Texas Hunting Leases

“That’s not good”, I thought to myself as the young female pointer ran after a herd of javelina into the South Texas brush.   We had just got out of the jeep to start working our way into an opening that looked promising for quail.  My original plan was to work one of the three German Shorthaired pointers we had one at a time.   This would allow me to use the single electronic collar that we had to keep the dog in close and to mind me when we got into the birds.  But, the first dog was sharing a larger crate on the jeep with another and while we were letting one out, the second managed to lunge forward and make its way out front.  Oh well, two is better than one, right?  Wrong! 

It was a few seconds after the ensuing chase that I heard the quick growl and bark of a dog fighting followed by a piercing and painful yelp.  I had ran about five yards towards the sounds when the young bitch came running towards me on three legs.  Her right hind leg being held gingerly in the air by her side.  For only three legs she was making full strides with a look of pain and fear right for me.  “Here Zoe, here” I called.  Now she had no problem listening to me unlike before when she bolted after the herd of collared peccary.   Zoe ran behind me, laid down on left her side and looked behind my leg to make sure the sharp-tusked monsters were not giving chase.  I pet her and examined her hind quarter where I quickly noticed two trails of blood oozing from her skin.  With some bottled water, we washed her leg off and thankfully saw that the javelina only got one bite on her.  She was lucky, just two good puncture wounds and no visible sign of tearing or muscle damage.  Well, that ought to cover javelina chasing.  I wondered if they offered that along with the desnaking clinics around the area.

Javelina normally avoid conflict when stumbled upon.  Especially with man.  But, they are notoriously just ticked off at dogs.  It probably stems from the fact that coyotes are a natural predator of their young and, like all animals, they do not take kindly to things wanting to hurt their offspring.  They are also very well adapted to protecting themselves while in numbers.  If something attacks one of them, the others will come in from behind and counter-attack.  It is an effective defense mechanism that many animals use.  Just ask Zoe!

About an hour later, we had ole Zoe at the vet for a look over.  We had cleaned her wounds as best we could but thought that a little TLC from the doc was in order.  The doctor agreed that she was a lucky girl and she got out of the examination room with a shot of antibiotics and some peroxide on her rump.  But, for safety sake, the rest of her day was spent in the kennel to think about her misconduct and convalesce in the South Texas sun.  That afternoon, when we returned from the field, Zoe was standing up on her hind legs, front paws on the chain-link fence, barking for her turn.  “Not this trip”, I told her.  “You’re still in time-out”.  But, I gave her a little pat to let her know that she would be alright.

Below is the latest report on quail populations and observations as conducted by the TPW Department.  Comments we have heard from ranchers are that they are seeing wonderful habitat for quail with some observing three hatches this year.  The LeaseHunter website has various links and information on quail hunting and quail hunting leases on the website.  For more interesting articles and links, see our resource page and scroll down to the quail section.

AUSTIN, Texas — While tempering expectations, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists say favorable range conditions should make for good quail hunting this season, particularly in areas that held birds last year.

The statewide quail season runs Oct. 27–Feb. 24. The daily bag limit is 15, with 45 in possession. Legal shooting hours for all non-migratory game birds are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. The bag limit is the maximum number that may be killed during the legal shooting hours in one day.

With quail hunting, opportunity is tied directly to production and this year’s crop of birds looks to be above average, according to TPWD quail census data.

Ideal quail production occurs in years that remain wet and cool during the spring and early summer months because it extends the window of opportunity for reproduction, according to TPWD quail program leader Robert Perez.

Because quail production is “density dependent” as birds are striving to recover from hard times in recent years, Perez noted hens typically will make as many nesting attempts as conditions allow until they are successful or run out of time.

This year, most of the state experienced an unseasonably wet spring and summer with below-normal summer temperatures. For these reasons quail production was expanded in some areas as evidenced by reports of differing size classes of chicks observed by biologists during the summer.

“It’s hit or miss; if you had some birds last year then you likely will have a great season,” Perez noted. “If every bird seemed to disappear last year then you can only get so much better in one reproductive effort, so you will have a better season but not a great one. The Rolling Plains seemed to bounce back better than most of South Texas, although down along the coast looks great.”

Below is a summary of quail production around the state, based on annual census surveys conducted by TPWD and what hunters can expect to find this season.

Statewide surveys were initiated in 1978 to monitor quail populations. This index uses randomly selected, 20-mile roadside survey lines to determine annual quail population trends by ecological region. This trend information helps determine relative quail populations among the regions of Texas. Comparisons can be made between the mean (average) number of quail observed per route this year and the long term mean (LTM) for quail seen within an ecological region. The quail survey was not designed to predict relative abundance for any area smaller than the ecological region.

Rolling Plains

An unusually cool and wet spring and summer resulted in an extended breeding season for bobwhites in the Rolling Plains. This is evidenced by field reports of differing size classes of chicks observed throughout the summer. Although they were impacted by dry conditions last year, much of the region seemed to carry over enough birds to make a decent rebound. Survey results and field staff observations predict a slightly below-average to average year.

