Iowa Bobwhite Quail Hunting
Bobwhite Quail Hunting Quality
Good quail hunting is based on good habitat. That is constant from season to season and that good quail habitat is more accurately described as nesting cover that extends to heavier winter cover and always near a food source. With this combination the covey renews itself each year. Take a more detailed look at the habitat that provides the best Iowa quail hunting.
Grass and brush line along a fallow corner of a row crop farm. No cactus or snakes and cool all day long dog running weather.
A long time trainer of dogs and strictly a Bobwhite Quail hunter that acknowledges it takes a dog that can work the habitat to find the birds. Quail hunting dog power is often a discussion amongst our hunters traveling from multiple states and bird hunting backgrounds. These varied opinions from plains and woods grouse hunters, flushing, retrieving and pointing breed owners, individual dog and brace dog hunters and so on have given us greater insight as to what works, what works best and far more than we could learn from our own limited direct observation and hunt style. The general answer is that all dogs will find quail, some are just better at it than others.
Single Dog Hunters
What better proof than that of a picture from long time self guided Iowa quail hunting member of over 20 years with his latest dog, Belle. Jerry and Bell start the year Iowa quail hunting and continue through Iowa's January quail only upland bird season hunting one dog at a time.
Hunt The Hunter's Way
What is nicer than seeing two young dogs working this well? This is a small snapshot of what a dry drainage looks like for some of the better habitat. This one runs through a corn field. This is not "ditch" hunting as many have described Iowa's roadside bird hunts of those too cheap to make a better experience from hunting the better habitat within the farm.
Bobwhite Quail populations allow for a day's limit for those with the dog power and desire to walk. Iowa quail habitat runs for miles along the drainage's of the upper Grand River watershed in Southern Iowa.
This picture happens to be from the last hunt of the season during the last week. The dog, Belle, was 11 years old in this picture.
A close working setter.
Hunter's Choice
Iowa wild Bobwhite Quail hunting is an upland bird choice not well known amongst quail hunters with Iowa pheasant hunting overwhelming that of its quail.
While our Iowa quail hunts are not comparable to the vast area of quail distribution to be found in Kansas or Missouri, there is a concentration of quail in the south-central and southwest portion of Iowa. This combined with an earlier quail season opener than that of Kansas or Missouri gives the quail hunter one more week of field time.
A second advantage is the earlier to arrive colder winter temperatures of this northern of all Association lease land allowing for earlier in the season endurance dog work by avoiding heat fatigue. However, perhaps the better advantage of this season is the ease of fitting the hunt into the busy work life many hunters must accommodate.
With the Association's approach to managed self guided hunts allowing the hunter to set his own schedule, Iowa's season brings a bit more flexibility to that schedule both on the calendar and in terms of weather.
Drainage Cover & Crop Habitat
Iowa Bobwhite Quail hunts are along the shallow drains of the upper fringe of the Grand River watershed and its feeder tributaries. These drains have infrequent woody cover from brush to the tallest of trees to be found and include much weeds and prairie grass. This combination of quail cover variety with its many irregularities make it necessary to walk every mile of it to find the many spots that may appear no different to the hunter than the previous dozen but to the quail are the ideal loafing spot.
These quail hot spots once found may number from one to many on the same farm. If it is a covey, single quail or a pheasant it will always be a mystery up to the flush and in each case the Iowa quail hunter can never anticipate which for if he does the bird more frequently than not will make him a liar.
For those upland bird hunters that seek a pure pheasant or Bobwhite Quail hunt experience, Iowa is not your state of choice. For while the quail are present in good numbers, that very same habitat will hold the rooster as well.
The quail hunting only hunter that disdains the pheasant is better off in Missouri or Kansas. The upland bird hunter that enjoys the unexpected nature of this habitat will enjoy a mixed bag pheasant and quail hunt equal to that which may be found in Kansas.
Traveling Hunters
MAHA Iowa quail hunting lease land offers the traveling do it yourself quail hunter a chance to explore new areas and break up his quail hunting trip by hunting at various quail regions along the route.
This option is also is a chance to shorten up the driving distance and break it up with a hunt of a day or two and then move on to other habitat types and additional birds.
For most hunters the chance to hunt a different area, Iowa quail habitat and weather condition is exactly the variety desired over that of returning to the same fields on each hunt. This bit of adventure simply makes for an overall more enjoyable hunt.
