This story originally appeared in the 2024 Spring Issue of the Quail Forever Journal. To receive Quail Forever Journal become a Quail Forever member.
A Tapestry of Terrain and Tradition
Story and Photos By Douglas E. Spale
We pause midday atop a hill surrounded by a quail oasis. The landscape is a mixture of native grasses bordering crop fields enclosed by woody cover. A combination of yellows, oranges, and browns paint the countryside. As I break open my gun and set it beside me, the dogs collapse in excited exhaustion. We sit and reflect on the triumphs of the day, picturesque points by my setter and reliable retrieves by my Labrador. The dogs look at me as I pull the day’s trophies from my vest – a handful of bobwhite quail and a rooster pheasant. Moments like these embody the allure of a Midwest quail hunt.
To many in the Midwest’s bobwhite range, this scene is commonplace. We relish in the pursuit of wild quail across disturbed landscapes. For what we lack in choregraphed pageantry, we make up for in a variety of landscapes, thriving populations of wild birds, and everchanging weather patterns. To me, we are living in a fortunate time for quail hunting as conservation practices, quail numbers, and enthusiasm for the sport continues to improve. While I enjoy traveling across the country in search of birds and adventures, I always look forward to my heartland quail hunts.
Although the bobwhite’s native range stretches across much of the continent, there is a unique hunting style practiced in the Midwest; in part due to the Midwest’s various environments, but also influenced by the people of the region.
While large landowners do exist in this area, it is far from the quail plantations of the deep south. A quail hunt in the Midwest is a casual affair often enjoyed alone rather than in a group. In addition, the pursuit of quail changes throughout the season as the warm days turn cold with snow, wind, and ice. On a Midwest quail hunt, there is always an assortment of variables to overcome.
The classic lore of quail hunting is largely attributed to the literature of gentlemen from the southeast such as Archibald Rutledge, Havilah Babcock, and Robert Ruark. These men wrote beautifully about a time when quail were bountiful, bird dogs were numerous, and the romantic pursuit of the next covey was alive and well.
While I remain fascinated by their incredible works and captivating stories, I am unconvinced that the high times of quail are in the past.
To me, the opportunity to move multiple coveys in a day along with a mixed bag of pheasants and prairie chickens is a special prize. The beauty of quail hunting is finding ideal habitat that produces birds. That possibility is still attainable in many areas of the Midwest.
This past season I had great success finding coveys across the region. In part this was because I have experienced dogs, but extensive conservation efforts by public and private initiatives have also continued to pay dividends.
Even though I spent a considerable amount of time, money, and miles scouring the Midwest for the proverbial next covey, the bird populations continued to impress. Perhaps more invigorating, in my travels I experienced a growing sense of a new generation of Midwest quail hunters. Every time I passed a truck parked along a gravel road with folks in orange walking a fenceline in the distance, the sight brought a smile to my face.
The landscape across the Midwest varies from east to west and changes drastically as you move away from major river systems like the Missouri, Platte, Kansas, and Arkansas. There are large expanses of native grasslands like Nebraska’s Sandhills and the Flint Hills of Kansas, but also iconic wetlands like the Rainwater Basin. Iowa’s Driftless Area makes way to Missouri River bottoms that can rival the bird numbers of Nebraska’s Loess Canyons and the glaciated plains of Kansas. Fortunately, bobwhites are in almost every region of the Midwest.
In recent years, conservation efforts have restored populations across the prairie states by deterring woody encroachment along with enhancing native plant species. Although quail are prolific birds, they need quality habitat to sustain themselves. Drastic swings in weather also impact bobwhites including flooding, winter storms, and drought. It is a marvel these birds continue to thrive when almost every variable is against their survival.
While the plow and agricultural practices were initially a catalyst for quail, continued “clean” farming and urban sprawl reduced quail habitat over the years. Nevertheless, many people in the Midwest are determined to see quail return in force. Habitat managers have reintroduced fire to the landscape. Farmers and ranchers have focused on precision techniques and created shelterbelts and brushy cover for the birds.
Not everyone in the region hunts quail, but there is a common consensus that quail are good for the landscape. Many people fondly remember hearing the calls of quail in the spring or a delicious meal of quail. There is a legacy of quail in the Midwest – a vestige of the past but also a promise for the future.
When it comes to hunting, quail can sometimes be an afterthought in the land of corn-fed beef and trophy whitetails. However, there is a strong undercurrent of bobwhite quail hunters that are devoted to the bird.
The culture of the Midwest quail hunter is strong-willed and enduring. Frayed pants, faded blaze orange vests, and boot soles worn smooth from miles of walking are the norm. Break open, small-bore shotguns are gaining in popularity, but 12-gauge semi-autos are still the norm. Typically, hunts take place solo or with a single friend or family member. Three or more is considered a crowd unless also chasing pheasants.
Most hunts are behind pointing dogs, with German shorthairs being the most popular breed. However, throughout the years I have seen Labs, spaniels, and golden retrievers produce birds for their owners. It is not uncommon to see a truck with a mixed kennel of dogs bouncing down a gravel road.
While the versatile breeds can point and retrieve, my preferred combination are pointing dogs with flushing dogs.
Pointers must learn to run field edges and work objectives in search of birds. Shrub cover, grass clumps, and brushy draws tend to produce the most birds. On warmer days, the dogs should search creek beds for coveys near water or in the shade.
As you move onto the prairies, plum thickets become areas of refuge for birds throughout the season. There are two thoughts to covering large tracts of land, utilize a big running dog or spend more time covering the area on foot. My preference is for the dog to clear the section. A dog on point in the middle of the prairie or on a tight field edge is an impressive sight.
When the days get warm, folks will run their dogs in the mornings and evenings, but as winter arrives, they will stick to the middle part of the day. However, an unwritten rule exists that golden hour should be avoided when quail hunting. Breaking up coveys as temperatures drop is a bad idea, as individual quail often do not have the warmth to make it through the night.
Quail are also left alone during the coldest days of the year and after big snowstorms. The severe winter weather puts pressure on the birds to survive and the Midwest quail hunter doesn’t believe in adding to the struggle. Although winter can take days or weeks off your season, it’s our duty to give the quail a chance.
Once you find a covey, another challenge presents itself. Because bobwhites like edges, you must situate yourself in front of the dog and the birds. This often requires a wide swing around a point or risk the birds flying out of range. However, this tactic is not always possible because of natural barriers like creeks and impenetrable thickets. Sometimes you must enjoy the simple truth that your dog located a covey and save your shot for another day. If you do shoot a bird over a creek or stream it is important to have a retriever to recover your bird. A mastery of each of the elements improves your experience and develops better bird dogs.
Midwest quail culture is sensible and based in work ethic. No day is the same. You appreciate the good ones and learn from the bad ones. It is also an escape to a simpler time – it’s you and your bird dogs against the elements. The quail win most of the time, but that’s how it should be.
Douglas Spale is an attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and serves on the National Board of Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. Spale grew up in Nebraska, spent a few years practicing law in Chicago, but has now returned to the prairies and lives in Kansas City with his wife, their son, and three dogs. Each year Douglas enjoys traveling the county in search of new adventures, landscapes, and upland birds with his Labrador and English setter.