Missouri Bobwhite Quail Hunting
Missouri Quail Snippets
A singles point well after covey flush on a fallow Missouri farm part of over 2,000 acres available to hunt that day for this hunter his dogs.
We have dog limitations oriented for those that want to enjoy the hunt. No preseason dog running of any kind. All dogs must be owned by the member. Two dogs on the ground maximum per member and not more than three per hunting party regardless of the number of members in that party. Foot hunting only.
The value of these dogs on quail point pictures is beyond the dogs themselves and to view the habitat on which quail will be found.
Those that enjoy Mid-America Hunting Association are the self guided wild quail hunters that have their own dogs and it is the reason of the dog why they hunt.
Not every day is a limit day. For a father and son to have this kind of shooting during the son's first Bobwhite Quail hunting season, on a warm dry condition day and with one dog does make for a great hunt. Enjoy the day.
The same dog during late season on a bitterly cold day is shown below.
"John, Here's one of Lucy. She was exhausted and cold the last two times I took photos. She refused to sit pretty. I was about wore out as well. Easy walking and very cold. The frozen hard ground had her feet sore. All she wanted was her box. I was in quail every day. If I shot better I would have had more than one limit picture. Lots of good edge habitat. The birds would flush the far side. Shot through a lot of brush to get these. Missed a lot more than I bagged. She had more points than I could remember to count each day. The singles action would come fast at times. These were from her points"
After the first season as a MAHA member most hunters will begin to take a relaxed or leisurely outlook to their bird hunting. This is caused by our having the right habitat within the right region of the state that has a history of good reproduction. the birds are there, the land available and all may hunt at their schedule.
John, Attached is a picture that I took of Zeke (orange and white, 10 years old) and Scout (liver and white, 9 years old). They are in training for bird season...Looking forward to this season. Mike
High tension bird dog trail runners need not apply for membership. Our quail hunting is too good for such limited mentality. Offensive language to some and intended so as a screening to those we care not to work with.
Missouri Distinction
Missouri wild Bobwhite Quail hunting has been the most consistent quail hunting of our three states justifiably so as Missouri has far more quail edge habitat for hunting than that of the others.
Wild Quail Hunts
The Bobwhite purist will find his desires met with both woods and open field shooting along the many row crop fields and wooded creek bottoms or fence lines. All wild birds and natural Missouri quail habitat.
The easier Missouri farm field walking conditions that are further enhanced by those with bird dogs that learn target habitat and will quickly run the down wind side of the circular and linear field boarders saving the hunter as much walking as possible. And, for every hunt day much walking will be available as the many small fields of this state separated by tree lines require each to be walked and invariably the hunter will as often as not walk the wrong direction and not find the coveys until the last of the walk.
On the more memorable days many leave their bird dogs in the box until the last minute after having dressed with field coat, gun in hand and shells in the pocket. For those that do not prepare themselves before releasing the dogs may find their dogs on point within yards of the truck while the hunters scramble for their gear. That is the nature of Missouri bobwhite hunts, it can be fast and it can last all day. Those the try Missouri for a quail hunt typically spend the rest of the season primarily hunting that state.
Between our three states most that desire self guided quail hunting chose Missouri for most of their quail hunts. Kansas and Iowa are left to those time when traveling to a new region is a more valued part of the trip.
Bobwhite Quail Numbers
Missouri quail hunting of 4 wild coveys with singles action made possible by the intermittent woody and field cover makes for a day filled with quail dog work the self guided hunter seeks.
Those that find 7 coveys in a day frequently are the victim of the magical disappearing covey seen to rise at the hunter's feet, drop to the ground within sight and before dogs and hunter can reach that locality all quail will be gone not to be found by even the best dogs. More than 7 covey days happen, however daylight frequently brings the end to the quail hunt before lack of birds.
While an 8 bird quail limit may easily be harvested with as few as 3 covey rises with singles afterwards the avid Bobwhite Quail hunting bird dog lover does practice conservation by harvesting a single bird on covey rise and maybe one more on the singles action to follow ensuring motivated quail dogs. Such hunts produce all day long quail and dog action that the hunter bragging of limits before noon will never understand.
Those that simply seek a limit each day maintaining on a score card his self esteem does no service other than to himself and does not earn the respect such as he may expect of those he tells his tails to. The true quail hunting bird dog lover will find both the quail and the dog action he desires and will have both expectation met each day of every trip along the many ridges, fields and creeks while Missouri quail hunting.
Why Our Self Guided Quail Hunts
While Missouri Bobwhite Quail hunting is the best of the central mid-west states it is not that all of state has good bobwhite numbers. Just as in the case of all upland birds there are environmental limiting factors beyond grain crop fields and softer edge. The advantage that MAHA brings the quail dog hunter is not just the private land to hunt. MAHA also brings with is a full time staff that trains and hunts their own bird dogs covering the entire upland bird region and giving recommendations to the hunter of where to hunt for what he is after in terms of birds and habitat.
These recommendations may be trusted as they are as pure as the motivation for giving them. The MAHA staff knows very well the hunter will only renew his membership if he has a good hunt and the best assurance of a good hunt is getting the bird dog hunter on his upland bird of choice. In the case of those Missouri quail hunting they are the most easily satisfied for a bad hunt when it does happen is limited in duration and more frequently for causes other than the lack of birds.
In general the bird dog hunter knows quite well the many pitfalls and benefits that may be encountered during any upland hunt. Overall, the good days of Missouri quail hunting will outnumber the bad with the hunter pleased when he lies down for the night knowing the promise of the day to come.
Enjoy the entire upland bird season through our system of having the entire season available to every hunter for as many hunts as he can schedule. We lease the Missouri wild quail land that we do for its habitat and that is bobwhite habitat within the right region of the state with a history of reproduction. No hunter will ever say he does not have enough ground to hunt within this Association.