The best parts of bird hunting are the friends and the memories. Sometime in the mid-seventies, Sharon and I were invited to fill a spot in a joint lease held by a group of husband/wife hunters that included a number of management level people with Shell Oil. The lease was just west of Yoakum, Texas and the area still held enough covies of quail to make the trips interesting. I was way over my class with the experience and expertise of this group of hunters ....Dick and Phylis Nelson, Dan and Helen Roe, Ken and Peggy Cloninger and we were frequently joined by Earl and Hazle Pearson (retired from Arthur Anderson) and an assortment of Pointers, Brittany Spaniels (as they were called back then) and an occasional Settter. Dick, and his wife Phylis, are both outstanding wing shots. Phyllis holds the record, to my knowledge, of the number of birds downed on a single covey rise ... five!

I can still recall moments of most of those hunts. I was new to this level of hunting, coming from early trips in East Texas when one covey a day was a bonanza! Dan seemed to be the ‘guide’ on most of these outings and he was a quail hunting machine. I almost felt like each find initiated a “forced march”! A good day was measured by the kill count at the end of the day. Some of us however got more thrill out of the dog work than how many and how quick the limits came. In fact, a couple of bang-up finds by one of my dogs was enough to fill the next month with memories, and still do so today.

Sharing that feeling with Dick, we started meeting on weekends just west of Rosenberg on property owned by Earl. These became the best of those times and solidified a lifelong friendship and learning experience for me. Dick and I, and frequently Earl, spent many a Sunday afternoon with a surprising number of quail in the rolling grassland and dense Trinity river bottom ...then we were back home by 8 PM for the Sunday night movie on TV ... that is, when we didn’t get my Suburban stuck in the gumbo clay that once ‘swallowed’ the truck. It was a long walk to the highway that night and a tough call to the girls to pick us up!

Eventually, our friend Joe Coleman invited us to hunt at his ranch south of Ramirez, between Hebronville and Falfurrias. Joe’s customized VW hunting vehicle sputtered out before our group, five of us in all, left the camp that morning and we spent the first four hours getting a spare part installed. Finally, at about 11:30 AM, we took off and were back by 3:00 PM with five limits ... and it took that long only because we limited one shooter to each covie rise! I tried to keep a covey tab but they were coming so fast I lost count. On the trip home, Dick and I decided we wanted our own place in that country! Dos Jefes became the fulfillment of that dream.

Dick had a number of hunting friends, all quality gentlemen, who shared his passion for quail and bird dogs. George Helland of Cameron Iron Works was, and is still, one of those who join Dick each year. That annual trip will take place next week and I have no doubt that it will be another memorable trip. He shared his pre-hunt note to George with me and gave me permission to share it ....

Dear George- as engineers, we both suffer a love for the classics, and whoa- the fact that advances can happen. My favorite gun in my cabinet is a Winchester Model 21 20 ga. Skeet gun, acquired in 53, always will be. Traded a wonderful Browning A5 for it and it never let me down. Many a quail.

Then came my (yours) introduction to So TX and the perceived need for more pellets. Came the deadliest gun I ever shot, my Browning Superlight O/U 12 ga bored skeet & IC, straight stock. If I might say so- a miss was a rarity! At least that is how I remember it. But it kicked!

So finally I joined Sam Walton as a Remington 1100 fan, soft on the body and deadly enough. Hope to get at least a dozen birds this year and it will be the weapon of choice.

But remember my classic leanings, and I will repeat this old story. RCA building in 1958 and weekly noon window shopping at the then fabulous Abercrombie Fitch, 10 stories on Madison Ave, the 10th devoted to guns with a large section devoted to estate liquidations. Twas a perfect matched pair of Purdeys @ $3200 that I visited for weeks on end. A tough hill to climb at $760/month, 3 kids. So I had to pass- wish I could forget, but I drooled over those doubles, and wish they were mine. Time marches on.

Have a great trip friends!

Early Freeze!

Click Picture To Enlarge

I do not recall seeing a forecast freeze this early in South Texas though I suspect someone will challenge that successfully! Tonight's (12.4.09) forecast:

Freeze Warning
Special Weather Statement
Hazardous Weather Outlook

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 26.
North wind between 6 and 8 mph.

This will most likely insure that any possible nesting activity will be over for quail this year! Just hope there is enough feed and cover to get them through! Time will tell!

Quail Decline Theory

Thanks to Gareth Cook and Ed Small for forwarding this important article. (Please say it's not so!)

Disease may play role in quail decline

November 23, 2009
Writer(s):Steve Byrns, Dr. Dale Rollins of Texas A&M.

SAN ANGELO – Disease may be playing a role in the demise of Texas quail, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

“Quail season has been disappointing,” said Dr. Dale Rollins, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo. “By Texas standards, wild quail hunting has been sub-par since 2006, and I’m wondering if disease might not be part of the puzzle. Certainly, it’s probably not the key reason, but I’m starting to suspect it may be a contributing factor.”

