Full Transcript for Episode #86 Comparing Notes On Covey Cover And Dog Work In A Greener Desert with Kirby Bristow

I think that's a good one. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:23.760 And if I could if I could have those two hours back, the afternoon hunt did not go as well. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:28.960 I moved to a different spot and shouldn't have moved, but uh but anyhow, yeah, had a good time. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:31.520 Any time out with the dogs is is fun. 00:03:31.760 --> 00:03:42.400 But uh yeah, got some good dog work and and found plenty of birds and some of them were some of them were well behaved and some weren't. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:43.920 So yeah. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:54.400 Yeah, I mean for me, uh gosh, I'm trying to see if I can pull up my map and see how many miles I I hiked around. 00:03:54.640 --> 00:03:57.200 Um it was some pretty country. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:05.760 I mean, like I said, the the the desert just looks like it's to it's brought life. 00:04:05.920 --> 00:04:08.319 I mean, it is it's got so much vegetation. 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:27.839 I mean, you've got layers of uh just habitat there, you know, from so you see all that fillery all over the ground, and then that uh the grass and then some of these uh small cacti and then shrubs, and gosh, it just looks so good. 00:04:28.159 --> 00:04:30.879 I I hunted just a few hours. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:44.399 I I can't I can't pull up exactly how many miles I went, but my dog did about 15, so I probably did about six, five or six, would be my guess, somewhere around there. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:52.720 Um and I bumped into I want to say three cuffees, and I'm with you, Kirby. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:54.400 I shot terrible today. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:01.600 I I should have had six birds easy in my bag, easy, and I have two. 00:05:01.840 --> 00:05:07.600 So I I mean, I hit two, knocked them down, couldn't find them. 00:05:07.840 --> 00:05:15.120 Just it, and I'll say the ground cover is harder to find birds right now, because I mean, is it there's a lot down there? 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:40.000 So, yeah, one of the other things I noticed was um, and I this is some of this is speculation, but I had a couple of different times where the dogs were acting birdie for a long time, and then I finally we finally flushed the birds, and it's two or three birds, and um and they didn't get up all at once. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:54.879 There's one over here and two over here, and um and I kind of wonder if it's not a covey that's running and then just splitting up and the dogs are falling the main part and catch up. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:08.639 But there's been singles that have split off that we don't find because it's hard for me to believe that my dogs smelled three birds from 300 yards away, you know. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:15.920 That the birds were just sitting in one spot and there was only three of them, and the dogs went straight to them. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:21.360 It's just the way the dogs were behaving, it was kind of like a walking point for a long time. 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:25.840

How many of them how many dogs were you working with today? 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:27.519 Three, three actually. 00:06:27.840 --> 00:06:32.240 And that's not by choice, that's by circumstance. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:43.439 Um because I've got my sister's sedan, and I don't want to leave a dog in her the backseat of her car because when I get back, the backseat will be eaten. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:48.000 So I just tag them all at once, you know. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:48.959 There you go. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.840 Well, they're not gonna come they're not gonna complain. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:07:00.879 Yeah, generally I'll I'll hunt two at a time and I leave a dog back in the truck, and then for the afternoon I hunt at least I got one fresh dog, you know. 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:02.160 But but yeah. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:05.920 Well, that's when I've got a pickup truck with kennels in the back. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:11.360 And and you're supposed to get that pickup truck out of the shop next week, right? 