Texas Quail season opened this morning. Amarillo Mike his son and I are hunting east of Amarillo. So far the dogs have pointed two or three covies of very healthy birds. Going to be a warm day and Mike is changing dogs right now while I sit in the shade of a tree. Age does have its privileges! Mike invited his son and I to go along so the dogs would have some dead birds to pick up.....

Update: Mike's car battery is dead and he did not bring jump cables. Why am I not surprised? Some way to treat his guests!

Joe
Good to hear the quail are ok in the panhandle.

I think Mike may have brought you to push the car. Someday I'd like to hunt quail with you and Mike, but I can't push a car very far.

Well, got out of cell range so couldn't give minute by minute updates. After Mike walked to the ranch house and committed grand theft auto and jump cables we got his old dog wagon going again. Time to boot up the dogs and as you can see Molly takes every opportunity to pose for pictures.



Pretty soon the turd hounds actually stumbled across a covey and no one was more surprised than Mike. Taylor, His son, Taylor, connected on a nice cock bird with his 20 gauge AYA #1 (the blur between Taylor and the dog is the cock bird)



Had to keep truck running all day cause we didn't dare turn it off where we were. Things got a little quiet during the day but the dogs came to the rescue again and Mike actually connected on a bird with his 20 Parker A-1 Special (original).






Me? I shot my little Parker VH 16 on an 0 frame. Picked up a bob and also a unfortunate Eurasian dove that came wandering by.

It appears bird numbers have improved slightly over last years disaster but would rate poorly compared to four or five years ago. We ended in mid afternoon with three or four covies found. Weather was warm and a bit of wind. Fun day!

Thanks Joe!!! Beautiful guns and dogs and great shooting!!!

I noticed you only put shot in the bird's head. Nice trick.

First you had to teach shooting and now auto repairs to Mike. Sounds like your work is cut out for you. He should be glad he has such a patient friend to educate him. I can see he is your cross to bear. Beware if he needs you to talk with the dogs. Limits have to be placed somewhere.

You sure can't fault their taste in doubles though. And they look like a couple of guys that could care less about that Parker mystic and that hefty future value, heck with that crap, get the Parkers out and lets go huntin.

Molly on point, Red backing:




















A good size covey flushed.








One died, probably had a weak heart. Molly wouldn't bring it to Joe or Taylor as she knows they are bird claiming rascals so she brought it to me.

Red is on point in the foreground left. You can barely see him. Molly is backing - looking over her shoulder




















A nice covey flushed.









Joe won the argument with Taylor over who shot it.

My exceedingly handsome son. Of course if you sow corn you get corn. He is 32 and has never bought shotgun shells in his entire life. Molly, 7, in the foreground. The red and white is Ginger, 3. Buddy is 2. All my bird dogs are French Brittanys.



Got to love those bird dogs!

Thanks for taking the time to put up the pictures Mike.

Yes, that is my standard. Sometimes probabilities get me and there will be two pellets in the head.


Jon you just don't understand. Taking my shooting student Joe Wood quail hunting is like taking a troop of Brownies fly fishing.


But you can fault my taste in hunting buddies. The little AHE 20 is a delight. 26" barrels. The barrels and wood have been refinished so if I get a little scratch on it it is most certainly not the first one.

You are welcome and it is my pleasure. I am a show-off anyway.

Nice story & pictures. Thanks guys!

Chuck Joe went off and left the interior lights on. If you could just follow along behind him and unscrew what he screws up it would be very helpful.

Mike, always fun to read and a pleasure to look at the pictures. Thanks

Mike, Is that those "hard plastic springy" snake leggings Taylor is wearing? I haven't seen those in years. I'd forgot about them.

Been seeing some good sized coveys of wild birds here lately. Last covey was small, tho', only about 10 birds. Our season isn't in yet. Got down to 34 degrees here Saturday morning, but will warm back up enough for snakes to be about this week. I can wait, I guess.

SRH

Hi Stan. They are. I had to order them from a forestry supply house. Used to buy them locally.

Wouldn't it be great if they figure out how to bring the birds back to their old numbers.

Great photos, Joe. Beautiful bird country you got there. Not quite what I would have envisioned.

We ran dogs early Sat. morning at our quail lease in Georgia. We picked up a big 25-bird covey and one 15-bird covey. Season is not yet in so I didn't carry a gun. Still gotta a couple weeks.

Adam

Amarillo guys: Thanks for the photos. That looks like it might be good snake country?

Gil, at this time of year the snakes are out and looking for that last meal before bedtime. And, since it's Texas, we grow them big. A typical coontail diamondback will be between four and five feet. I've killed them a tad over six feet but that's a rarity. Prarie rattlers, who are born with a bad attitude, generally run three to four. When I first spot them about where my next step is going to be I'd swear they stretch fourteen feet and have fangs six inches long! Can't hear the darned things anymore so that makes it especially interesting.... I just wear ballistic cloth leggings and hope I don't die of a heart attack when one hits me.