According to Chip Ruthven, a lack of adult broodstock will be a limiting factor in production this year. Those birds that did survive are doing their part, however, with the average number of bobwhites observed per route at 21 compared to 14 last year. This is slightly below the LTM of 22.5. Despite low carry over from last year’s drought, enough young birds have been produced to offer good bobwhite hunter opportunity, especially in areas under proper range management. Public hunting opportunities can be found at the Matador and the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Areas.

South Texas Plains

This region also experienced an extended breeding season but seems to have had even fewer breeders available in the spring than the Rolling Plains. Flooding was also an issue in some counties. Pairs will re-nest if chicks or eggs are lost to exposure or flooding, but it’s just one more hurdle for the birds to overcome. Habitat conditions are extremely lush, by south Texas standards, and roadside visibility was poor during our quail surveys. As a consequence, TPWD results are likely an underestimate of the quail population, admitted Perez. Field staff reported good production and confirmed that certain areas, especially in the eastern half (more coastal areas) were holding fair to good numbers of birds. These areas will offer good hunter opportunity.

The average number of bobwhites observed per route was 7 compared to 3 last year. This is well below the LTM of 19.8 and is predictive of a below-average hunting season. However, as mentioned, this is likely an underestimate. The Chaparral and the Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas provide public quail hunting opportunities.

Trans-Pecos

The Trans-Pecos ecological region of Texas has experienced above-average populations of scale quail for the past four years. Favorable weather conditions during the summer set up good nesting conditions over much of the region. Reports from the western edge of the Edwards Plateau (the Stockton Plateau) also indicate average to above-average populations of scaled quail.

The average number of scaled quail observed per route was 28 compared to 19 last year. This is well above the LTM of 18 and for those hunters willing to chase these birds it should be a very good season. Public hunter opportunities can be found at Elephant Mountain and Black Gap Wildlife Management Areas.

Access to hunting on TPWD managed public land is available with the purchase of a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit, which can be bought wherever hunting licenses are sold, online or by calling toll free (800) 895-4248. There is a $5 convenience fee for online and phone purchases.

Wing-shooting in old Mexico has been a relatively well kept secret for years among die-hard Texas hunters.  Most everyone has heard about the abundance of birds and wonderful habitat that are a natural extension of our South Texas region.  What keeps many out, among other things, is the perceived hassle and cost of the undertaking itself.  Fortunately, for those of us who know how to overcome the obstacles, it is a bird hunters dream and an annual sabbatical that we try to make every year.

This year’s trip was for Dove in the northern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico where local farmers work the grain fields in the lush San Fernando Valley.  Our group of hunters were the guests of a private lodge maintained and operated by a small group of Texas outdoorsmen who have been doing this for over four decades.  As a matter of fact, Texas artist John Cowan painted a picture of this same area in his picture Second Wave, and he describes it very well in the John P. Cowan, A Texas Treasure book.  Cowan writes of the “Mexican Whitewings” and their migratory habits driven by food and weather.  He describes the scene perfectly with his description of the fields, distant mountains and the “bird boys” who who turned out for us as well.

A dove hunt in Mexico has several unique attributes that are hard to duplicate back in the United States.  The obvious one is the sheer abundance of birds and the generous limits of the Mexican government.  The other is the ambiance of rural low lying mountain ranges sprawling out into farmlands that make the land uniquely beautiful.  Finally, its the pleasure of hunting with the Mexican people who are amazingly resilient and extremely hard working.  Something that serves them well when it comes to finding downed doves in the desert scrub of the area.  The dove season here starts around August and runs through October for whitewing and February for mourning dove.  Each hunter may purchase up to two permits for a limit of 210 birds per hunter.  To bring your own gun, your permit must be completely filled out and include the exact serial numbers of each gun.  It is not advised to take cartridges over the boarder but to purchase them at your destination. 

A typical hunting trip here lasts several days with two hunts a day at various locations.  Our hunts over three days ranged from hunting low-lying hills similar to those found in the Texas Hill Country to desert scrub along grain fields near the Rio Concho.  We timed both our morning and afternoon hunts to arrive around an hour prior to the bird’s daily flight patterns.  Like clockwork, they would start flying in the morning just as the sun peeked its rim above the earth’s and repeat the process in the late afternoon.  A typical shoot yields the average shooter around thirty birds and, depending on the situation, can yield any combination of whitewing or mourning dove.  Our hunt this year was almost exclusively whitewing and we had above average shooting since we missed the hurricanes that came through the area this season.

To hunt Mexico, it is advisable to work with a reputable outfitter who can help you with the planning and paperwork required of such a trip.  Despite the process being somewhat tedious, the overall experience is one that just can not be ignored since it offers great hunting and is relatively easy to get to from our state.  I have driven almost as much to shoot a twelve bird limit in South Texas.  Now, we have hundreds of birds for the table the rest of the year.