Blooding a New Gun

[mobirdhunter]

Thanks for the comments. Craig is so right, too few days for so many things.

Jerry is referring to the old Virginia game law prohibiting hunting quail in the snow. Although I don't recall the details, the law specified a percentage of the ground that must be snow covered for the law to kick in. Snow was deemed an unfair advantage for the hunter. It was indeed a crap shoot to try to figure out if it was legal to hunt on any given snow day. The good news is that it did not snow very much.

When my father would visit us in Missouri and we would hunt quail in the snow he was forever asking if we were "legal." I don't think I ever convinced him.

For those of you who have hunted wild Bobs in the snow, you know there is nothing easy about it...but it is different. Depending on the snow depths, quality of the snow, and other weather conditions, it can be hard on both man and dog (especially the dog's feet). Yes, seeing tracks is a plus, but snow Bobs act in even more unpredictable ways, flushing wild, burying deep in snow (hard to scent), and flushing into trees (if you think shooting a grouse that rockets out of a tree is a tough shot, the small bullets that quail flushing from a cedar seem to be are exponentially more difficult to hit). I dislike hunting in snow. Aspen's injury is an example of the perils to dogs.

But anymore I feel hunting days to be a gift, and I want to take advantage of the time that's given to me, Elaine and my dogs. I know it's the same for many of you who love following dogs after those wonderful wild birds...in places that make you stop to admire.

[J. A. EARLY]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

Beautiful Fox Gary and as always great pics.

Jerry... What is the reference to hunting in the snow about??

Virginia law did not allow hunting quail in the snow. Probably several reasons. Road hunters would find coveys huddled up under a tree and shoot into the covey to kill as many as possible. And also because in deep snows bobwhites had a hard enough time trying to survive that the DGIF did not want the coveys scattered and unable to get together. That was the law for the longest time. Then after all the quail were gone they changed the law!

From Al Gore's Internet: Yes, you can hunt quail in the snow in Virginia, and it's often a productive time as birds concentrate in thick cover for warmth and food, but hunting is better with light snow or during a thaw rather than deep, harsh conditions, focusing on good habitat with escape cover like thickets and vine tangles. Virginia DWR historically restricted snow hunting but lifted it for quail in 1995, making it legal and a strategic time for hunters who understand the birds' behavior in winter.

I did not see the other replies on the snow topic until I had answered.