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I just finished a wonderful weekend of bird hunting and thought I would share the stories. Berlin, my 3 1/2 year old GWP and I headed north of Emmett to a ranch we normally hunt. We had hunted this ranch earlier in the season and seen more than a hundred quail so figured it was worth another trip.<p>No reason to start hunting too early so we arrived at 10:30 and opened the truck door to the sound of valley quail calling, and they were close. By her level of agitation I could tell Berlin already knew where they were so decided to leave her in the crate until I was all suited up and loaded. The five does standing at 150 yds were startled at the sound of the dogs claws doing their best to grab traction on the trucks plastic bed liner. <p>The birds were talkative and excited about our arrival. A spring bubbles up in the middle of a flat area and flows through a stand of large locust trees. The big attaction for these birds is the fresh green sprouts growing along the waters edge. <p>The birds jumped wild at our approach although some flew close past us. The sound of the birds and their shear number made my jaw drop and paralized me for a second. The covey was close to a hundred birds and the vast majority flew and then landed in the draw we were planning to hunt. Of course Berlin is now in hyper drive and she has taught me it is not much good to try and rein her in at this moment. She blast up above the birds and downwind and immediately goes on point. Oh boy, a late bird and 20 yards to any cover. I begin to move into the point when I see a quail scoot from one sage brush to the next and then again to the next bush. During the second sprint you could see the left wing hanging a little low and unnatural, it was a broken wing. Berlin is still doing the statue imitation when I holler, "Dead bird....Fetch". She must have also seen the bird and broke directly for it and after a 5-10 second chase she fetched the bird.<p>The creek was only a hundred yards away and I knew it was full of quail, of course Berlin also knew where they were. There were so many birds that I decided to only shoot birds held to point and males only. It made for better sport to sex the birds ahead of time; while looking down the barrel of a 20 ga. O/U. After collecting 7 males and one female (we all make mistakes!), we started heading back towards the truck. Less than five minutes later we reached the limit of 10 birds. <p>Berlin picked up sent in a dry wash leading away from the creek. It is a favorite trick of our pheasants to move up these draws so I followed the determined dog up the draw. After 200 yards and a couple of false points she locked up solid. I had already agreed not to shoot pheasants on this ranch due to the low number of birds but couldn't help swinging on the bird and hollering bang. Berlin gave me that quizical look like I had lost my mind and went back to work. <p>We made it back to the truck in less than two hours after seeing a ton of birds, only shooting singles, and not loosing a single bird. It appears all of the birds in the surrounding hills had moved down into the creek and as we followed the singles we jumped additional large coveys. <p>The bright sunny day was all as good as Idaho quail hunting gets! Rick

sounds like you had a great hunt.....and a good story to tell years after.......

Since Saturday was so much fun we decided to go again on Sunday. I invited along a friend and his two Springers. Of course I wasn't foolish enough to take them to my HOT spot so we decided to hunt just below the reservior located out of town. The road across the dam has been gated and locked since Sept. 11 and I figured we would have the area to ourselves. We crossed the river in an inflatable boat and started towards the dam. We had only walked a 100 yards when his dogs jumped a covey of about 25 valley quail. <p>Of course the birds circled around the point and headed for a small creek. After the previous day I figured the birds would hold in the creek bottom. A short distance later Berlin goes on point and I can see the quail milling around in the bottom. Holding out for males only and only those held to point extended our hunt but it was less than an hour before we decided to climb out of the draw and look for chuckar. I had four birds and was disappointed about loosing a fifth that we never located.<p>As we climb out of the draw we look back towards the dam and see a car parked on the other side of the "RESTRICTED" sign. My partner had his binoculars and could see someone sitting in the car. The car had police lights across the top and an emblem on the door although it did not appear to be a sherriff's or state police car. When we reached the top of our ridge we saw an old road/trail with a gate holding six signs. The signs were all facing away from us so we climbed over and got educated. Yep, we were in the restricted area, no wonder the hunting was so good.<p>We decided we were busted so continued along with our hunt. I picked up a pair of Huns off a nice point and my partner collect two chuckars flushed up by his Springers. <p>We just knew the authorities would be waiting for us and headed back towards the rig. From the top of the ridge looking down over the river we couldn't see anyone around our vehicle and decided to extend our hunt even longer. <p>I stayed low along the rivers edge and it wasn't long before Berlin located another nice covey of quail. They were in a big brush pile and just boiled out leaving me with two empty barrels and no fetching necessary. Some of the birds fly toward my partner and some how along the way turn into chukars because he drops one. He sees where the covey lands and gives chase. I stay in the bottom and play with the quail. Three more quail were reduced to possession bringing me to seven. <p>We were a little nervous approaching the rig with visions of trigger happy SWAT members watching through their scopes mounted on hair triggered assualt rifles just hoping we would twitch or move our shotguns in a threatning manner. Nope, no one there we had the area to ourselves. <p>If I keep eating all these birds I expect to have feathers by March!! Rick

