Missouri upland opener

[Big Dave]

It was very foggy the last two mornings in northwest Missouri and very warm in the afternoons. While quail numbers are certainlly still down if you can hunt some good cover there are a few birds to be found. Any fair or marginal cover that I hunted did'nt have any birds at all, the real good cover did, one farm has been managed for 5 years for quail and another that just has good brushy cover near crop fields both held some nice coveys. It is becoming obvious that short brushy covey headquarters cover and less fescue that MO Conservation has been telling us landowners is working. The shorter bush type cover made by cutting tall trees and letting them lay loose on top of ground that we have sprayed with herbicide and allowed to grow up in weeds rather than brome or fescue is being utilized by the birds. We found some nice size coveys in these areas and shot several birds despite the weather, which along with thick, tall weeds tooks it toll and dogs and hunters. My old Honky Tonk Attitude daughter pointed a woodcock and I shot it. My brother also shot one over my other dog for a little mixed bag action. We were not far enough north to see any pheasants. With some cooperation from the weather and getting myself into better shape the dogs may have a worthwhile season.

[birdogg42]

Dave, here in southeast MO I have found quite a few birds. The CSP and CP33 programs are really helping. Saturday was a slow day. I found two real nice coveys. Then today i found four coveys in three hours.

[fase3]

You are killing me! 19 days and counting to the first quail hunt.

[Big Dave]

We leave for Kansas on November 20th for a pheasant/quail hunting trip. This will be the 10th trip in the last 11 years to the same place. I am looking forward to cooler weather and some time to hunt here in Missouri. We shot a few clays and worked all for dogs on birds prior to the season. I have also been excercising the dogs and sharpening up the yard work. They are all four trial bred pointers and we normally hunt two at a time and rotate fresh dogs in when needed. I was shooting my old Remington 1100 20 gauge with skeet tube and an ounce of #8 shot, brother normally shoots the same but with an improved cylinder. This season he is shooting a Benellit 12 gauge with a cyclinder tube and light target loads. We both returned "home" to hunt. We have a shorthair at Boone Valley Kennel in southern Iowa getting polished up and hopefully she will be ready to join us and the pointers in Kansas. All four female pointers pointed, backed and retrieved during the opening weekend. We are just shoe leather hunters but our dogs sires:Ch Honky Tonk Attitude, Ch Mrawsum, Ch Gailen's Lotto and one third generation home raised from Miller and Fiddler lines. I have been spending as much time and money on the habitat as I have the dogs. I am limited on number of acres but it feels good to see results from the hard work.

[hunterw/newhobby]

Hello,
I too am in NW MO and noticed the same thing with the birds. I have a six month old GSP and haven't "hunted" yet but been training. Where are you in NW MO?

[Big Dave]

I live in Clinton county near Cameron, I was hunting in Ray county and I have been working dogs in Caldwell county.

[birdogg42]

I hunt in Scott county and there is alot of farmers putting their pivot corners and field borders in conservation programs. I cant wait till stupid deer season gets over so i can really run dogs. I try not to run on places where they deer hunt. It sucks!

[Big Dave]

birdogg42,
Having youth rifle deer season on the opening day of bird season really sucked this year. We have a long standing tradition of hunting the opener together yet don't want to get the dogs or ourselves shot. It is also not the best for the kids either. We have a couple of spots that didn't have any youth deer hunters but during the two week long rifle season we go to Kansas or hunt on state WMA that don't allow rifles.