It would be stretching both truth and imagination to suggest that Colorado is emerging as a leading location to hunt quail.
Not when one considers that the species was hanging by its stubby beak just three years ago when drought ruled the land or that prime quail habitat here is, in the best of times, a bare fraction of states to the south and east.
But anyone venturing into the river bottoms and weed patches of eastern Colorado might be excused if they close their eyes and dream, at least for this season.
Given benefit of near optimum conditions, quail populations have reached what may be a quarter-century peak, both along water courses and grasslands. For anyone with a hankering for a meal of quail on toast, now’s the time to break out the old bird dog and hit the bushes. If you don’t have a good pointing dog, rent one.
On opening weekend in southeast Colorado, a quartet of hunters found a large covey of bobwhite at virtually every abandoned farm site or thicket. Not far away, flocks of scaled quail skittered from yucca to sagebrush.
On the South Platte River east of Sterling, a landowner told of jumping five separate bobwhite coveys on a modest reach of the South Platte river bottom.
“It’s the most quail I’ve seen since I lived here,” Larry Harris declared.
Not since the severe winter of 1982-83 decimated both quail and pheasants, sending the region’s upland game bird populations into a long tailspin, have prospects been so bright. The snare drum music of quail bursting from cover never has sounded so sweet.
As with all wild creatures, the reasons begin with habitat and weather. A steady increase in moisture over the past three years, coupled with mild winters, produced greatly enhanced conditions for breeding and survival. Populations that were improved in 2003 got better in 2004 and exploded this season.
The only limiting factor, particularly for northern bobwhite, is the extent of the range. These speedy little feather balls favor agricultural land with brushy edges. In eastern Colorado, western Kansas and Nebraska, they’re seldom far from wood – either along stream bottoms, in gullies or in brief woodlots at abandoned farmsteads.
Colorado’s best bobwhite populations reside along the South Platte east of Fort Morgan, where a dozen or more state wildlife areas offer ample public access. Two problems persist.
The first, as posed by Ed Gorman, Colorado’s small game chief, is that cover might be too good.
“Vegetation is so thick along the river, birds are difficult to locate,” said Gorman, who didn’t even mention the dilemma of actually hitting quail buzzing between a tangle of tree limbs.
A second dilemma resides in a corresponding density of hunters who bombard these public areas, particularly during the first three weeks of the season. When pressure becomes intense, coveys often leave the river bottom for the sanctuary of private land up on the terrace.
The more wrinkled terrain of Kansas and Nebraska features a greater concentration of brushy draws, often adjacent to grain fields, which are tailor-made quail hotels. Both states trumpet increases similar to Colorado’s.
Interestingly, a dramatic change appears to be occurring in the national dynamic of this most widely distributed upland game bird. Populations in the traditional strongholds in the southeast have been declining steadily; sections of Oklahoma and south central Kansas have gained steadily, suggesting a shift to the north and west.
Colorado – whose cold climes represent an extreme of the range – depends upon favorable weather cycles to maintain desirable bobwhite numbers.
Scaled quail, also in a boom phase, present a viable option to Front Range hunters willing to drive a bit farther and perhaps wear down their boot soles. Notorious for full-tilt dashes across the countryside, these slightly larger birds thrive on the open lands of the Comanche National Grassland of the extreme southeast, as well as rangeland south of U.S. 50 and east of Interstate 25.
Access abounds in these public areas. Look for birds where bushes intersperse with open grassland, preferably not far from a water source.
A portion of western Colorado along the lower Uncompahgre and Gunnison river valleys boasts three species, including the Gambel’s.
Quail lovers – or even those who’d like to be – presently possess what might be a fleeting opportunity to experience a high measure of success. Don’t delay. Blink and you might miss it.
Listen to Charlie Meyers at 9 a.m. each Saturday on “The Fan Outdoors,” KKFN 950 AM. He may be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
