This morning I saw a large hawk with a dead crow and 2 other crows chaseing him as he flew away. I too have always heard it said that the quail numbers did reach a max every 10 years. I am sure that the quail has evolved over the years in their reactions. 40 ago years I remember seeing them fly a short distance set their wings and go down but over the years they will now fly a quarter of a mile or more. I once flushed a covey in some cleared land that went out of sight over a distant hill and as I followed them I met a dear hunter and ask if he saw them come over the hill. He said yes. I asked where they went down and he said they didn't they were still going when they went out of sight over the next hill. I saw a rabbit while rabbit hunting with dogs in South Georgia come out in a field edge and run several hundred yards before going back in the brush. I think mabe that was how he had survived the coyotes. They don't seem to run in small circles anymore.
I have decided to give up trying to hunt wild quail. Yesterday I sold Scooter to a hunting preserve. He will see more birds there in a day than he would in a year in the wild. It was sad for me but it will be much better for him. I will still shoot the crap out of doves and crows and anything else that I think might hurt the quail. Happy New Year Everyone. Gerald
