I grew up hunting quail (and squirrel, rabbit, and dove) in Arkansas. Got into GSPs after I moved to MO and hunted quail and pheasant hard several years. I worked 12 hour shift work for awhile and got a lot of hunting in both MO and KS. Had some really good hunts in both states.
As the numbers declined in both states, and as my wife's knees made trekking through the fields less tolerable for her, I finally stopped upland bird hunting maybe 15 years ago, and lost my last bird dog about 7 years after that. Deer and turkey here in mid-MO and an elk trip very occasionally out west have been the extent of my hunting since.
I did go up to the northeast corner of MT last fall with an old bird hunting buddy of mine who still has dogs, and some of his dog training/hunting friends. Hunted the week before the pheasant opener, and had a blast hunting Sharpies and Huns, for the first time ever. Ended up with 8 Sharpies and 9 huns and if I could have shot half like I should've it could have easily been twice that. Good birds, good dogs, good friends hard to beat.
Upland bird hunting behind good dogs with decent bird numbers is far and away the most enjoyable for me. Not to mention the awesome cardio workout you get tromping behind the dogs.