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:14.800 Yep, and they've been telling me that for several weeks now. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:18.000 But anyway, one of these days. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:18.480 Yeah. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:27.840 So uh, but yeah, considering that um I've been challenged by where I can get with that car to hunt, I've I've had some decent hunts. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.240 I've I've had days when I got skunked too. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:32.879 Yeah, where found nothing, you know. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:36.560 But uh, but it's been like you said, the weather's been good. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:42.639 It's been moist, so I I feel like the dogs are doing better at finding birds. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:44.240 Did you did you get any? 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:45.840 I mean, because the cover's so good. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:54.560 Like I got my dog, I had my uh Happy pinned down a covey, and I got a shot off on the first flush, and which was really kind of cool. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:58.160 You know, I mean, it reminded me of like Bob White hunting or something. 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.400 I was like, wow, this is cool. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:04.959 I was like, no way, surely, surely we don't have the cubby pinned down right here. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:13.920 And then sure enough, I went up there and yeah, I've had some cubby rises over point, like they were like you don't expect that. 00:08:14.400 --> 00:08:17.280 On that, on that first point, on that first yeah, yeah. 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:19.199 Yeah, yeah, all of them. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.480 I I think it's I think it's just all the vegetation on the ground. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.360 They're they've got more cover to hide, and so they're gonna hold. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:35.519 So yeah, yeah, and I think um I feel like again, it could be where I'm hunting, but I feel like they're not flying long distances. 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:36.720 I would agree. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:40.480 Yeah, yeah. 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:42.000 I would say I'd say the same thing. 00:08:42.079 --> 00:08:43.840 I'm like, you you guys didn't go very far. 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:45.600 I mean, it was like 20, 30 yards. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:48.319 I was expecting 50, 60, 70, you know. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:52.639 Um some of them have been pretty elusive when they flush. 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:53.759 Oh man. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:09:07.439 Yeah, I've had someone flush and fly three feet off the ground for 300 yards, you're waiting for them to clear the dogs, and by the time they do that, they're behind the brush, and yeah, they don't make it easy. 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:08.239 That's funny. 00:09:08.319 --> 00:09:09.519 You had a bad shooting day. 00:09:09.599 --> 00:09:23.519 I had a really bad shooting day, and what made it worse is I like had it recorded, like I was recording on my meta glasses, and so I I just figured out how to like import all the videos into my phone just moments before the podcast. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:27.199 So I'll start airing some of the bloopers and and see. 00:09:27.359 --> 00:09:32.000 Like, but I would say like for me, it was a fantastic dog day, you know. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:47.519 Um, I mean, considering I was only out a few hours and then had, you know, at least I'd say four or five really nice points, and um, you know, and harvested two birds. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:50.319 You know, again, I should have had six. 00:09:50.479 --> 00:09:53.759 I mean, I really should have had at least six birds. 00:09:54.239 --> 00:10:00.639 And uh, and then one of the two birds in the bag were was uh juvenile. 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:06.959 So I'm curious on your end, like what the juvenile count has been for your typical day. 00:10:07.359 --> 00:10:10.559 Yeah, it's been about 50, 40, 50 percent. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:11.839 Okay, good. 00:10:12.479 --> 00:10:15.759 And uh so yeah, that's much better than last year. