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Cost of a Guided Quail Hunt
The price for an affordable Quail hunt runs between $200 and $1,000, with both full-day and half-day hunts, depending on location, amenities and number of birds released. This usually includes bird dogs. Multi-day and weekend hunting trips will cost a bit more.
Orvis-Endorsed and Beretta Trident Bird Hunting and Wing-shooting Lodges
For luxury upland bird hunting adventures, try quail hunts at an Orvis-endorsed Wingshooting Lodge or Beretta Trident Hunting Ranch.
Quail Hunting Season
The typical hunting season runs between October and February.
Hunting Quail with dogs
The Texas Bobwhite, also known as the Quail or Partridge, is one of the most popular upland game birds in Texas. Quail travel on the ground, in a tight little family unit called a Quail Covey. Typically, the birds stay on the ground and only fly when pressed. If theyre threatened, theyll run before flying in many cases. The different species also react differently, changing how you should hunt them, with some freezing and others soaring quickly into the air. Some hunters can locate quails by listening to them communicate with each other. They use cackles, grunts and high-pitched sounds to talk to each other. Most Texas guides use trained dogs that flush the quail out of hiding and into the air, so you can get a clean shot.
During the holiday season, Quail Hunts make a great family outing, for even inexperienced hunters. Quail hunting season runs from Oct. to Feb., depending on location, and you can hunt Quail in every county in Texas, from desert to woodlands to fields. Bird dogs are highly recommended.
Physical Characteristics
The quail, also known as the bobwhite, is a relatively small bird, reaching from 4.5 to 7.8 inches long. It usually weighs between 2.4 and 4.9 ounces. Quails have a generally dull but sometimes colorful coat, with black, brown, gray, white and blue feathers. The patterns sometimes resemble scales. Some quails have a topknot or a plume on the top of the birds head, and it looks like a teardrop. As the bird walks and bobs its head, this topknot bobs as well.
One way to identify the bird is by looking for the crest on the quails head. A male will also sport a white stripe on the throat and another across the brow. These stand out against the gray and brown mottled wings. The beak, likewise, is brown. On the whole, an adult quail is stocky and chunky, a good bird to hunt for meat which is flavorful and tender.
Origin, Native Habitat and Countries
Quail and bobwhites are native to North America. These have also spread out into Asia, Europe, Africa, South America and even Australia. There are 32 species in the modern era. These are differentiated on a basis of color, size, and preferred habitats. If possible, the quail prefers slightly open areas with grasses and bushes, but also live in woodland areas and forests, hiding in the underbrush.
The local weather influences the availability of natural Quail. During a drought, the quail population will naturally decrease. In those cases, many Hunting Ranches will raise Quail specifically for hunting. When you arrive on-site, they release the Quail when and where you need them.
Behavior/Social Characteristics
While some quails and bobwhites will migrate, other species do not. They live in large flocks when the mating season rolls around, but they tend to be pretty solitary the rest of the year, living alone or in pairs. The quail eats mostly plants, focusing on leaves, seeds, wheat, berries, and barley. However, it will also eat both worms and grasshoppers. The quail also has heel spurs, and it can fight some smaller predators with them.