Rollins said coccidiosis (malady caused by parasitic protozoans of the digestive system) is often blamed, but exactly what disease might be behind the drop in quail populations, or even if there is a disease contributing to the problem, is currently unknown. He said there are other potential threats, including West Nile Virus, avian influenza, avian cholera and avian tuberculosis that may be factors.

Sick quail don’t last long before something eats them, so disease surveillance in wild quail is a tough proposition, according to Rollins.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the possible role disease plays in quail dynamics,” Rollins said. “When you think about it, the birds offer a perfect biological fuse for disease spread among the population. They are social birds, and when a covey dwindles to less than about six birds, they go join another covey.

“Blue quail used to be common over areas as far east as Throckmorton, but they disappeared over much of their range in 1988; December 1988 to be exact in my opinion. While hunting in Crockett County that December, I dressed several birds with spotted livers, but didn’t think much of it. I just took some photographs and discarded the birds. Within months, blue quail had vanished as far west as the Pecos River. I can’t explain such a die-off except by some mystery disease. Suffice it to say my antennae are up for sick quail now.”

Rollins asks quail hunters to be on the lookout for sick quail this season. If birds taken are too light for their size or if a green discharge from the vent is spotted, he said it would be worth noting. He said to pay special attention to whether the liver has white or yellow nodules in it which are signs of a bacterial infection.

If disease is suspected, Rollins asks hunters to place the bird in a plastic zipper-type bag, refrigerate it and call him as soon as possible at 325-653-4576 or 325-776-2615.

Rollins is also the director of the 4,700-acre Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch at Roby. He said they are currently live-trapping quail at the ranch for leg-banding to support a radio telemetry project. At the same time, they also are collecting samples for disease and parasite testing.

“We’ll submit about 200 samples for screening of viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases,” he said. “These data will help us better understand whether various diseases really are a factor.

“A separate research project on eye worms and intestinal parasites was started in September in collaboration with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. Preliminary testing from quail collected on the research ranch last winter showed parasite infestation in the eyes, which may be noteworthy. When you’re a bobwhite, you live on the edge as it is; any debilitating factor like worms under your eyelids can’t be good.

“At the research ranch, we’re seeking to unravel just what’s happened to bobwhites and blue quail across much of the Rolling Plains,” he said. “We’ve adopted a philosophy of ‘leave no stone unturned.’ So, we’re investigating some heretofore overlooked agents, namely disease and parasites to see if they possibly are playing a more than minor role in the demise of Texas quail.”

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"sit" -- 'yes dad'!

I've often opined to friends that I would probably have been a better parent had I spent more time reading dog training books 'before' my sons were born. Unfortunately, they were in their teens by the time I started training my Brittanys and began compulsively reading everything written by Robert Wehle, Delmar Smith, and later by training beside Pete Thuman, Steven Harwood and a host of other talented people.

Each time I have made that observation, I get a strange look from people who then lecture me on the complexities of child rearing and my blatent insensitivity to the obvious differences between a dog and a child! Finally, I gave up on the idea and by the time my grandchildren came along, I had given up on suggestions of any sort.

Flash Forward to November 22, 2009 and an article in the New York Times has finally validated the potential brilliance of my long-forgotten suggestion.

The article, "Becoming the Alpha Dog in Your Own Home!" by Alex Williams suggests how simply watching TV's "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan has, for many, replaced a shelf full of books on how to tame an unruly child. It's all the same simple concept: how to be the pack leader in your own house..." A later quote from author Allison Pearson describes the obvious to every one of us who have witnessed the maturity and pride of a year old Brittany or Pointer or Lab when they get it right ... "Unlike modern parents, dog trainers don’t think discipline equals being mean. They understand that dogs are happiest when they know their position in the hierarchy.” The article also clearly discusses the differences and boundaries, but did point out "when you're wishy-washy with your dogs, they take advantage --- kids think the same way!"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/fashion/22dog.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

Change in Recommendation!

On the left side of this blog site, I have recommendations for resources I have used successfully for years. I am changing the resource for "dog boots" as of this posting.

In South Texas and many areas of the country, grass burrs (commonly known as 'stickers'), are a major problem for hunting dogs. A multitude of solutions have been used, from "duct tape" to "bicycle inner-tubes". Setter legend Joe Coleman was the first to introduce me to Cordura, an awning material that he used to design boots for his winning dogs. Dale Bush from College Station, a friend of Joe's, actually marketed the boots for awhile as the Coleman Dog Boot .

