I guess I've become pretty much a quail hunter. We call ours Valley Quail around here. I've got a couple of places close to the house where I can always find a covey or two, and going out with my best friend, Gunner and shooting about six quail is just about like heaven for both of us.
Gunner is a German Wirehair Pointer, but he doesn't realize it. Our latest favorite shotgun is a sweet little 20 ga. Ithaca (SKB) 200E side by side. I'd like to think that between the highly pedigreed European bird dog and the eye catching side by side that we look natty and sophisticated, but opinions may vary.
We used to have a good pheasant population around here, but for whatever reason, they have pretty much disappeared.
Every so often when I''m feeling flush, we'll go out to a pay-to-go hunt club where you buy what you're going to shoot, and they go plant them for you and turn ya loose.
It's not quite like hunting, but Gunner doesn't know the difference (or care) and the birds taste pretty good when it's all over. Some of them actually give us the slip, and that hurts after having paid 15 or 20 bucks for them.
Later Dudes.
jd