Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Habitat improvement

Our upland bird season was great this year. I noticed quail hunting was extremely good in my one spot so decided to look carefully at the habitat. Cattle are heavily grazed in this area and I noticed alfalfa growing along the stream edges. <P>I hunted a second stream bottom that appeared similar but without alfalfa and didn't see a bird. <P>My spring time outing will include a bad of alfalfa seed to "spill" into the steam. A couple of pounds should go a long way towards habitat improvement. <P>Do any of the other board members have better ideas?

Hi Boise:<P>Out here in the SW, it seems like everything revolves around water!<P>A good rain year equals a good hatch equals lots of water sources equals lots of quail during the season. A bad rain year means the opposite.<P>Around here, we're experimenting with water tanks in more remote areas. Doesn't do much for feed, but we're trying to develop coveys in desert areas that formerly didn't have a regular water source. Problem is, water also brings predators.<P>Quail shooting was OK this year. Last year was much better. I'm hoping for a good hatch this year, as I have a Springer pup that will be 15 months old come September. I can't wait to hunt quail behind him and I really hope I can expose him to a lot of birds his first hunting season.<P>Do you hunt behind dogs?<P>Rick Bin

RicBin - OOOPPPS sorry about not looking back at this topic sooner. (Never want to tick off the "administrator") <IMG SRC="https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubb/images/icons/blush.gif"> I hunt over my 2 1/2 year female GWP. She is a real pleasure to have in the field and she represents everything I value in a hunting companion. After all my years of dog training I finally have what I like. Bird sign in my area is also limited by water but feed also plays an important part. <P>Wore out a perfectly good male Springer in my younger days and it only took 8 years. He developed arthiritis but never lost the desire to hunt. He was pretty good on the pheasants but the dry hot desert was too much for him. Most likely the fault was mine and I should have carried more water for him. Best retriever of all the dogs I've owned.<P>F&G have put in some guzzlers but the ones I saw had been trampled by cattle or burnt up in fires. <P>Quail hunting was wonderful this year. Good enough to allow for time to stand and watch the covey break from the cover and not shoot. It adds a special feeling to stand there and have a large covey zipping past on both sides of you, dog on point, and both tubes full! Of course we hunt down the broken up covey and blast them.<P>Late season chukar hunting was like a dream and my dog was working wonders. She made a retrieve down a steep hill side (more like a canyon wall!) and dropped the bird at my feet but it started to tumbled and rolled all the way to the bottom again. Without any resistance she released on the fetch command, climbed to the bottom, and carried the bird back to me although this time she made sure to put the bird in my hand. What more can a dog owner ask for? <IMG SRC="https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubb/images/icons/cool.gif"> Boise