well well......the truth comes out......so your the poacher we keep hearing tell about????ROFLMAO......ok you got my curiosity up Boise....where you hunting????you don't have to give up the exact location of your secret spot.....just tell me what state,county,section,township and range it's in and I'll go from there.......LOL......sounds like a great place......all I keep getting is pheasants.....11 last weekend.....I did buy 75 acres up the canyon that has a couple of covey's of quail of around 100 bird's each.....but....(ah the inevedable "but").......seem's that alot of other guy's that I don't know have gotten my permission to hunt my place and pretty much tuned them birds up real good...oh well if you get bored with eating them chuckar just send a few my way d:-)

Boise , I hunt the same area you do above Emmett. I think you might have been hunting Black Canyon resivor. There is also The Van Duesin ranch I Pass on the way to big Willow crk. That would be a great spot except I dont know the rancher . Ive drove buy and flushed many Pheasant that flew onto his property.
I have 2 new German short hair pups That got their first Chucker near big Willow . We also hunted over above Wieser toward steck park.
Have you hunted Chucker by the Owyhee Resivor?
Glad to here you got into some good Quail hunting.
Rick

GSP7 - I try to hunt different areas so have been to all the places you mentioned. For a number of years, I would purchase an Oregon liscense since I wouldn't have to follow the game laws being from out of state and all. LOL<p>The Van Whoosin ranch, sorry don't know where you're talking about. All along the Payette drainage can be pretty good. It all depends on what has and has not been burned.<p>I've tried getting onto the Willow Cr. drainage but found the areas I liked to be tied up by hunting clubs. If your willing to trade spots, I'll put you on some quail for Willow Cr. access!!<p>BirdDawg - It's my story and I get to tell them however I like. Knowing this stuff won't hold up in a court of law: "No your honor, I don't always lock my keyboard and BirdDawg musta wrote the story...bla,bla,bla." [img]images/icons/tongue.gif" border="0[/img]

Hey Boise, BirdDawg is a one of those Californians. no affence BirdDawg.

one of those californians????? you mean the ones with the 5 blonde beach babes hanging all over them????....LOL.....well Boise I think GSP7 is one of those goobers from Idaho....ROFLMAO......now I know you guys aren't going to tell me the where abouts of all these bird's but at least tell me this.....here in *AHEM* California if you want chuckar you have to climb to the top of the mountian....take a shot at them and then watch them fly 2 mountains over....I hear tell that out in the desert it's not so bad.....how's the terrain where you hunt?

You guys are killing me. Middleton boy stuck in Chicago for the last ten years.<p>I spent all of September and most of October for the last few fall seasons desert ratting around southern Idaho & over into Oregon for chukar, quail, a few sage grouse, and a few deer. A few fish in the Owyhee, too. It's always the best time of the year for me.<p>My hunting is over for awhile, though: I volunteered for the airborne infantry for the next three years, starting in February, before I get too old to enlist. Maybe will be hunting for a different species next fall. You guys leave a few birds pecking around for when I get out, will ya? Justin

Chicago?????BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR........well JustinH.....gonna be airborne infantry huh??? got tired of being the hunter and now going to be the hunted...LOL.....J/K......well hopefully this war will be over before you have to go.....but if you happen to see Bin Laden.....put a hole in his butt for me......awwww heck I'm feeling rather giving this year....go ahead and put 2 holes in his butt.....LOL....well take care and watch your back.....I'll save you a bird or two......

BirdDawg, Quote: "BRRRR" bla bla bla . Tipical californian. Those california women hanging on you have their hands on your wallet,they are all materialistic ,P.E.T.A., city chicks . Id rather have a few bird dogs ,couple horses ,gun cabnet full of nice guns and a sweet goodlooking Idaho country girl than one of those snoty california girls.
Idaho terrain makes California look like a ant hill.
Our mountains and canyons are 20 times bigger than your california . Our chucker are 3 times as big as yours .And california trout , how big , 10" 10oz . We have real fish here 20,40 50 lbs.
I here you californians cant handle any weather below 80 degree. Thought you Candy A** californians are to buzy sittin in your jacuzzis to do any hunting and fishing.LOL<p>
LOL

WHA???HUH???WHA???so thats where all my money went!!!!!ROFLMAO......and you got to admit there's nothing better than hunting out of your jacuzzi......but I can see why a spud picker like you would think California girls are snotty....but I'll admit that once you shave all the hair off those nuckle draggin Idaho country girls,they are cute in an ugly sorta way....ROFL....(ummm.....if there are any Idaho girls reading this I'm just joking).......but maybe if I can manage to get out of this jacuzzi I might come up there and try my luck at those 30# chuckar.....LOL.....