best to get between them & that location.

 

[ilovesprig]

Let’s say you spot a covey of quail or chukar as you are driving a dirt road by a wash. You load up and start walking carefully towards them. They end up seeing you approach and start walking away. Not fast. But, fast enough to keep a safe distance away.

Q: Do you continue to just walk towards them? Or, do you start running?

More times than not, they will try to run or fly to the thickest stuff they have available...If it's open country, they will fly farther...Chukar always run uphill, and fly downhill...Lots of different scenarios to experience....

ps...I have run at them many times....

 

[Snake Charmer]

All of the above but...This is where versatile pointing dogs can come into play and can up the game and your score. A pointer that has been seasoned on running birds will learn how to corral and hold them while you gain ground for a shot. Flushing dogs can be a disadvantage as they by nature want to push them up. If the flusher can be trained to work close within gun range they will work as well just a little different as to how you get the birds to rise and be shot. With flushers and low flying birds you want to train them to sit when the covey rises and not chase so that the gunners have the opportunity to shoot without risking a low shot on a chasing dog. All of this can be trickey and not every pointer or flusher can acheive the standards we would all desire in what we would call a perfect dog.

 

[GUNDOGLOVER49]

Every situation is different but if possible I like to go after them and try to bust the covey up. I find once I have done that the single birds will hold longer, and a good dog will find them one by one. Chukar are a different story, like Steve said. Chase the bastards uphill then watch them fly down to where you started your chase. What makes it worst is, they sound like they are laughing at you as they head fly down.

 

[SteveHazard]

Do whatever needs to be done to close the distance. If you can get some sort of cover between you and them as you make your charge or cut them off somehow that's preferred but sometimes it's best to just literally run up on them and bust the covey up into a flush. If I can I like to avoid actually running because you are going to wind yourself to some degree that will effect your ability to stop, aim, and take a good shot but it's still the best option often in more open areas. Out in the sparser areas of the desert with creosote brush that they can see you though is when they try to outrun you most often I find and you'll need to charge after them.

 

[ilovesprig]

Every situation is different but if possible I like to go after them and try to bust the covey up. I find once I have done that the single birds will hold longer, and a good dog will find them one by one. Chukar are a different story, like Steve said. Chase the bastards uphill then watch them fly down to where you started your chase. What makes it worst is, they sound like they are laughing at you as they head fly down.

John,

I've had nightmares with that hideous laugh.............

 

[Snake Charmer]

Tr

Do whatever needs to be done to close the distance. If you can get some sort of cover between you and them as you make your charge or cut them off somehow that's preferred but sometimes it's best to just literally run up on them and bust the covey up into a flush. If I can I like to avoid actually running because you are going to wind yourself to some degree that will effect your ability to stop, aim, and take a good shot but it's still the best option often in more open areas. Out in the sparser areas of the desert with creosote brush that they can see you though is when they try to outrun you most often I find and you'll need to charge after them.

Train your pointer to flank and push them back to you, not hard if you have a halfway smart dog. It can be done on open ground if you train the dog to make a wide circle and come back in on them.

 

[SteveHazard]

Tr

Train your pointer to flank and push them back to you, not hard if you have a halfway smart dog. It can be done on open ground if you train the dog to make a wide circle and come back in on them.

When I get one I'll do that!

 

[Bowman]

get a dog if serious

 

[HATCHET1]

Step on the gas....

 

[Smokey58]

Last week, I spotted a small covey of quail on the move toward thick manzanita, I shot way low of them and got them to flush in different directions. My dog was then able to point a single that I took, I missed on 2 others. In the past I have run at chukar to try and get them to flush and they just outran me and I have run after grey ghosts on the CRIT to try and get a flush, worked a few times , mostly not.

 

[ilovesprig]

Last week, I spotted a small covey of quail on the move toward thick manzanita, I shot way low of them and got them to flush in different directions. My dog was then able to point a single that I took, I missed on 2 others. In the past I have run at chukar to try and get them to flush and they just outran me and I have run after grey ghosts on the CRIT to try and get a flush, worked a few times , mostly not.

Shot way low?...Hell, shoot right at 'em...Act like rabbit, shoot like rabbit..............................

 

[Smokey58]

Ha! I maybe a lousy wing shot but I draw the line at ground sluicing birds. It was a shot at the slope below the birds cause I had to get them to break up....

 

[Snake Charmer]

Ha! I maybe a lousy wing shot but I draw the line at ground sluicing birds. It was a shot at the slope below the birds cause I had to get them to break up....

Get and train a pointer and you will not need to ground sluice birds. BTW we've all had the moment where a running bird got whacked. Get a dog and train it and life will change.

 

[TrapLine]

I will shoot quail on the ground all day. I have only seen them fly from 100 yards in front of me, they seem to hold at close range until you walk past. Nothing like the flutter of wings 2 feet away, behind you.

 

[WaterDawg]

I run at em because my buddies are definitely going to run and I don’t want to miss out. But, I really prefer to watch where they go and try to back door them or break em up. Running in the hills and desert, while carrying a shotgun and pouch full of shells, really sucks.

 

[Dave3006]

I typically walk 5 miles through the desert looking for quail and chukar. Up hills and down hills. As a result, I will shoot quail or chukar on the ground, air, sea, and land. I'll find where they live and shoot them in their sleep if I could : )

I've earned it.

 

[ilovesprig]

I have said this many times...Anybody who says they've never attempted to shoot chukar on the ground, off a rock, or yucca haven't hunted WILD chukar...

 

[SteveHazard]

Ha! I maybe a lousy wing shot but I draw the line at ground sluicing birds. It was a shot at the slope below the birds cause I had to get them to break up....

Depends on the bird. I've seen mountain quail flat out refuse to fly even after a shots are fired.