Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Upland Birds => Topic started by: singleshot12 on October 21, 2012, 08:06:22 PM

Title: Mountain Quail?
Post by: singleshot12 on October 21, 2012, 08:06:22 PM: Been hearing stories about deer hunters on the east side running across coveys of these small quail. Wondering if anyone else has seen them, I also see there is not a season for them, but it would be neat to hunt them some day if populations continue to grow.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Stilly bay on October 21, 2012, 08:18:19 PM: Quote from: singleshot12 on October 21, 2012, 08:06:22 PM
on the east side running across coveys of these small quail. I also see there is not a season for them, but it would be neat to hunt them some day if populations continue to grow.

you want some mountain quail? lets take a ferry ride. the season is sept 29 through nov 30th.

sure they are talking about mountain quail? they are the biggest of the north american quail species.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: ribka on October 21, 2012, 08:25:39 PM: :I'm up for that.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Stilly bay on October 21, 2012, 08:26:54 PM: lets get a mountain quail carpool going to the peninsula, the more the ferrier .
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: singleshot12 on October 21, 2012, 08:28:28 PM: The biggest of the north american quail species? these guys are saying they're the size of robins. Maybe they are the Gambles or the Scaled quail :dunno: Time to get my bird books out. We'll talk later about the ferry ride Stilly
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: ribka on October 21, 2012, 08:29:28 PM: have dog will travel :yeah:

managed a limit of quail today but would like to find mountain quail.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Atroxus on October 21, 2012, 08:41:27 PM: I'm down for that if you have room for a no-dog-having newb. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Stilly bay on October 21, 2012, 08:52:32 PM: Quote from: singleshot12 on October 21, 2012, 08:28:28 PM
The biggest of the north american quail species? these guys are saying they're the size of robins. Maybe they are the Gambles or the Scaled quail :dunno: Time to get my bird books out. We'll talk later about the ferry ride Stilly
maybe feral coturnix quail? they are pretty small.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quails-in-essex.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fcoturnix%2520female.JPG&hash=a237e7225ce95dc2dcf1774ecaecebffa5ae9c03)

of course you can only hunt mountain quail on the westside, they are closed on the east side for now... so maybe it is mountain quail they are referring to. unless the coturnix are considered a invasive specie. :dunno: :dunno:

Quote from: Atroxus on October 21, 2012, 08:41:27 PM

I'm down for that if you have room for a no-dog-having newb. :chuckle:
I might have a kennel that will fit you.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: merkelman on October 21, 2012, 08:57:37 PM: []Have shot many of these in the Los padres national forest. Unfortunately they are very elusive and sneaky boogers. QU and Oregon were working on transplanting them into southern Oregon and had success. Have heard and seen sightings over near hood canal. One small problem, they are the toughest to get next to the Elegante quail in certain parts of Mexico. If you get one, mount it! This a small one. I have another that has a straight tassle over 4" long.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Stilly bay on October 21, 2012, 09:11:03 PM: thats a nice mount, I like how its sitting 90 degrees off the wall. :chuckle:

mountain quail can put a pheasant to shame as far as running goes, really fun birds to hunt. I have always looked at them like a bonus bird when grouse hunting, but once you find a covey chances are they will be there again.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Cascade_fisher on October 21, 2012, 09:56:51 PM: Keep us posted as I wouldn't mind bringing a couple or 4 GSPs and maybe a English Setter too.
Title: Re: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Atroxus on October 22, 2012, 05:52:49 AM: Quote from: Stilly bay on October 21, 2012, 08:52:32 PM

I might have a kennel that will fit you.

Okay, but to give fair warning, I won't wear an e-collar, and I don't retrieve worth a damn. :chuckle:

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: floatinghat on October 22, 2012, 11:48:08 AM: Was on the dry side deer hunting and saw lots of signs saying closed for Mountain Quail. They are bigger than Gamble/Valley Quail but not huge!

I wish there where quail on the K penn or this side of the pond. I cut my teeth on valley quail in Ca years ago and don't drive across the hills enough.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: boneaddict on October 22, 2012, 12:20:32 PM: I'm guessing Bobs as they are fairly small and a bunch have been released over the years(they tend to be the species offered most springs at Big R etc.) . I am seeing more and more of them. Mountain quail are big compared to them. :dunno: I have NEVER seen a mountain quail on the eastside besided the Blues where a bunch have been released for the game department in a project down there.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: merkelman on October 22, 2012, 12:59:06 PM: I will post another picture
, but a mature male.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: WaltAlpine on October 22, 2012, 02:39:40 PM: I don't know specifically what kind they were, but I saw a few groups of quail on the eastside last week. I've seen lots around Republic when Turkey huntin in the past as well.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: WSU on October 22, 2012, 02:43:51 PM: Don't have an answer to the original question, but they are definitely bigger than our normal quail and about 100 times harder to hunt. I used to hunt them quite a bit while in school in Eugene, and there were quite a few in the hills around there. They seem to be pretty localized, but if you found the right spot there were tons of them. The damn things run a lot, fly quickly, and never seem to fly very high. They mostly darted in and out of the reprod and laughed at my while I blasted limbs trying to hit the damn things.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Sumpnneedskillin on October 22, 2012, 02:51:21 PM: I looooovvvvvveeeed hunting them while I was stationed in San Diego. They can run like the wind, love to run straight up hill and can put any little shrub or bush between you and them while flying away. They also loved to sit in the coastal chaperal and taunt you, knowing there was no way you could get to them.

Every time one of these threads come up I punch myself in the junk several times for not getting one mounted.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: FamilyMan01 on October 22, 2012, 08:30:58 PM: Where on the peninsula are you finding these quails????
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Stilly bay on October 22, 2012, 09:01:17 PM: Quote from: FamilyMan01 on October 22, 2012, 08:30:58 PM
Where on the peninsula are you finding these quails????

you have a decent population (which still isn't many) right there around gig harbor and kitsap peninsula.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: merkelman on October 23, 2012, 04:19:35 AM: Seabeck...
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: steen on October 23, 2012, 04:07:43 PM: My husband got one while bird hunting on Oregon a few years back and mounted it. I think they closed hunting them the next season. Very pretty birds.j
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: sako85 on October 25, 2012, 04:08:35 PM: I used to find them between Union and Shelton 20 yrs ago, now?
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Birdguy on October 28, 2012, 06:29:17 PM: There are a few still on the Kitsap Peninsula. Not near as many as there once was. I used to have my captive ones call in a few wild ones each spring but it has not happened in a few years now. At least I still get to listen to them, even if it is just from my pens :chuckle:.
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: singleshot12 on October 28, 2012, 06:40:43 PM: Nice! really healthy looking birds
Title: Re: Mountain Quail?
Post by: Harry on November 01, 2012, 10:33:56 AM: Very pretty birds. It would be nice if they were abundant in other areas.