When Dick Nelson and I purchased Dos Jefes Ranch, south of Falfurias, we encountered major sticker problems. Early on, we purchased a Cordura awning material and had a professional seamstress custom make our own using velcro as the way to keep them on the dog's foot. They worked, to a point. The downside was that we frequently lost a few each hunt, leaving the dog unprotected on the exposed foot. We also had issuses with various types of 'threads' that eventually cut through the material, leaving the boots to 'flop' around freely.


NOT ANYMORE! Gareth Cook discovered www.dogbooties.com and all is well! The company is located in Duluth, MN--a long way from South Texas quail country -- but their boots, developed for large and competition dogs in the north country, have found a new life among an increasing number of Quail hunters!

The material is still Cordura, but it comes in a variety of strengths, and the sizes run from XXXS to XL. It's just that in Montana, a 'small' dog is not the same as 'our' small dogs!

The trick is ordering correctly. For my Brittanys, the 'extra small' size is perfect. Large Pointers might need a 'small". I advise ordering a couple of options and size them before placing a large order.

They also come with three 'closure wrap' options. I like the Velstrech Brand Fastener (these actually have a degree of stretch that I suspect is kinder to the dog's feet.) They also sell 'repair tape' and materials to make your own boots if you so desire.

The lightest material is the 330 Denier Cordura Booties and they come in many different colors, even pink (I still prefer the bright orange, easier to see if lost). The South Texas grass stickers did slightly penetrate this material, however they did not become lodged in the material. The 500 Denier boot, which comes in black only, is probably the better choice if you plan on more than one or two hunts a year! To the touch, the 330 and 500 feel the same, but our trip south two weeks ago sold me on the product so I'm ordering the 500, even though it makes less of a fashion statement!!!

Incidentally, this is not a paid endorsement....I just love this product!

Have fun!

First Dove hunt of the year!

Annie De Lamont

Email from Gareth Cook tonight. Super dove crop in Texas this year...longer season, larger limits and the normal opening weekend weather was a 'bit' better than usual! I love watching this great performer in action!

From: Gareth Cook
To: Bill Young
Sent: Fri, Sep 18, 2009 8:23 pm
Subject: She remembered

Well, your granddog remembered how to dove hunt. Last 2 days she has retrieved approximately 50 doves, some to the dismay of the 3 labs and 3 Brittanys I was hunting near today. Turns out she is quicker than they, even in her relatively overweight and out of shape condition. You would have loved it. When the alarm rang at 4:00 a.m. (I was headed to El Campo...I have no idea how she knew we were to go hunting), she arose and went to stand in front of the back door. When we got to the field, early, she sat about 5 yards away, focused on me and whining because I was not yet producing any birds. Refused to go back in the kennel (thankfully, it was pretty cool) due to the shots being fired elsewhere, even though I had my limit by 8:00 AM. Apparently it was not her limit. As you know, having a dove dog was pretty important to me, and I was not sure that a Brittany would be that. Your assurance on that point has proven true and accurate, as has all the other advice and wisdom you have given me. Also apparently, she is greatly appreciative that hunting season has finally arrived, since she has not been over 6 inches from me, her meal ticket. I think that she believes that I produce the birds for her personal enjoyment.

RAIN!!!!!

Hello Dolly De Lamont - Summer 2009

Within the last week, the area around Dos Jefes has recorded 2.58 inches of rain! Rain Dance continues!!! UPDATE 9.5.09-- Another .96 inch of rain today, more in the forecast this week!
ANOTHER UPDATE 9.11.09--An inch more this week and heavy rain thru saturday night forecast! Already hearing quail calling!

Schools' Open, School's Out!

Daisy Mae De Lamont -Summer 2009

Just as my two wonderful grandchildren (Taylor and Haley) are heading back to school, my two female Brittanies are just arriving back home from summer school!

Dolly and Daisy (pictured above) are back in the home kennel after six weeks of training at Bunny Brown's High Point Kennels.

Incidentally, Daisy's litter mate, HighPoint Blazen'Lamont out of former Natl Ch Bean's Blaze x Hello Dolly De Lamont is now officially standing stud at www.highpointkennels.com/

Catch Up Time!

Been a busy summer so have not spent lots of time staying current here.

Few catchup issues....first is RAIN (or lack of it.) We are located just a few miles west of the North entrance to the Mariposa Ranch and I stay up with rainfall amounts on their wonderful website. It's a large ranch and they show total rainfall in a number of areas, but it is a grim average for 2009. We are, as of the end of July,16 inches below the annual average by this time, 29.20 inch.

Question from a reader about how to contact John Dearman. He was, and I assume still is, represented by Collectors Covey. His consignment work is available through Luis Briones -- luis@friendswood.com or 281 482-2202. Hope that helps.

Hey, We Got Style!

Bunny Brown and High Point Blazen' Lamont
(C) 2008 Fort Worth, Texas Magazine Venture, LP.

Lamont Brittany Featured in Magazine!