Least Used
Iowa has a split ending for its upland bird season ending the pheasant season in early January when its seasonal upland bird hunting license expires while allowing quail hunting until January 31. What occurs is that most do not hunt the quail only middle to late January period.
This time period, in our most northern of the three states of leases, typically allows for colder dog friendly weather and plenty of tree covered drainage's to block any wind making for a higher probability of better hunting conditions.
This Iowa quail habitat may be contrasted to the big open of Kansas even with its greater abundance of pheasants and greater probability of higher wind speeds. And, very few quail hunters hunt during this period as most by this point of the three month season have walked and hunted plenty and their intensity has waned.
An additional Iowa quail hunting motivational degradation is the psychological block of having to buy another license at the season's end (pheasant in early January) even though it is good for the subsequent fall as well.
For those that truly want to quail hunt and do so when seeing another hunter is at its least probability this 21 day period is the time to be Iowa quail hunting.
Wild
All upland birds are 100% wild and all habitat natural. Real quail hunting conditions for those that want to hunt wild quail. And, we are careful not to oversell this organization.
Realize what it exactly is. We lease existing habitat in the right region of the state that has a history of good quail hunting in terms of bird population densities resulting from recurring reproduction success. We are also a do it yourself quail hunt organization where every hunter hunts on his own in a self guided manner.
We will also act as a friendly point of contact to ensure the new association quail hunter is jump started to where to go quail hunting. The final element we provide is a Iowa lodging listing for every county we lease land. These elements: private Iowa quail hunting land with habitat, recommendations where to quail hunt and lodging, are all the self guided quail hunter of his own bird dogs requires to ensure he starts off with a productive hunt.
The essential element is the quail hunter is paying us to set the ground work so that the hunter simply gets to hunt without the work associated with gaining land access.
After the first Iowa quail hunting season the hunter is on his own as our mission statement is for the do it yourself quail hunts for the hunters that can hunt on their own. Most hunters only need the habitat resources and then they can take care of their selves and hunt independent of any one holding their hand.
2011 Iowa Quail Hunting Land
Member/Hunter Courtesy
We seek the working relationship with Association hunters that lends toward sending in their hunt pictures and accounts for all to share on the update page. That is a mark we value as performing a good job for the hunter.
Jon,
Went on a four day quail hunt to [location deleted] counting arrival and departure days. The weather was warm, dry and not much wind. On the better mornings we averaged 5 birds in the bag taking anywhere from 1 to 3 quail per stop down to zero on the hot days. Each day we had one farm of no birds and on all others we either had quail, pheasant or both. My dog does much better in cold weather as he has a good standoff on pheasants and always does well on quail regardless of the conditions. During warm weather I observed he cuts the scent cone too close to allow the roosters to hold for point.
I could have taken more pictures of the dog with quail, but as it was warm we dressed all out as soon as we made it back to the truck. If I had sent in all the tailgate pictures they simply look like the same quail over again. The point pictures I sent will show better the amount of action we encountered.
Thanks for all you do. Having knocked on doors most of my life I can hardly believe how you are able to get so much land.
Jason
Same Hunter, Same Dog, Different Hunt
It is immaterial there are just 4 Bobwhite Quail in this picture. That dog is 8 months old on his first wild quail hunt. He is steady to point, wing, shot and drop. Breaks on command and hunts dead. He works at good range and honors other dogs on point. The quail represent his share of the harvest from the first field of the morning. We went on to get a sportsman's limit of six in the bag with two dropped and not recovered. The weather had turned hot and there was no wind.
Separate Kind Of Wild Bobwhite Quail Hunters
Quail Ground
Good example for the need of beeper collars.
One dog honoring another in thick quail cover after the covey flush. Good dog work is what our wild quail hunting is all about. The do it yourself hunter with his own dogs understands this concept. Others simply cannot. This is a quail hunting distinction, or the difference of those that enjoy their dogs more than quail.
The property where the two pictures above were taken. This was a three hour quail hunt walking north then back south up one side of the creek and down the other plus the fence line on the east side. This was just the first field of the day. The rest reserved amounted to another 820 acres.
Many non-residents are concerned about remaining within property lines. The outline of this quail hunting lease is as evident on the ground as it appears in the aerial photo.
Sometimes on some concepts we found the need over the years to reemphasize that concept to ensure those we would like to work with are the ones that call us. This block is such the case, we ask for the reader's patients and understanding.
