Following some videos with hunting sets in the Media Veda that I uploaded last season to my channel, there were those who wrote to me to ask me how to recognize a quail with chickens and thus avoid what none of us wants, beheading a family when a large part of its members are still unable to fend for themselves.
Yes, I know that there is too much left for the quail unveiling, but who is going to deny that we already have instinct and thoughts focused on it, so here are some simple tips to know how to recognize a quail with chickens and separate the finger from the trigger Or at least sense it.
How to recognize a quail with chickens?
Being a hunter implies developing our activity in an ethical and responsible way, perhaps that is why it makes me so angry to find some unscrupulous shotgunner, setting fire to everything that runs or flies, denying the damage it can cause.
Because I understand hunting from instinct, but also from poise and intelligence, essential qualities that should lead us to respectfully influence with the species.
I have always tried to project the value and importance of hunting through the dog, as well as raise the shotgun when something causes us doubts And this would be the first and great advice that I can give you…
If you perceive a strange behavior in the quail, something unusual, that screeches at you, simply pull for temperance and do not resolve the issue.
You will not have to pull your hair out if you were right and in the worst case, it will not go much further than a few hundred meters, which will give you the opportunity for another stalk.
Tips to recognize a quail with young
Wild species and animals in general are far from being an exact science, so their behavior can be extremely peculiar and differentiated depending on the specimen.
However, there are common or habitual guidelines, which, if followed, can lead us to intuit what is coming after and therefore, it is worth knowing in order to be prepared and not cause unnecessary damage.
Let’s go with those tips to know how to recognize a quail with chickens and why not, as always, I invite you to expand them with your experience.
Quail that fly short or in “bell mode”
Surely it is the first that comes to mind, because it is also common in many other species.
That quail that gets up in front of the dog and instead of trying to escape beyond our reach, performs a “bell-like flight” or simply jumps a few meters ahead, remaining “at our disposal” again.
Sometimes it can even look like it’s hurt.
And what it intends is precisely that, to draw our attention and distance us from its offspring, especially when they are only a few days old and probably not even able to take flight.
It is an easy behavior to identify, especially if you are not anxious when it comes to solving the cast and you have the habit of letting the bird fly, because the force and speed of the boat is usually lighter than normal.
Quail that bounces slower, but goes further…
Another rule that can allow us to recognize and identify the situation is that of that quail that, without embracing its traditional strength and speed in the boat, does take off from us and unlike in the previous scenario, tends to seek a safer shelter. far.
In the same way, it is usually indicative that something wants to hide and of course, what it tries to do is get us away from that area, trying to safeguard its chickens.
In these cases, the chickens are usually somewhat larger and it is not strange that seconds later, you see them escape randomly and in different directions.
Quail that flies with a characteristic “cri, cri, cri…”
If you have experience in hunting quail, surely you are familiar with that characteristic “prriiii” that it emits when it starts in flight after showing the dog.
However, when he has chickens, he usually adds to his traditional sound a kind of “cri, cri, cri” that accompanies his escape and that, in essence, is no longer a call or warning effect to his young, so that they hold on, to that they stay there and do not give away their presence.
The problem is that it doesn’t always do it when leaving, sometimes it emits it in mid-flight and this complicates our decision.
Most “nervous” dog in the sample
This is not a general advice to know how to recognize a quail with chickens, but a more explicit example of the attitude of my own dogs, especially Figo, who knows, maybe it can also help you.
In this case, when Figo stops by to sample a quail, he usually does so by staring at the bird in a very recognizable breed standard stance.
However, when the emanation includes the presence of chickens, I have noticed that his attitude is more “nervous”, less firm and there are even times when you see him looking down and moving his head noticeably from side to side, like if I were watching the chicks run around under the lombío.
In these cases, I don’t need to wait to assess the behavior of the mother, I already know that she has just found a brood and that her assets are only a few days old.
The pause, the great ally to know how to recognize a quail with chickens
As I was saying, this is not mathematics and by extension, nothing described above responds to an exact science.
Sometimes we have no way of detecting that brood that awaits after its mother’s flight, because it comes out strong, because it goes far away and because it doesn’t make a sound.
But if there is something that usually makes the decision easier, it is pausing and taking a few seconds before pulling the trigger.
Personally, I like to recreate myself with the flight of the bird, letting it take off, following it and aiming at it a few seconds before shooting, and this attitude has allowed me to notice the presence of chickens before executing the cast.
Incidentally, by putting it into practice, you minimize the risks of injuring your dogs and it is even possible that you improve the hit rate, because I still think that in a high percentage, when the hunter is pulling the trigger of his repeater for the third time, it is when you should really consider doing it for the first time…
A hug and to the mountain!
Surely you have a lot to contribute and we are looking forward to hearing it, so I encourage you to leave a comment on the form with your opinion.
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