Quail Species ID

[Scooter]

How does everybody determine whether they're flushing a Gambels, Scaled or Mearns??? I don't have a dog but I got a new 20ga and I wanna give it some exercise this fall. I just don't want to mess up and shoot up a covey of Mearns out of season. I know what they look like on the ground- but when you step on that covey and they flush, how can you tell species apart?

[Elkhunter1]

Mostly by where you are hunting, Gamble's I hunt in the desert areas around water, Mearns are in the hills around 4500 ft in the grass and Junipers along with catclaw. and I have only found Scallies in the grasslands. JM2CW.

[IA Born]

Mostly by where you are hunting, Gamble's I hunt in the desert areas around water, Mearns are in the hills around 4500 ft in the grass and Junipers along with catclaw. and I have only found Scallies in the grasslands. JM2CW.

 

What he said. Way back when I used to quail hunt, there was almost always a separation of habitat types.

[firstcoueswas80]

Mearns usually bust at the tips of your toes, gambels from about 100 yards (and if I recall correctly, gambles also make a heck of a lot of vocal noise when they bust too) and scalies, well, Ive only hunted them once.

[Scooter]

Mearns usually bust at the tips of your toes, gambels from about 100 yards (and if I recall correctly, gambles also make a heck of a lot of vocal noise when they bust too) and scalies, well, Ive only hunted them once.

 

Haha, Gambels do bust out pretty far away after you start hearing them talking. I guess you need a good pointer to get them locked up until you can get to them.