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:22.719 That's close to long-term average, and it's um it's not an excellent year. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.679 You know, an excellent year it would be 70, 80 percent. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:29.759 Yeah, but yeah, about about what we were expecting. 00:10:29.839 --> 00:10:33.919 We finally got some some uh reproduction at least. 00:10:34.239 --> 00:10:53.679 And uh and I feel like um with the conditions with the uh cooler weather and and moisture on the ground, I think um it'll probably just improve because dogs will be better able to find cubbies. 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:57.120 So most of the cubbies I'm finding. 00:10:57.359 --> 00:10:58.879 I haven't heard much talking. 00:10:58.959 --> 00:11:00.879 That's I haven't heard the birds calling. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:07.599 I haven't, you know heard birds calling from a distance and and found cubbies that way, just occasionally. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:09.519 Are you calling yourself though? 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:17.759 Are you

yeah, I call I call a lot, and and um I've had two cubbies that flushed when I called. 00:11:18.079 --> 00:11:18.639 What? 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:22.159 Yeah, they they were like imposter. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:28.079 I think they said, I told you that guy was bird hunting. 00:11:29.199 --> 00:11:30.159 Let's get out of here. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:36.319 Well, that's that's not very normal because both I mean most of the time those birds are pretty forgiving, you know. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:40.399 Like they don't they don't need much, they're pretty chatty little birds. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:50.719 Yeah, but they uh you know when they flush at the call is just as good as as answering, you know, because you're just trying to find them. 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:59.439 It's assuming you can mark them down when they flush, it's just as good as having them answer, but uh, but yeah, I had that happen twice now. 00:11:59.599 --> 00:12:23.039 And I've had it happen before, but yeah, but I you know, I I was in the last podcast I did, I was just telling the story how um, you know, how I went to one area that I'm pretty familiar with and hunted out um on these, you know, it's all public land, but they uh rent cattle ranchers, at least the state land or whatnot. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:27.919 And I was talking to one of the cattle ranchers and they were saying that there's just not as many birds there. 00:12:28.079 --> 00:12:41.519 I mean, but they said their their their pastures and and their um cattle grazing grounds and quail habitat, it looks as good as it's ever looked, you know, but they're just not as many birds. 00:12:41.679 --> 00:13:00.879 And and I kind of picked back up on that idea that you and I were talking about that the heat really could have had an impact on these birds because we had an average rainfall this last winter, and the rains were above average this monsoon season. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:06.319 And and so, but the heat was a record-level heat over the summer. 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:48.139 And the cattle ranchers said this is this is the cattle rancher, cattle ranchers said there was only one hatch in this area, and it was in they said May. 00:13:49.019 --> 00:13:51.500 Is when they said they saw the hatch. 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:58.299 And they they they expected multiple hatches. 00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:05.419 And I was just kind of like, wow, you know, these people are paying attention to to birds, you know. 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:10.539 Um so what do you what are your thoughts on all that? 00:14:11.340 --> 00:14:46.139 Well, I think um we had an average winner, um, gamble quail or the breeding success of gamble quail is is affected by the winter rains mostly, and then I think that heat can um can affect survival of the chicken and so you can have you can have a an outstanding winter and then have a very hot and dry summer, and uh and you won't have as high a 20% juveniles in the harvest as you would have expected if you'd had a

