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Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1146

The March-April issue of Shooting Sportsman has a Mearnes Quail article by our favorite outdoor writer, WyoChukar. Just got the issue and thumbing through it in a spare moment I saw Rusty with a Mearnes Quail in his mouth and turned back a page and sure enough the author was Garhart Stephenson. Now I gotta find time to read it.

Riflemeister,

Me also, nice picture of Rusty and the means Quail in his mouth! That particular area among the scrub Oak looked mighty familiar also.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Gentlemen,

As usual a good article from Gerhart in the Shooting Sportsman Magazine on Mearns Quail hunting, IMO he does give a little to much pertinent info on Mearns Quail hunting.
Especially about the different location habitat, for the Mearns Quail Covey habitat. He is definitely correct and, it usually takes a Mearns Quail hunter many years to figure out, what he has related in his article.

As usual very good info on Mearns Quail hunting! Good picture of Rusty also.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1146

One thing he didn't mention that I ran into on Mearne's quail, was the propensity to get a partial covey flush on first attempt, shoot and retrieve and then being able to go back and get up several more birds from the original location. Never ran into that with other quail.

Riflemeister,

Yes and there are several other things he left out, and I am grateful that he did.
His knowledge on Mearns Quail hunting has become quite large, you can tell this just from his latest article, real nice job! Lets hope he stays away from writing on Grouse & Woodcock hunting, for a while at least.

One of the big disciplines I have learned about Mearns Quail & Grouse hunting is to always reload immediately after expending both shells, failure to due this causes the loss of late close flushing birds, of both kinds. Wild birds act differently all the time, its how they stay alive. Nothing makes a sportsman feel more foolish than standing with an empty gun, with wild birds flushing all around him. Mearns Quail & Grouse/Woodcock hunting are disciplined sports, the more a sportsman hunts the more educated he becomes, if he pays attention to what is really going on.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 494 Location: South Eastern PA

Dave, ditto for woodcock during the migration. The coverts that I have hit year after year can hold an amazing number of birds if you hit it just right.

ROMAC,

Real nice Woodcock sir, and beautiful Fox double gun! Always reload quickly when Woodcock hunting, many times there are stragglers that the gun shot spooks into flight. Those Woodcock are great birds to gun, I have a buddy, Capt Denny Boyce, retired US Coast Guard, who loves gunning and eating them even more than Grouse. Foolish sportsman that he is!
Never give away any of your Woodcock Coverts, God only makes so many, they are just fantastic!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Great to have Grouse & Woodcock in the same Covert, one of Gods greatest gifts to a sportsman, especially if he owns an fine old LeFever double gun. 3 Woodcock and a Grouse, one fine evening, over great gun dog work. I have been raised to only shoot what we can eat, for dinner each time we hunt.