Texas quail are by FAR our favorite bird to hunt! We had the pleasure of spending 3 days with West Texas Quail Outfitters hunting near Alpine, Texas. Chasing scaled quail in the shadow of the Davis mountains on crisp west Texas days is about as good as upland bird hunting gets. The guides, Ryan and Josh, are hard working guys and did all they could to put us in the right places. They were an absolute pleasure to hunt with.
But know that hunting wild birds means that bird counts are at the whim of the cycles of mother nature . This year finding birds at times was a challenge and required covering a lot of ground to hit the coveys. It reminds you that every bird is indeed a gift from God.
“Hunza”, the German Shorthaired Pointer
Quail flushed to the top of the cactus. We had four guns but this fast flying bird got clean away!
What is prettier in the field than English Pointers?
The “English” on point. We pitted the English Pointers against the German Shorthairs to see who would stick the most quail.
Hard point, stylish dog.
We love these beautiful dogs!
A hand full of Scaled or Blue quail.
A serious dog!
Cholla cactus.
The Davis mountains provide a beautiful backdrop.
The “Germans” on point.
A well worn Remington 870 20 gauge, a true workhorse.
These damn pigs are everywhere in Texas! Bacon is good, pork chops are good – but these pigs are nothing but trouble.
Our guide has an impressive string of bird dogs. GSPs, English Pointers and this pretty little Brittany. I hear they even have a Weimaraner! All great dogs.
Beautiful West Texas Skies!
Texas Cow.
We ended every hunting day with a nice picnic and a glass of wine. Ryan is from South Africa and says this is what they do over there on safari. A great time to relax and relive the hits and misses, unique and fun!
A nice stringer of birds.
This was a wonderful hunt in beautiful country.
Sweet Tex turned seven years old yesterday. Happy Birthday old boy!
Birdhunter 
I can’t believe Tex is seven years old…..he was just a puppy last year! Great story and photos.
Thank you Travis! I hope to get 5 more out of him. Thanks for visiting the Birdhunter.
Excellent photos.
Thank you Jerry!
Another great article. Loved the pictures. You’re very lucky to have been able to go on that hunt…wish I could’ve been there myself. That SxS you used is gorgeous, but the 870 reminded me of the time when I was about 14 or 15 and found a 20 gauge 870 with modified choke in the PX at the local navy base. I still remember the price – $149.99. New. It was light and nimble in my hands and I talked to my dad about it several time, but eventually passed and got a SxS myself. Every time I see one, though, I’m always reminded of that little honey from so long ago.
Thank you Dean! It is hard to beat a good old Remington 870! That double barrel is an Armas Garbi 28 gauge. I picked it up recently and will have a post on it soon. Thanks for visiting!
Great pics!! Where abouts in west Texas? I’ll bet that Armas Garbi 28 gauge cost a li’l bit more than $149.99!! 😉
Hi, Teddy-Jay! We were hunting in the Davis mountains and lodging in Alpine. You are correct on the 28!
How was the outfitter? Do you think it would be hard to go down there and hunt public land and chase those quail?
Hey Homer! The outfitter was awesome. I highly recommend those guys. The drawback to Texas is that there if not much public land to hunt on (that I know about). I think 99% of the state is private and that is one of the reasons why it is so expensive and why I don’t get to hunt there much. But I have not researched west Texas for public land so you might prove me wrong. Even if there is public land to hunt, there is a significant value to hiring someone who knows the area and may better get you on birds. Thanks for visiting the Birdhunter and good luck!
Texas is on my list of places to hunt so I might be contacting you again soon
I just returned from a run down Boquillas Canyon in Big Bend National Park in the canoe. The shuttle took us through the huge Black Gap WMA, which abuts the national park on the east. Good scalie country, though the rancher at our takeout on the river said this was not a great season for birds.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Sure!
Gorgeous Photos! Really enjoyed them!
Thanks Doc! I hope you and your brother had a terrific season.
Beautiful guns, beautiful country, beautiful weather and it looks like you enjoyed another beautiful hunt! Sure beats the hell out of the old dove hunts in the National Grasslands near Decatur. Hope you’re doing well. Sure enjoy the pic’s and the posts. Great job! Take care and holler at me the next time you’re in Texas and maybe we can catch a burger & a beer while you’re down. – C
Thanks Charley!!! We are doing well and hope you are too. I will be sure to let you know when we are headed that way. I would love to see you and catch up. Love that picture from our youth! I sure miss Texas!!!