Colorado Scaled Quail
 

Numbers seem low on the T Cross Quarter Horse Ranch compared to past years but we still found a few and had great dog work. Love this time of year. Can’t wait to get back at em on Thursday.

You know you’ve gotta go even if it’s only one covey of scalies you're gonna find...

Miles and miles of great scaled quail habitat on the T Cross. My 11 Y/O English Setter Gretchen has permanent neuromuscular damage to her tail...she never recovered from limber tail syndrome. Thank heavens her nose isn’t affected as she’s the best scaled quail dog I've ever hunted with.

Nice to see somebody hunting in this part of the state.

Ken

Thanks for the pics. Great hunt. Maybe I need to add scaled quail to the bucket list.

Is that the 4E Ithaca you are shooting? My old setter Shiner( deceased) developed what I always thought was limber tail and never recovered. His daughter Betty, has now gone from a beautiful 45 degree tail, to it hanging straight down--she will also sit down on point if it takes me a while to get there, but still is very intense. She is about 13, and I really wonder whether she will be around for the next bird season.
What kind of temperatures are you hunting in out there, this time of year?

Hello Harold...

Yes that's my Ithaca 4E. Limber tail syndrome really bums me out! :banghead:

Honestly it's too warm right now...the snakes are still out. It was 71 on Saturday. It's gonna be 67 on Thursday. The 40's to 60's is typical for the Colorado prairie even in Jan.

Here’s Gretchen on scaled quail before limber tail syndrome

Went further south yesterday for scaled quail on the Colorado prairie. Windy and warm has been the theme thus far. Saw one rattler :crying:. Thank heavens the dogs were way out yonder. Cover is thick and the bird numbers seem down from last year even though the game and fish is saying the opposite. We found 5 coveys. Good day

I like your setters and your Ithaca guns! Thanks for posting.

My now deceased setter developed geriatric vestibular syndrome at 12. After that he lost his tail. He went from a high poker straight tail to a curved horizontal position. His points were still intense though. It is tough to see them decline.

Gary, Betty lost her tail last year also, and she had a bout with the geriatric vestibular disease prior to that hunting season in September 2016. I thought she had had a stroke when it first happened. Shawn may know if there is any correlation between the two syndromes.

Harold...I'm not aware of any syndrome or correlation between the two. It's probably coincidental.

Went out to a new spot on Saturday and the dogs and I found 11 coveys. Gorgeous day in Colorado

this was a great hunt for sure...charlie

Are those the Twin Peaks in the background of the last picture? Looks like you may be out in the Purgatoire. Nice country.

Exactly...and I'm not far from the Purgatoire

Co scaled quail
 

Shawn I hope we will hook up one day and hunt together. I'm headed to Carlsbad NM for my 2nd year scaled quail hunt. last year was great Mark Vollinger and I bagged 30 quail first day after 14.7 mile walk. Great relatively easy walking country lots of birds. This year supposed to be as good. Like your Ithaca too I'm taking my #4 16 ga. to a dealer next week to maybe trade. This yer I'm toting my new /old VHE 28 and a Francotte 20 ga 20E that's lighting quick. Maybe a Parker 16 for backup.

David, 4E Ithacas are great!! I have a nice one, and shoot it better than most of my other guns.

David I heard from someone last week down there that there are great quail numbers. I'm gonna get down there this year too but not sure just when.

Those scaled quail are beautiful birds. You guys had a great hunt.