Quail hunting is well known among lovers of this large bird of the chicken family. However, today its stock due to the thoughtless chemicalization of agriculture has decreased significantly, and the quail trill can be heard less and less in places of its original habitat.
Quail hunting is considered the most common, which can also be called universal: this bird runs more than flies. Its favorite habitats are upland open meadows near rivers and inland waters. Especially many clusters occur near crops of buckwheat, millet, clover and other small cereals.
A successful quail hunt implies the presence of a gundog dog, which, thanks to its strong instinct and coaching, takes the killed game directly to the hunter's feet for a broad search.
In the afternoon, when the sun is high at its zenith, this bird runs in tall grass and weeds, trying to stay in the shade, so at this time of the day you need to rest.
In general, he is considered a night bird: it is at this time of day that he runs out to feed.
Many believe that quail hunting is possible with any dog, but this is a false assumption. Only a thoroughbred can find the bird, bring the owner to it, and then submit the killed prey. Pointers , German cops, Irish and English long-haired setters are best suited for this, although the latter are hard to “work” in the hot south.
However, without a fourth friend, quail hunting is successful. For this you just need to choose places where corn, sorghum, millet, etc. grow nearby. It is necessary to search for a bird slowly, saving energy and searching all possible places for shelter - bushes, piles of straw, sometimes even lumps of earth.
The only minor inconvenience is the difficulty of finding a dead quail. But here there is one sure remedy: it is necessary to precisely mark the place where the prey fell on agitated herbs, and go to it without taking your eyes off this area.
The best quail hunt is in the early morning, when the heat has not yet begun, and in cloudy weather - even a whole day.
Shooting quail is quite simple, because at whatever angle the scared bird takes off, it will go further only at a straight line low enough above the ground. Therefore, even with a slight lead, it is difficult to miss.
Hunters know that for shooting quail it is better to take a gun of the 16th caliber and a fraction of the eighth or ninth number. Dressing is easy: cotton trousers and a protective tunic are perfect for disguise , and a cap with a visor or a straw hat is ideal as a headdress.
The period of flight of quail is the end of August or the beginning of September. At this time, they can be observed in large quantities in the European part of our country.
Each hunter approaches his favorite pastime individually, each has his own methods and preferences. But no matter how different opinions about how to hunt, there is one thing in one: it is much better if the bird itself flies to the catcher.
And how to attract prey to yourself, if not a decoy that imitates the timbre, pitch, amplitude, rhythm of the quail trill. Today there are a huge number of them, up to the latest technical developments - electronic.
Even professionals recognize that hunting for quail with semolina, especially electronic, allows you to bring home a lot more prey, because even a beginner can easily cope with this device: the main thing is to choose the right place and time, set it to the desired mode and press the button.
No less productive is hunting for partridges with decoy, to the sounds of which this bird is lured from a coppice or forest into an open space, where it gathers for a brood. And then the hunter can only not miss the right moment.
Read more at .