normal summer. 00:14:46.379 --> 00:14:57.980 So, anyways, um I think uh we rarely have I think I don't think we have population effects from multiple hatches. 00:14:58.299 --> 00:15:08.940 I know it happens, but um it usually what usually drives the total number of birds is the number of successful clutches. 00:15:09.740 --> 00:15:23.659 Um but it's usually just those that are successful in that first um breeding, which is May, which was the as the rancher was pointing out, that first hatch was in May. 00:15:23.980 --> 00:15:26.220 That's usually what drives the population. 00:15:26.539 --> 00:15:43.740 Um in the really banner years we have multiple clutches, but those don't occur enough and they aren't successful enough in terms of putting out more chicks on the ground to really have a a big impact on the numbers. 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:48.139 And so uh so yeah. 00:15:48.700 --> 00:16:17.899 Um if we'd have had a really good above average winter, um, then I would be a little bit shocked at what we're seeing now, but uh but I think uh I think we had an average winner, so we've got a average average uh uh gamble quail abundance and um and it's about half of them are juveniles, so yeah. 00:16:18.059 --> 00:16:21.179 So that's consistent with what I would have expected. 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:31.340 Um and I think the the uh the summer is gonna be pretty impacting the scale quail and and especially the Mern quail. 00:16:32.139 --> 00:16:38.620 Yeah, I'm curious, you know what's gonna happen with the Merns quail, you know. 00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:52.539 So I expect that we're gonna have high um percent juveniles and we'll have pretty good cubby sizes, but we might we might not have as many cubbies as you would in a really good year. 00:16:52.779 --> 00:17:00.700 Yeah it might it might be uh um a long time between cubbies, but when you find a cubby, it'll be a good size cubby. 00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:04.940 It won't be those two and three bird cubbies like we were seeing during the drought years. 00:17:05.259 --> 00:17:07.259 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:17:07.659 --> 00:17:12.460 Well, talk to us about just kind of um hang on just a second. 00:17:12.619 --> 00:17:36.299 I got a little well uh talk to us a little bit about some of the just expectations that you're having for the rest of the season, you know, like are you anticipating um you know getting out there and hunt chasing for yourself, uh scaled quail, Murns quail this season. 00:17:36.379 --> 00:17:38.139 What what are you hoping to do? 00:17:38.619 --> 00:17:40.940 I'm hoping to get my truck back. 00:17:42.379 --> 00:17:44.139 That's a good that's a good starting point. 00:17:44.379 --> 00:17:45.899 That's a good starting point. 00:17:46.220 --> 00:17:47.259 That's part of the problem. 00:17:47.339 --> 00:17:55.819 I was I I'm kind of uh if I had a truck, I would have tried uh scale quail hunting by now, I think. 00:17:55.980 --> 00:18:13.019 But um I'm not certain that I know of spots you'd think that I could access scale quail spots easier because they tend to live in flat country, but but anyways, um I don't want to drive clear down to whale coxes, wear my sister's car out doing that. 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:15.420 So I haven't gone scale quail hunting. 00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:17.980 All my hunting's been close to home. 00:18:18.140 --> 00:18:27.980 And and um but yeah, I expect that that we'll have um higher percent juveniles of scale quail than what we're seeing in Gamble Quail. 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:37.740 Now they were uh their numbers were pretty low over the last couple of years, just like Murns Quail because of that drought. 00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:41.259 I mean the summer before summer rains. 00:18:41.579 --> 00:18:47.099 I guess last year was close to average summer, but the previous year or two were pretty dry. 00:18:47.660 --> 00:19:05.579 Um so I think um I think we'll have uh kind of like Murns Quail, we might have good covey sizes, but um and a lot a lot of juveniles but not but not a lot of cubies in a day of scale quail. 00:19:06.460 --> 00:19:12.380 And uh have you have you talked to anybody that's chasing scalies? 00:19:13.099 --> 00:19:14.220 Haven't, yeah. 00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:14.779 No. 00:19:15.500 --> 00:19:18.220 I uh yeah, because you're not that far. 00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:21.259 I mean you're in Tucson, so yeah. 00:19:21.740 --> 00:19:24.779 Yeah, I should I should make a point to get down there. 00:19:25.339 --> 00:19:28.859 It's hard when you when you know you got lots of gambles around you. 00:19:28.940 --> 00:19:32.619 Um gambles are a lot of fun to hunt too, so I don't I don't know. 00:19:32.859 --> 00:19:45.980 And there's gonna be an abundance of of uh gambles compared to scalies, would be my thought, but yeah, you just got a bigger geographical area to hunt them, so um yeah. 