Gun Dog Forum

Hello,

So, I have been toying with the idea of getting some quail or other training birds to keep for the summer. My Setter is a year old this month (Feb). I am not involved with field trials but I wouldn't mind getting into hunt test if I could find some. We hunt Ruffed Grouse in VT, NH.

I don't know the first thing about keeping quail. Would I have to get them now so that they would be old enough by spring? How many should I get for a summer's worth of training?

My own personal experience tells me unless you are familiar with raising quail then half or more will die before you get a chance to use them. Quail lesson #1.... quail are looking for a reason to die. Pigeons are generally cheaper and easier to keep alive.

Jim

I didn't have trouble last summer with quail because my trainer raised them. He was close by the land we hunt. He did say that quail are notorious for commiting suiside any way they can. This leads me to believe you don't want to try to buy a bunch and have them around. Call around to trainers and bird farms in your area and talk to them about their experiences and if they will have birds availible over the summer for training.

You need to have lots of birds to train a bird dog, at leaset that is my opinion. Raising birds is a pain in the butt but if you can't buy them, then thats the only way. I like pigeons best for the fly ability and cause they are cheap. Quail are cheap but don't fly worth a darn. Chuckers are better but still don't fly well. Pheasents are best, but expensive and kill each other in the pen. Ducks are tough, expensive to raise and messy in the pen and crate but they last well. Good luck. Don

If you go the quail route get them when they are a couple months old and put them in the johnny house. Give them a week then fly a couple at a time am/pm then use them the following week. I'd only put a dozen in there or so at a clip and let out several at a time when you do plan on using thems. You will have losses but quail are 3.50-5.00 around here and you should have those dozen birds last a good amount of the summer. Although I am not a fan of the quail, I much prefer pigeons. I know people that recall chuckars but I have never tried. Launchers/pigeons are good until they are reliable , then throw-downs. E-collar, checkcord or launcher is a must in my opinion no matter what you are doing. What are your regs about training on wildbirds (ruffs/woodcock) into the spring? Here we can run on them until April 15 and NJ is through April then again August 1.