Strong flying quail raised right are great for bird dog training and tuning them up for wild bird hunting. We got a preserve license for the old Governor Dewey estate in Pawling years ago for that purpose. I don't put pheasants or chucker out, just quail to work a young dog with. I don't train my own dogs but the birds help me tune them up and correct small mistakes. Now that I'm back in town permanently, we are going to plant milo plots in the spring for the wild pheasants and to hold over some quail. I'll work my new setter on quail after the grouse season and then send her out for a couple of months to finish her. She needs work on her retrieving and holding steady to wing and shot and backing. I like my bird dogs to be totally finished.
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