mountain quail

[Stilly bay]

any mountain quail enthusiasts out there? we talked about them briefly on another thread but they are such a cool little bird I think they need their own topic.
any sightings, stories, or pics?

I used find them infrequently when hunting  for grouse, the buggers would come boiling out of the under brush so quick it was hard to get off a shot.

[RadSav]

I grew up hunting them on the Oregon coast.  One of my favorite birds to hunt still.  Very disappointed there are not more here in Washington.  Seems like Seaside is about as far north as they get in real good numbers.

Back in the day I was allowed to take my shotgun to school as long as I took the barrel loose from the action.  Actually made my first silhouette rifle in highschool shop class   When coming home on the bus I would have the bus driver drop me off at the gate to my favorite quail road.  I would then hunt a five mile loop around the Salishan Airport and back to the house.  I didn't get too good of grades in school, but I did get an "A" in Home Ec for my various ways to cook wild game.  We cooked a lot of birds in that class.

[Stilly bay]

I grew up hunting them on the Oregon coast.  One of my favorite birds to hunt still.  Very disappointed there are not more here in Washington.  Seems like Seaside is about as far north as they get in real good numbers.

Back in the day I was allowed to take my shotgun to school as long as I took the barrel loose from the action.  Actually made my first silhouette rifle in highschool shop class   When coming home on the bus I would have the bus driver drop me off at the gate to my favorite quail road.  I would then hunt a five mile loop around the Salishan Airport and back to the house.  I didn't get too good of grades in school, but I did get an "A" in Home Ec for my various ways to cook wild game.  We cooked a lot of birds in that class.

I remember when you could bring a gun to school! thems were the good old days. I had a teacher for my last class of the day in high school that would let me cut class if it was good duck hunting weather and my grades were up. I guess he knew I wouldn't amount to much anyway.

there are pockets of them here in Wa, I know a few areas where they out number the grouse by a land slide. I have seen birds on whidbey and have heard of them as far north as bellinham.  the peninsula used to be pretty thick with the little buggers, but finding access to good quail cover is getting tougher every year.

[RadSav]

I guess he knew I wouldn't amount to much anyway.

I think that is what my US History teacher thought of me too.  He told my buddy Rick and I that if we brought him two cords of wood before elk season we only had to attend class Monday & Tuesday during bow season.  We would probably have skipped most of his classes during that time anyway.  So he was probably smart and got two cords of firewood out of the deal anyway.

[Wacenturion]

Have seen a few occasionally west/northwest of Olympia

[boneaddict]

I came really close to raising them, but I just didn't have the room at the time.

[Stilly bay]

I came really close to raising them, but I just didn't have the room at the time.

once Birdguy gets a break from being Dad of the year, he is supposed to send me some intel on raising Mountain quail. I am going to try and gather some breeders over the next few years, I think it would be cool to try and reintroduce them to my neck of the woods. we don't have any hunting pressure besides a bunch of free roaming cats -which I imagine are pressure enough.

[Huntbear]

Seems their range is pretty limited here in Washington...


http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/mountain_quail#

[Birdguy]

Stilly, I have not forgotten about getting you all I can on raising these little guys. Unfortunately I lost my Dad earlier this month and have been super busy with that. I will give you all I know about them when I get the chance. If you plan on releasing them make sure the breeders you select are NPIP certified so you have the proper paperwork to transport them into our state, then find out who in your area can give you your certification as you will only be allowed to release birds that are certified in our state. I had to use the State vet from the WSU branch in Puyallup when I had mine.

[ORCA_SIX]

I saw a covey close to my neighborhood last year. There is a trail that runs through it, and I was running down it and a pushed up probably 10-15. It completely threw me off to have some so close and within close proximity of houses.

[HardCorpsHuntr]

Cool bird for sure!  I grew up seeing a mounted Mtn. Quail on my Grandparents mantle, thinking it was the coolest thing since I was used to our California valley quail here in EWa.  That Mtn. Quail is now camped on top my mantle... and is in sorts a memorial to my Grandparents.  While at Camp Pendleton I tried, but failed! 

[Sumpnneedskillin]

I chased them all the time when I was stationed in CA.  Kick myself hard and many times everytime I think about not getting a couple of mounts done. 

When I was down there I enjoyed hunting them more than CA valley quail.

[jackmaster]

idk what kind of qual they are but sequim sure has alot of them, any river dyke or power line road is loaded with them and farmers that live along the dungeness will sometimes give permission to do some bird huntn

[sirmissalot]

I see quail around shelton too. Not sure if they are mountain quail or what, but definitely a quail with the little dangly feather over their head and run super fast across the roads and through brush. Never shot one they seem too small to mess with to me.

[Dhoey07]

I see quail around shelton too. Not sure if they are mountain quail or what, but definitely a quail with the little dangly feather over their head and run super fast across the roads and through brush. Never shot one they seem too small to mess with to me.

Mountain quail have a feather on their head that goes straight up or back, and california quail have the dangly thing hanging forward towards their eye.