Posted: 2/22/2026 8:34:38 PM EDT
Put’n’take, but they all flushed and we had some hot action. Compliments of Blaze, the Wonder Dog. 29 birds between me and my bird buddy yesterday.  FS Quail Bag 1 by FredMan, on Flickr FS Field Quail Selfie by FredMan, on FlickrAnd the dog himself, from other trips…  Blaze Point by FredMan, on Flickr Blaze and Roosters by FredMan, on Flickr Jerry West Blaze Rooster by FredMan, on Flickr Blaze Hard Point by FredMan, on Flickr |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
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Originally Posted By Oldgold: Man I miss that. Our native quail are about extinct. Yup, same here. They've been gone for 20 years or more. But man back in the day, Gramps, Dad and I hiked all over the state flushing them things. Great times! |
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Blaze the wonder dog, unfortunately, isn’t mine. It’s my buddy E-man’s dog. Blaze is 6 now, and I’ve hunted over him since he was 6 months old. He’d never even SEEN a game bird that first trip and locked up 20 minutes after driving 1,200 miles. Hard point on a quail.  Erwin Rooster by FredMan, on FlickrE and I have been hunting birds together for almost 30 years now. We plan an annual trip to Kansas every year. Due to factors beyond my control (work, divorce, etc) I haven’t made Kansas in 2 years. Which was the last time I saw Blaze. So I roll up at the place Saturday, and E and Blaze beat me by about 15 minutes. E is sitting on a bench, with Blaze on leash. As soon as I get out of the car, Blaze perks up, jerks the leash out of E’s hand and fur missiles me. For 10 minutes I’m rolling in the grass with him jumping, yipping, talking, and giving me all kinds of love. Gawd I love dogs. |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
| Wild quail numbers in Kansas are through the roof right now. Pheasants are way up too. It was an exceptional year around home. Looks like I have good carryover with the birds on my place coming out of the winter. I’ve got two big coveys that live full time within 200 yards of my porch. |
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Originally Posted By Red-Stater: Wild quail numbers in Kansas are through the roof right now. Pheasants are way up too. It was an exceptional year around home. Looks like I have good carryover with the birds on my place coming out of the winter. I’ve got two big coveys that live full time within 200 yards of my porch. Whereabouts in Kansas if you don't mind me inquiring? You don't have to be super precise if you don't want to be, I'm not looking for your home address or anything! 
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Support Team Ranstad, Damnit!
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Originally Posted By Ruckus: Whereabouts in Kansas if you don't mind me inquiring? You don't have to be super precise if you don't want to be, I'm not looking for your home address or anything! @Ruckus I’m in southeast Kansas, about an hour north of Tulsa, and an hour and a half west of Joplin. Points west of me have even better numbers, but it was pretty damn good around home this year. We had several 10+ covey days, which is great for wild bobwhites in the 21st century. |
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Originally Posted By Red-Stater: @Ruckus I’m in southeast Kansas, about an hour north of Tulsa, and an hour and a half west of Joplin. Points west of me have even better numbers, but it was pretty damn good around home this year. We had several 10+ covey days, which is great for wild bobwhites in the 21st century. Hell Yeah, thanks man! I'm in the Joplin area. Are there any places to hunt in your AO, I'd be up for paying for a guided hunt, just so me and Dad could kick up a covey or two. Gramps has been gone for far too long. We should probably relagate this conversation to PM's, I don't wanna hijack Fredman's thread any longer.  |
Support Team Ranstad, Damnit!
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Originally Posted By Ruckus: Hell Yeah, thanks man! I'm in the Joplin area. Are there any places to hunt in your AO, I'd be up for paying for a guided hunt, just so me and Dad could kick up a covey or two. Gramps has been gone for far too long. We should probably relagate this conversation to PM's, I don't wanna hijack Fredman's thread any longer. Not a whole lot of public in this area, and what is here gets hammered. We have quite a bit of ground though. Shoot me a PM if you’d like. |
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Originally Posted By Red-Stater: @Ruckus I’m in southeast Kansas, about an hour north of Tulsa, and an hour and a half west of Joplin. Points west of me have even better numbers, but it was pretty damn good around home this year. We had several 10+ covey days, which is great for wild bobwhites in the 21st century. Originally Posted By Red-Stater: Originally Posted By Ruckus: Whereabouts in Kansas if you don't mind me inquiring? You don't have to be super precise if you don't want to be, I'm not looking for your home address or anything! @Ruckus I’m in southeast Kansas, about an hour north of Tulsa, and an hour and a half west of Joplin. Points west of me have even better numbers, but it was pretty damn good around home this year. We had several 10+ covey days, which is great for wild bobwhites in the 21st century. That is the same area I used to hunt quail as a kid. Out around Elk City. Grandfather had permission to hunt and fish a crazy number of farms there. Guy next door was the town banker for as long as I can remember. After years of watching me suffer luggi g that steel receiver 870 around, my uncle let me use his Betetta 20 gauge. It was light a s a feather. Later he introduced me to the 28 Ga and it was feather light compared to taut old beast of an 870. |
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Originally Posted By Hasher1: That is the same area I used to hunt quail as a kid. Out around Elk City. Grandfather had permission to hunt and fish a crazy number of farms there. Guy next door was the town banker for as long as I can remember. After years of watching me suffer luggi g that steel receiver 870 around, my uncle let me use his Betetta 20 gauge. It was light a s a feather. Later he introduced me to the 28 Ga and it was feather light compared to taut old beast of an 870. My first shotgun was a 30” 11-87 SPS. I lugged that thing all over Clay and Washington counties for years before I upgraded. Now I hunt with a 20 ga M2. Sometimes chopped, sometimes not.  Quail SBS by FredMan, on Flickr FS Day 1 Quail by FredMan, on Flickr
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ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
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Originally Posted By Hasher1: That is the same area I used to hunt quail as a kid. Out around Elk City. Grandfather had permission to hunt and fish a crazy number of farms there. Guy next door was the town banker for as long as I can remember. After years of watching me suffer luggi g that steel receiver 870 around, my uncle let me use his Betetta 20 gauge. It was light a s a feather. Later he introduced me to the 28 Ga and it was feather light compared to taut old beast of an 870. Yep that’s my area. I’m outside of Caney. |
| I’m seeing and hearing increased populations here in central VA. |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.