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wellshooter
PostPosted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:31 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Feb 2014
Posts: 325
Location: West Texas

skeettx wrote:
Very Happy

There is NO BLM land in Texas

https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/socioeconomic/activities/recreation.html


In a way there is or at least was. In 1845 when Texas applied for statehood it's boundaries extended north to the Arkansas River and westward and north to the headwaters of the Rio Grande. The "panhandle" extended northward into present day Wyoming.

At the behest of Andrew Jackson Congress "loaned" the Republic of Texas 2 million US dollars in 1836. Sam Houston, the hero of San Jacinto was the newly elected President of the Republic. His administration of the Republic though was horrible and the 2 million dollars evaporated. Some of it was believed to have been stolen by the comptroller but it was never proven and never found. BTW my brother now owns the land that was that comptroller's ranch in 1845. But no gold has been found, yet.

Congress went into a tizzy over the loan. The Republic was flat broke and could not pay it's bills. Congress agreed to an exchange of land in lieu of cash for the debt. So Texas' borders were redrawn to reflect the exchange. The land was redivided into territories and eventually most of it wound up being managed by the BLM.

All the remaining unsettled land was reserved to the State of Texas. The state sold some and encouraged settlement with a land program. Some large tracts that nobody wanted were bequeathed to the University of Texas and Texas A&M University. Both Universities still own and administer large tracts containing thousands of square miles of semi-desert. It was worthless land, until oil was found under it.

Sorry I got carried away. Has nothing to do with the original thread.

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PIOBill
PostPosted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:51 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 21 Sep 2013
Posts: 136
Location: Fort Worth, TX

Around Midland the hunting should be predominately Scaled Quail. The last two winters have been mild and wet and the populations have grown. Good Hunting!

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3crosses
PostPosted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 12:01 pm  Reply with quote
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Let me start off with I was born and raised in Texas sometime during the middle of the last century. As a kid I was able to ask and get permission to hunt anywhere I asked. Texas is no longer that way. It takes money to hunt Texas now. Cattle is no longer King. But, Texas is not the only place where it takes money to hunt. Try hunting hunting Mr. Bob in Alabama or Georgia. The land owners in the eastern part of New Mexico are beginning to lease their land too. It is just the times we are in. But, if a land owner is willing and able to manage his land for wildlife, then they should be able to lease for access to the wildlife. Yes, I understand the wildlife belongs to us. But access belongs to them. So, I end up hunting public land in NM and if you are willing to walk, there are places of solitude with plenty of birds (quail). Dove hunting is a different matter. We have so many, most land owners are anxious to get someone to shoot some. At least here.
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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 7:04 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Eastern New Mexico quail lease? Are you kidding?! There is more public land than most people can walk and there are just as many scalies there as on private land. Bobs are scarce enough that I can't imagine anyone being willing to lease for those. I can't imagine that will get very far.

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 7:07 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
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Location: Hudson,Wy

I have a proposal. We allow them to graze their cattle on our BLM land for $2.11 per animal unit month (animal unit: 1000 lb. heifer and her calf). It seems fair enough to pay $2.11 per hunter/ dog unit month. Laughing

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cowdoc87
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 7:24 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 20 Jun 2006
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Location: Kelso, Tennessee

I got back today- 998 miles one way to the front gate. Scaled and Bobs were abundant and it was great to get to hunt with the boy, see the pup soak in her first shot at wild quail ( and cactus), make new friends, and see and learn about new country. We hunted four days, and the pup loved it, but was one tired kid, and slept all the way home- she wasn't much of a co-pilot. It was wonderful and checked off a lifelong dream- a West Texas quail hunt. Thanks for everybody's input.
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i reckon so. I guess we all died a little in that damn war.
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wellshooter
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 7:47 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Feb 2014
Posts: 325
Location: West Texas

Great photos, thanks for sharing.

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3- 16 ga. Remington M 31's
16 ga. Ithaca M 37 Featherlight
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Gil S
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 4:44 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 04 Mar 2008
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Location: Lowcountry Ga.

Great photos, Alan. And it is nice to see a Lab from TN take fashion risks and wear UGA colors, red and black. Gil
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double vision
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 4:52 am  Reply with quote
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Great adventure, Cowdoc! Thanks for sharing.
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cowdoc87
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 4:53 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 20 Jun 2006
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Location: Kelso, Tennessee

Gil S wrote:
Great photos, Alan. And it is nice to see a Lab from TN take fashion risks and wear UGA colors, red and black. Gil

You can call it anything but tide "crimson".
We eventually added a light wrap under them and gorilla tape over them to try to slow the prickly pear down a little. Rough country.

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i reckon so. I guess we all died a little in that damn war.
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wellshooter
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:22 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 03 Feb 2014
Posts: 325
Location: West Texas

Yep hard on a dog. I was raised in that "rough country" called the Trans Pecos. A family friend brought his dog out from South Texas once. He said never again and from then on he hunted without. Hunting quail was free with landowner permission in those days, as previously mentioned.

Cover is sparse, cactus is thick, and we never hunted with dogs. We just depended on our eyesight to find, down, and recover the birds. Scaled quail mostly where I am from (we called them blue quail), and they can run on the ground like Usain Bolt. You have to be in good physical shape to chase them down.

Memories....

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16 - The only "True" gauge

16 ga. Citori White Lightning
3- 16 ga. Remington M 31's
16 ga. Ithaca M 37 Featherlight
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Old16ga
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:00 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 31 Jan 2007
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cowdoc87 wrote:
My son is working near Midland Texas and wondered if any of you guys know of the quail possibilities in the area? I'd like to drive out and get him in some birds. Thanks in advance. Alan


Sounds like fun times. I was born in West Texas and often heard my Dad talk about hunting "blue" quail (scaled quail). My formative years were in Mississippi, so when I finished college, I took an opportunity to rediscover my early roots and took my first job in Hobbs, NM, about 90 miles from Midland, TX. NM seemed to have endless sections of public land, so I got a chance to walk pipelines and lease roads, chasing scaled quail and hunting doves around "tanks" (ponds) and "buffalo wallows" (sinkholes). I miss those days. Lots of game and wide open spaces. Hopefully, you and your son will have many more opportunities out there.

Oh, and by the way, I can supply you some crimson & white booties for your Lab on your next trip out! Wink

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 9:54 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

I hunted Hobbs area last year and have visited off and on for quite some time. It is still what you remember.

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cowdoc87
PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 5:50 am  Reply with quote
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Location: Kelso, Tennessee

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Just got back from another whirlwind jaunt. Still lots of birds, and the pup is learning to avoid the cactus, when possible, and tracked a few of the running cripples we'd never found without her. Not a traditional bird dog, but she loves it.

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