Do it yourself wild Iowa Bobwhite Quail hunting for those that have the quail dog power, willingness to walk and shooting skills - the three prerequisites for wild quail hunting. For the quail hunters with these capabilities we have the acreage to hunt. Dad and child will be able to enjoy the day a field without the influence of other hunters.
Dog work on wild quail gains these type of results. Points, backs and habitat that allows dogs to be observed.
Bird dog hunting during the season only, no pre season dog training. Add to this that the Association provides a friendly point of contact for where to hunt, a lodging listing and that licenses are available over the counter throughout the year means that all the hunter has to do is travel to Association leases.
With our warmer winter climate than the northern states good quail hunts are likely right through to the end of the season in January. We also do not have cactus or snakes such as to be found in southern states.
Our quail hunting approach is centered on quality dog work. The conservation piece is the point of this discussion that supports quality dog work.
We do not covey shoot. To covey shoot is to shoot into the center of a covey and hope to knock down a bird rather than select a single bird and harvest it as a reward to the dog for its behavior. To covey shoot frequently means wounded birds and contrary to the clean kill principle.
Shoot what is pointed and pass on jump or wild flush birds. This idea gets to the root of understanding why anyone is quail hunting. If the purpose of the quail hunt is simply to harvest birds it is cheaper and less time consuming to preserve rather than wild quail hunt. Wild quail hunters typically fall into the category of the seasoned hunter seeking to watch his dog in action. Harvesting only pointed quail and leaving the rest means more dog work and of course less birds in the bag.
Not quail hunting the last hour of light to allow the covey to reform and roost together through the night.
Safety is must always be discussed. The safest quail hunting is single shot only, no doubles. This is the process of dog on point, hunter flushed bird, one shot and then bird in the bag or not. A good hunt then comes down to the number of birds first pointed, shot at with one shell and those bagged. Swinging on quail doubles with other hunters or dogs in the field may lead to unwanted consequences.
Value
For the self guided quail hunter we will provide the private land for his quail hunts that are recommended to him his first year and that extra little effort at the beginning is typically all that is required for many more seasons of quail hunting to come. After a while each hunter develops his favored region and may hunt that at the beginning of each trip. After the second trip the enjoyment of walking over new ground takes hold and that added enjoyment becomes anticipate each hunt thereafter.
Where to Hunt
MAHA Iowa lease land is within the highlighted region of overlapping quail and Iowa pheasant populations where the upper fringes of the Grand River Basin reaches north out of Missouri and tapers off into many shallow drains excellent for quail hunts.
Running bird dogs on this brush habitat then venturing down to Missouri quail region with Missouri's soft crop edge habitat and then capping off a trip for a Kansas quail hunt of the brush filled draws with plumb thickets completes the wild bobwhite hunts we offer. This will give the upland bird hunter a variety of habitat to hunt, pheasant and quail to work his dogs.
Not A Club
MAHA is a business and not a good ol' boys hunt'n club.
As a business we draw our family livelihood from keeping our quail hunters satisfied with good quail hunting in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri that is not competitive with pressure by hunter or dog. That is the means by which we ensure our members renew their membership for years of quail hunting to come. And, our quail hunters do return for the many value points we offer. The central value is wild quail hunting, next is flexibility at hunt scheduling, third is lack of competition and finally the ability to hunt different fields every day.
The other advantage to those that become members in terms of this being a business is fair treatment as we recognize treating hunters right makes for a more stable membership.
This is expressed in terms that all members receive the same lease land map issue at the same time when maps are updated throughout the calendar year (it is online), all members have the same telephone reservation system. This fairness extends to there is not any seniority system and we will always be friendly to all and all are made well aware we have no friendship type favoritism toward any.
The only MAHA staff advantage given to any is to the first season quail hunter is to ensure we talk a bit more time to get him to the right region of the state and the right habitat for the quail hunting he most desires. In terms of our Iowa Bobwhite Quail hunting there are more miles of edge habitat along shallow drainage's breaking up crop fields than anyone could measure.
After the first season most quail hunters can take care of their self. This may all begin with our Iowa quail hunting land and soon most self guided hunters expand to the other states for the adventure of exploring new areas.
Do It Yourself Hunts Only
Another aspect of this Association being a business is that we will not allow any quail hunter that does not meet our prescribed criteria entry into this organization.
This Association exists for the best quail hunting we can provide and not any type of pre season dog training, guide service, member client entertainment, etc. Again the theme is wild quail hunts for the bird dog loving average do it yourself hunter.
About as tough as it gets during the season.
