Quail hunting isn’t easy
Quail hunting isn’t easy. Quail are small, elusive birds that don’t scare as easily as other game birds. It takes being a great shot, as well as mastering terrains so you have a basic understanding of where you might find quail, to be successful at hunting them.
Quail are usually hunted by flushing them out into the open in some fashion. Most hunters use dogs to achieve this, and there are certain dogs that are favored:
• Beagles – hunters love beagles because they’re close to the ground and can get into areas that larger dogs can’t. They also have a good sense for hunting, and can be trained to both point or baying in their own unique way that notifies hunters of their quarry
• Curly-coated Retriever – among retriever dogs, this is the favored dog for quail hunting. It’s a large dog with a thick coat that can handle thorns and burrs, as well as cold water, if it needs to get wet. It’s considered one of the smartest dogs for training
• Wirehaired Pointing Griffon – this dog is considered one of the best pointers for quail. It’s a medium sized dog with a rough coating, and a strong nose that’s great for both pointing and rooting out game. Its color also works well in helping to camouflage it in the wild
• American Water Spaniel – this is a dog that loves to hunt and seems like it can run all day. They’re also very good swimmers, but their specialty is getting into the woods or rough terrain in scenting out their prey
Of course, many other dogs have been trained for hunting, but these would be your best bet.
Also, when it comes to hunting quail, there are debates about the best kind of gun to have. The one thing everyone agrees on is that you need a scope with great accuracy, because a hunter will need all the help he can get to bag a quail, as it is a smaller bird. Many people like using a lighter gun because they’ll be carrying them around for a long time. When it comes to gauge, it doesn’t take much to kill a quail, so large shot might be a bit of overkill, but small shot means you have to be on target to get a quail.
Something else a hunter might want to think about is a good pair of binoculars. There are two features one wants to concentrate on when it comes to quail hunting binoculars. The first is to buy binoculars with range finder options. These send out a laser beam to whatever a hunter is looking for and sends a signal back helping hunters calculate the distance the quail is away from them. This works best if the gun doesn’t have a scope on it.
Of course, even with a scope, you might want binoculars that have some sort of night vision capability. Even though they don’t work great in sunlight, if you’re in a dark, wooded area, or even on an overcast day, they may help in seeing the quail.
Using these tips will help you in your quail hunting endeavors.