Friday, November 4, 2016
OUTDOORS WITH LUKE CLAYTON AND FRIENDS
Central Texas Outdoors
15
Quail season off to a boom
Gator, a German Shorthair Pointer with a nose like a radar and body conditioned to run, threw his head high in the air as he cast for scent downwind of a little grove of Sumac bushes. Then he got really ‘birdy.’ His nose went to the ground, he took a couple of quick steps forward then he locked into a point that plainly stated: “Hey, boys, there are quail in that tangle of brush.” Dot, another equally well trained and conditioned Shorthair got the scent also but she didn’t rush in ahead of Gator, she backed him politely, keeping a yard or so behind. Sandie, a pointing lab was on point, but not so rigidly as her teammates. Labs are retrievers without equal but some exceptional dogs such as Sandie serve double duty by pointing upland birds. Scott Hutchinson, my friend that is the wildlife manager at the W.B. Ranch near Whitney, motioned that he was about to signal Sandie in for the flush. With a dash, the yellow lab was in the midst of the cover and the covey of quail in the air. This was my first quail hunt of the year and the upper, or improved cylinder barrel of my little 20 gauge over/under blasted a string of No. 8 shot well behind one of the quail. I had shot too soon, without
taking time to remember to track the bird, push the barrel just in front of him, and then pull the trigger. The lower barrel, choked modified, did the trick at about 35 yards and I had my first quail of the season in the bag. Scott’s shotgun spoke twice and we had a Luke total of three birds in Clayton the bag from our first covey of the day. Wet weather back in the spring and summer created near ideal nesting conditions for the quail hatch and numbers are high. The W.B. Ranch is a commercial hunting operation and flight conditioned birds are stocked to supplement the wild quail. Scott says the ranch hosts upland bird hunters from all over the country. “We offer morning or afternoon hunts, where folks can show up and hunt but we also offer lodging and meals at the lodge for those that have a bit more time to stay.” said Scott. CLAYTON, 17
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY LUKE CLAYTON
It’s important to keep working bird dogs well hydrated. Hutchinson keeps buckets filled with water for his dogs. Here Sandie, his pointing lab, is getting a bit too hydrated!