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:49.500 Well how the dogs how the dogs shaping up for you? 00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:50.779 Doing good. 00:19:50.859 --> 00:19:56.779 They uh the uh I've got an old team and a young team. 00:19:57.339 --> 00:20:10.859 So I've got can't fit all five in one in the vehicle I have now, so I'm I'm hunting uh one day with the three younger dogs, and then the next day I'll hunt with the two older dogs. 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:19.420 And um and the two older dogs are are uh uh eleven and thirteen. 00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:24.539 And then the younger dogs are uh four and two. 00:20:27.099 --> 00:20:27.740 Wow. 00:20:28.380 --> 00:20:28.779 Yeah. 00:20:29.180 --> 00:20:36.460 So the younger dogs are coming along, but man, they I need I'm not much of a retriever trainer. 00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:51.339 Um and nine are hardmouthed and to the point where I've got on to them about it, and now they think that I don't want them to carry a bird, so they run to a bird, mouth it, and drop it. 00:20:51.819 --> 00:20:54.299 So why why do they think that you think? 00:20:55.259 --> 00:20:59.980 Because I've I've let them know that I didn't

like them hard mouthing my bird. 00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:02.940 Oh, so now now they're scared to touch it. 00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:11.660 Yeah, they're saying this is great, but don't let that guy catch you with so anyway, yeah. 00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:29.500 My my dog today, he did uh he did he did, I mean, he he pointed great, and then he started to retrieve the bird, and then he picked it up, brought it about 15 yards from me, and then just dropped it and was like, let's go find another bird, you know. 00:21:29.579 --> 00:21:33.900 And I'm like, that bird could be moving, pick it up, you know. 00:21:34.460 --> 00:21:35.980 Don't drop it down. 00:21:36.059 --> 00:21:37.980 I don't want to shoot that bird again. 00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:55.019 So yeah, I had uh I had one time I had a dog that was uh really soft mouthed, and uh I was gamble quail hunting, and I I shot, stop, stop me if you've heard this story. 00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:58.220 Shot a bird, she went and got it, brought it to me. 00:21:58.299 --> 00:22:02.059 As she's coming back to me, I can see the bird in her mouth is alive. 00:22:02.140 --> 00:22:04.779 He's got his head up, you know, and he's looking around. 00:22:05.259 --> 00:22:09.500 And before she gets back to me, she stops and goes on point. 00:22:09.740 --> 00:22:14.059 And so she's on point on another single with a bird in her mouth. 00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:21.500 And I thought for a split second, oh my goodness, when this bird flushes, she's probably gonna drop the one in her mouth. 00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:28.779 I probably won't be able to prevent myself from shooting at the flying bird, and the one in her mouth might hit the ground and run off. 00:22:29.579 --> 00:22:34.059 And so I thought about that for a split second before it all started happening. 00:22:34.220 --> 00:22:37.019 The bird flushed, and uh it all worked out. 00:22:37.180 --> 00:22:44.940 I sh I shot that bird that she had pointed, and and the one that was in her mouth didn't go anywhere, so I I got lucky. 00:22:45.099 --> 00:22:52.140 But but I've had dogs that bring 'em back just outside of my reach and then drop 'em and they take off running. 00:22:53.259 --> 00:22:59.339 Yeah, that's that's the part where you just kind of like, man, you don't you you don't want the dog to do that. 00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:00.220 You know. 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:00.859 Yeah. 00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:03.660 Not understanding what we're trying to do here. 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:04.619 Right. 00:23:04.700 --> 00:23:13.339 And and what makes it hard too is because I mean those birds, man, if your dog won't go get them, you know, and I get it, the dogs are the pointing dogs. 00:23:13.420 --> 00:23:17.339 They just they really want to go find more birds and point as many as possible. 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:25.019 But the challenge can be is like, man, those birds, if they're not really hit hard, they're gonna they're gonna run. 00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:27.339 They're gonna bury themselves up. 