[mobirdhunter]

Ed, Thanks for your comments. We had yet another round of snow and freezing rain, and the temperatures have plummeted to 0 while the wind has blown upwards of 40 MPH. Those crusted and ice conditions can cut a dog's feet, and they are too life threatening for quail for me to want to flush a covey. The Iowa season ends on January 31st, so we are hoping for some change in conditions that would allow us to get out several more times before then. Alder and Aspen are going stir crazy, but it's even too cold to be out with them more than a half hour or so at a time.

This kind of weather is what wood stoves and fireplaces are made for! I'm sure Cash won't hold it against you if you wait for better conditions.

BTW, hunting wild quail in the snow presents some interesting changes in their habits. It is not uncommon for birds to flush into trees, and there are are other times that they bury so deeply into the snow that it's difficult to flush them. I have on occasion kicked and kicked in front of the dog without flushing a bird only to have the dog get disgusted with my efforts and reach in and pick up the bird for me. But a quail roosted in the top of a cedar tree is impossible to see, and when they flush, nearly impossible to hit. They are interesting and adaptable little birds. We do not hunt them if the weather is such that breaking up a covey might cause them to not get back together before nightfall. Iowa restricts hunting to end at 4:30 pm. We practice that closing time whenever and wherever we hunt quail in very cold and/or snowy conditions.

I've had dogs point birds still on the roost in snowy conditions. That's a sight to see the birds all huddled together, some actually sitting on top of another bird for warmth. Seeing birds on the ground in front of a point is a sure recipe for disastrous shooting!

Good luck with your planned outings. Go when you can.