The Future Looks Good, for now

We're finally getting some birds back in Oklahoma, those little brown ones that make you poop your pants walking in to a deer stand at five AM. There's a lot of theories out there about why we lost most of our quail, and to be honest I don't know if any of them hold water. Kansas didn't seem to lose theirs. But the numbers in Oklahoma made hunting very tough. Most people that I know that had dogs don't have them any more. And most upland bird hunters went to western Oklahoma or Kansas and hunted pheasants or hunted a lot of pen raised birds on private lands. Did it myself a few times with Hombre and we had some fun and Hombre worked his dog. But its more like a shoot than a hunt even though those trips were fun.

Oklahoma adopted a Kansas-like walk in hunting and fishing area plan and they're already enrolling a lot of land. Kansas has over a million acres available to hunters and fishermen that otherwise wouldn't be available to the public. Maybe some day we can too.

Anyway, I might have to limber up the old legs and do some walking this fall to see if I can find a covey or two.

Kelly Bostian: Quail season 2015 holds all kinds of promise

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagela...e34c90f02.html

(Sent from Tulsa World)

That's good news Posthole. When I was a kid, quail hunting and coon hunting were the only two kinds of hunting my dad did. I walked a gillizon miles behind quail dogs and would pick up those old paper hulls after he shot and would smell them till I got a headache. I guess that where I got the "gun powder" addiction!
Just last week I took Dad down to the farm and as we were on the driveway a small covey of about 8 to 10 birds got up and set their winds and glided off the driveway. I saw a smile and twinkle in his eye as he watched them.
Like you they have been gone from here for many years. But we are now beginning to see a covey or two on the farm.
I love hearing them and still jump like I did as a kid when an unsuspecting covey bolts up from under my feet!

I need a chance to show off my awesome wingshooting skills!

Hahahaha.....not.

It would be nice to hunt again with my old 20 ga 870 Express.

BKB

I'd love to do more upland game hunting in general. It seems like our golden age of deer hunting has made it an after thought for many. I miss the more social aspect of that type of hunting.

Agreed! I'm gonna get in touch with Mallard and see if I can't shoot at a few ducks with him this season. Of all the duck hunting I've done probably 90% of it was probably done with him. Poor guy.

BKB

With a name like Mallard ... ya' think he really wants to be around a bunch'a crazy duck hunters with shotguns? ;)