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:35.339 So the other day I had one, I shot one, and my dog didn't he wasn't hot after it, you know. 00:23:35.420 --> 00:24:00.380 He he he kind of like saw it hit and then was like more curious about the other birds that were you know uh flying off, and so he's kind of watching them, and then that bird hit the ground and it started running, and I was like, oh shoot, you know, and I I didn't quite want to shoot it, and then I I should have shot at it, and then sure enough, that sucker just ran into one of those big old uh desert rat nest. 00:24:00.779 --> 00:24:03.099 Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. 00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:07.259 Oh yeah, it's just it's just a pile of like cacti. 00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:08.859 Yeah, yeah. 00:24:08.940 --> 00:24:18.460 I swear sometimes those gamel quailer think they've got a a map in their brain of where all those those wood rat dens are. 00:24:18.700 --> 00:24:19.819 Yeah, is that what that was? 00:24:19.980 --> 00:24:20.700 Is that what that's called? 00:24:20.779 --> 00:24:21.420 A wood rat? 00:24:21.900 --> 00:24:23.740 Well pack rat. 00:24:24.140 --> 00:24:25.740 Well, what's funny, yeah, pack rat. 00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:27.579 So what's funny is I got it. 00:24:27.660 --> 00:24:30.380 I I think I got it on video, but it's funny. 00:24:30.460 --> 00:24:31.660 I'm just like, you know what? 00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:37.019 Because my I just was it just I really wanted that bird bad. 00:24:37.099 --> 00:24:38.779 So I was like, I know it's in here. 00:24:38.859 --> 00:24:39.980 So I was like, you know what? 00:24:40.140 --> 00:24:42.140 All right, at least put your gloves on, Ryan. 00:24:42.220 --> 00:24:46.380 So I put my leather gloves on and I just start digging through that thing. 00:24:46.779 --> 00:24:49.019 And then sure enough, a rat runs out. 00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:54.059 So and then and then that rat didn't know what to do. 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:57.339 That rat's running around and he keeps trying to go back in his nest. 00:24:57.900 --> 00:25:00.299 He's like, I'm like around the rat quite a bit. 00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:02.299 And I'm like, dude, get out of here. 00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:04.460 Get like go find another place. 00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:06.380 I'm I'm digging your place up. 00:25:06.619 --> 00:25:10.140 And then finally, uh, I found that quail. 00:25:10.299 --> 00:25:13.980 I mean, he was he was buried up in there, man. 00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:18.859 I was like, you these guys are they're kamikaze, man. 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:20.700 I mean, they're going for it. 00:25:21.259 --> 00:25:30.140 Uh so there was a a study in New Mexico where they were putting feeders out um to artificially feed the quail. 00:25:30.460 --> 00:25:42.940 Lo and behold, um bird numbers in the Fed area was higher than the bird numbers, and this was in bad years, so so um and the birds hung around the feeders a lot. 00:25:43.180 --> 00:25:55.500 So it's it seems logical that uh if

you feed birds that that you'll have more birds, but it's not practical to do on a you know across public land, you know. 00:25:55.579 --> 00:26:01.660 If you're a rich landowner, you could probably do it in enhanced bird numbers um on your property. 00:26:01.819 --> 00:26:34.940 But but anyways, um one of the things that they'd noticed and they put cameras on these feeders was the um the wood rats would find those feeders and be carrying the food down, and then they then they were seeing quail tracks at the openings of those wood rat dens, and then they put a camera on that, and they got video of coil walking down in there in those uh wood rat dens, presumably to get the feed that the rats had cashed down there that they stole from the quail feeder. 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:37.019 So good grief. 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:39.819 I'm not afraid of those wood ratings. 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:48.539 I'd I'd put my money on I I think I'd put my money on the quail if it was a wood rat fight and a and a quail fight. 00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:50.700 So yeah, that'd be interesting. 00:26:51.420 --> 00:26:59.500 Yeah, I've had dogs that would that would dig those dig into those and I've had many times that I tried and just didn't find them. 00:26:59.980 --> 00:27:00.220 I know. 00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:09.099 I've had I've had times when I when the dog's digging in one side and uh and the bird goes out the back door, you know, and takes off running. 