Perhaps its a bit 'hoity toity' for a hunting-dog blog site, but I've never had one of our Lamont hunting dogs appear in such a high-fashion setting, so I just have to crow a bit about it! In the current (May 2009) issue of the "Fort Worth, Texas" (city magazine), there is an eight-page feature entitled "An Unconventional Breed" on "non-traditonal" career paths of seven Ft. Worth women.
http://www.fwtx.com/content.php?page=cms&id=50

Allison "Bunny" Brown, the outstanding Grandbury pro-trainer who owns and trains Brittanys, is featured in the article which includes two-year old "Blaze" (pictured) out of Natl Ch Bean's Blaze and our very special Hello Dolly De Lamont. Great article! Thanks for including your outstanding Lamont Stud Dog! I hunted over Blaze this past season and he is amazing!!! Ck out Bunny's website at: http://www.highpointkennels.com/

What a way to end the season!

Robert Barksdale sends along some pix from his last South Texas Hunt at John Hall's ranch, NW of Falfurrias. A shared find from his 1 1/2 year old Lady De Lamont and his aging but outstanding Bitch Queenie with a world class back! Plus, two more great shots. Thanks Robert ... what a year you have had! Here's to many more! (click on picture for larger view)

Last Hunt of the Season

Phyllis & Dick Nelson

Cataract surgery tomorrow knocks out any chance to sneak in a 'last week' hunt. However, friend Gareth Cook has graciously offered to take Dolly, Daisy and Bear with him for an afternoon hunt just west of Houston ... thanks Gareth!

Meanwhile, Robert Barksdale was back in South Texas last weekend at a ranch Northwest of Falfurrias. Found loads of birds and was proud of his two Brittany females. He reports that 18 month old Lady DeLamont continues to impress him with multiple finds. Lady was trained by Bunny Brown (http://www.highpointkennels.com) last fall and is staunch on point, steady to wing & shot and retrieves like a champ (we should all be so lucky with such at this age!)

Dos Jefes partner Dick Nelson sends a report from last weekend ... he is headed back later this week! Go Get 'em Partner!

----- Original Message -----

From: Phyllis & Dick Nelson

To: Bill Young

Cc: Judd Miller, George Helland, Dalton Tomlin

Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 1:18 PM

Subject: Dos Jefes

Phyllis and I spent this last weekend at Dos Jefes, our first trip this year. We can confirm and expand on your last report. We have a bumper crop of quail again this year! Dogs were on the ground Saturday and on Sunday morning, and were working birds the whole time. Typically 10 covies in 2 1/2 hours. Not a record number as my pals were somewhat slow on each covey, but the dogs were usually awaiting us on a new point when we finished the last rise. Fabulous, no place like it!

We spent our time west of the compound. The cover is just right everywhere except between 281 and the cabins. There the sunflowers are still a little thick though not at all like last year and I expect them to go down in the next rain- if that ever happens. There were birds everywhere we hunted, along the highline on both sides, several covies around North Hill, and the area East of Baluarte was very productive. We visited our dove pond, and then headed back East on Dove Pond Rd. Just past the big thicket, we pulled north off the road and up flushed so many quail that I emoted "Holy Moley" for the first time in my 65 years pursuing birds. No bull, we must have busted a covey convention as 30/40 quail poured out of there. I am not exaggerating!

My Lamonts pleased as always . Buck at 11 years is losing his boundless stamina, but is wonderful while he lasts. Stuart at 7 is in his prime and may be the best I've owned. He is certainly in the top three of my 60 years of bird dogs. Thank Sharon again for choosing them for us. All our love. Phyllis and Dick

Last Week of Season

GRRRR ... My catarac surgery is scheduled this week. Months ago, my name went on a list for a date for this needed procedure before realizing it was likely to conflict with the important end of bird season in Texas! Oh well ... it's been a good year and I'm proud of the times we had with friends and some great performances by the dogs. There is a chance of rain in the forecast for the following week and with good luck for spring rains, we have plenty of 'brood stock' to set up a good crop for next season.

Deer and Turkey will benefit from the rain too! Already, a few spring Toms are showing up. Surprising that our guest's did less deer hunting this year ... amazing how bird dogs and a good bird year can change a hunter's priorities!

Just had a call from Phylis Nelson as they were headed home to Kerrville after their weekend at Dos Jefes. Good report and a lot of pride on Dick's part in their Lamont dog "Stu". Dick tells me he has really blossomed into an impressive bird finder. If anyone knows a bird dog ... it is Dick Nelson (he's owned some spectacular dogs over the years!)

Bird Dog Report

Boogie Bear DeLamont (click to enlarge)

Ample birds so far this year ... Holidays produced 8 to 10 covies each hunt for each of two groups.

I love the colors this time of year, particularly the deep orange and white of a Lamont dog on point in a typical South Texas setting.
Boogie Bear De Lamont with find and retrieve (photo by Julie Hoffman)