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:15.660 Yeah, you you f you feel pretty desperate when you're digging through a wood rat nest. 00:27:16.539 --> 00:27:25.660 I thought w we should invent a uh gamble quail shotgun that has a a fold-out shovel that folds out of the buttstock. 00:27:25.980 --> 00:27:34.700 So everything you'd have to rig it so that when you folded the shovel, it you could only do that if the gun was unloaded because otherwise it would be unsafe. 00:27:35.660 --> 00:27:36.539 Oh my goodness. 00:27:37.259 --> 00:27:40.299 A rat goes down a wood rat, then you get your shovel out. 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:41.740 Gosh. 00:27:41.980 --> 00:27:42.539 Yeah. 00:27:42.859 --> 00:27:54.619 Yeah, it's so frustrating when you can see them and watch them go down it, and there's nothing you could do about it because they're too close to shoot, and and they're just far enough from your dog that they get away from it. 00:27:54.940 --> 00:28:07.740 Well, and the recovery of that bird, you know, is just a testimony of what what great lengths they're gonna go to, you know, to to really bury themselves up and not be, you know, um apprehended. 00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:11.579 And so it's like, yeah, they're they're running for their lives. 00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:13.500 It's a survival mechanism. 00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:17.579 And uh, but yeah, it it is interesting, you know. 00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:37.180 Uh, but I would say, yeah, it seems like this season, like you you're gonna have to be on it a little bit more as a hunter to mark your spots where you shoot down your birds, because I mean, if they got any juice in the tank, they've got a lot more options for cover at this season, you know, because the ground is just filled up. 00:28:37.339 --> 00:28:38.380 So yeah. 00:28:38.539 --> 00:29:01.099 And it's kind of like I was saying when I thought the birds might be running out in front of the dogs, it's kind of like pheasants, they run a lot, but you you don't really know it because you can't see them because they're in really dense grassy stuff, and uh that's not usually the case for gamble quail, but this year there's a lot of dense grass out there. 00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:07.660 Yeah, and I was have you been opening up their crops and seeing what they're eating? 00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:11.339 I hate hate to say it that I haven't. 00:29:11.660 --> 00:29:11.900 No. 00:29:12.220 --> 00:29:16.299 But yeah, I imagine that it's what is whatever's out there. 00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:26.859 And I've seen a lot of ragweed and I've seen a lot of pigweed and that purslane I'm not certain if they'll eat that person. 00:29:27.740 --> 00:29:31.339 That person is that stuff that's almost like a succulent. 00:29:31.819 --> 00:29:39.420 It's real got real fat leaves, it's a forb that grows almost uh like a carpet in some places. 00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:47.660 It's unusual to see it this thick at this time of the year, but but um I've seen that just covering the ground. 00:29:48.380 --> 00:29:49.019 Yeah. 00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:52.299 And I've seen a lot of doves this year. 00:29:52.779 --> 00:29:57.579 Are they are they hanging around on the on the in the ground and then just in the desert? 00:29:57.660 --> 00:30:02.059 I'm seeing them in the desert and I'm uh dogs are pointing them, you know, occasionally. 00:30:03.180 --> 00:30:06.220 Um When does that season open up? 00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:08.539 Two weeks from today, I think. 00:30:08.619 --> 00:30:11.819 The 20th is when it opens back up. 00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:25.500 But uh but yeah, I think the b the doves are probably feeding on similar things that the the quail are slightly different, um but mostly forb seeds. 00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:30.779 Yeah, what I'm seeing is I think it's fillery. 00:30:31.099 --> 00:30:32.859 All that fillery in there. 00:30:33.500 --> 00:30:36.779 That red stem fillery is it, is that what they call it? 00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:39.099 Yeah. 00:30:40.299 --> 00:30:42.779 Yeah, oddly enough, that's an exotic too. 00:30:42.859 --> 00:30:48.140 That's not a native plant, but it's like a feathery, fern like little deal. 00:30:48.779 --> 00:30:51.019 And it grows right flat on the ground. 00:30:51.339 --> 00:30:51.980 Yeah. 00:30:52.299 --> 00:30:52.859 Yeah. 00:30:53.579 --> 00:30:53.980 Yeah. 00:30:54.460 --> 00:30:57.339 It's native to Europe and Asia, apparently. 00:30:57.500 --> 00:30:58.059 Yeah. 00:30:58.299 --> 00:31:05.500 Yeah, and in really good winters here, um, after really wet winters, it just covers the ground

everywhere. 00:31:05.579 --> 00:31:07.579 You know, it just looks like a carpet. 00:31:08.059 --> 00:31:08.380 Wow. 00:31:10.059 --> 00:31:21.740 But it uh it's pretty I've I've seen it um this year during the season, but I didn't I did see it last year in the spring, but it just got as thick as as after a really good year. 00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.299 Yeah, and it looks like it can even bloom. 00:31:24.380 --> 00:31:29.500 Like I see a purple flower here on I haven't so it's a legume, I think. 00:31:29.579 --> 00:31:40.299 So it's got it must have a little bean, you know, that it kind of fruits, but I'm not even certain when that is, but but I think the quail eat the greens. 00:31:40.539 --> 00:31:40.940 Mm-hmm. 00:31:41.180 --> 00:31:47.099 Yeah, that's what I'm finding a lot in their crops, and you know, but yeah. 00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:51.019 I mean, yeah, the the desert is just green, man. 00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:52.779 It is it looks great. 00:31:52.940 --> 00:31:54.539 So it makes it fun. 00:31:54.619 --> 00:31:55.660 I mean, I I'll tell you that. 00:31:55.740 --> 00:32:02.380 If you can scatter some gambles quail and some thick cover, I mean it's pretty explosive and pretty dynamic. 00:32:02.619 --> 00:32:11.819 So um it's it's been I've had birds that are holding so tight that I'm kicking the brush to get them to flush, and it takes them a second. 00:32:11.980 --> 00:32:12.140 Yeah. 00:32:12.940 --> 00:32:15.259 Yeah, that's exactly what happened to me a couple times. 00:32:15.339 --> 00:32:17.339 I'm like, is that a rat running around in there? 00:32:17.579 --> 00:32:17.980 A rabbit? 00:32:18.140 --> 00:32:19.500 Oh, that's the quail. 00:32:20.619 --> 00:32:22.539 And that doesn't make it easier to shoot them. 00:32:22.779 --> 00:32:28.460 No, no, I I think it messes you up because you're looking down, you know. 00:32:28.700 --> 00:32:30.859 So it's it is funny. 00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:33.259 Yeah, boy, I shot terrible today. 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:35.259 It was it was pretty sad. 00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:38.539 So, but man. 00:32:39.180 --> 00:32:42.299 Well, thanks for jumping on the podcast. 00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:50.299 I uh you know, I look forward to getting out and maybe we can try to go chase some scalies together or something like that. 00:32:50.380 --> 00:32:52.460 That I would really love to do that too. 00:32:52.539 --> 00:32:56.380 So scaled quail and some maybe little myns as well. 00:32:56.539 --> 00:32:57.579 So look forward. 00:32:57.900 --> 00:33:16.059 Yeah, that's one thing about um if this if this weather keeps up, if we keep getting um high humidity and and cooler temperatures uh throughout the rest of this winter, like we're they're predicting, that'll improve the sending conditions for Mern's quail as well. 00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:24.619 Because you're so dependent on the dogs to find Murnsquail cubbies, that'll that'll improve the chances that you'll find cubbies. 00:33:24.700 --> 00:33:27.259 There'll be fewer cuvies that you walk past, I would guess. 00:33:27.980 --> 00:33:28.859 You're like that. 00:33:29.099 --> 00:33:33.420 So so that might uh yeah, that might really be good. 00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:34.059 Yeah. 00:33:34.299 --> 00:33:36.299 Well, that's super El Nino. 00:33:36.539 --> 00:33:41.500 I think it's it it's if it's here, it's off to a good start. 00:33:41.660 --> 00:33:55.019 So, you know, I know it'll probably take a few years to really clarify if it's here or not, but man, we've had we've had some record level rainfall in Arizona and I know parts of the southwest as well. 00:33:55.259 --> 00:34:00.700 So but well, good deal. 00:34:00.859 --> 00:34:05.259 Well, thanks uh Kirby for joining us, and uh we'll have to do it again. 00:34:05.660 --> 00:34:06.619 Sounds good. 00:34:07.099 --> 00:34:08.700 All right, till next time. 00:34:08.780 --> 00:34:10.140 Thanks guys for joining us. 00:34:10.300 --> 00:34:14.220 You can find out more information at azquailtoday.com. 00:34:14.380 --> 00:34:15.579 See you soon. 00:34:18.059 --> 00:34:19.340 Thanks for listening in. 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:23.260 To help further our work, please consider making a tax-deductible gift. 00:34:23.660 --> 00:34:31.579 Visit us online at azquailtoday.com and be sure to follow us on social media for the latest information and updates. 00:34:31.900 --> 00:34:34.780 Till then, remember to get outside.