Hunter1492

I agree with walking and stopping occasionally to spook the birds. Usually I'll go 10-15 yards then stop. Always keep an eye on the dog to see how he is acting. Normally I try to seek the birds best cover areas. I know they like soft thicktall or curled over grasses near food instead of more open see through thorny cover. Also if its windy they will usually be out of the wind in lower areas as it will keep them much warmer. When the sun is out often you'll find them on the sunny side of a hill in nice soft grass warming up.

Its is exceptionally hard to hunt large public land without more dogs and people. If you're in an area with cut paths you should be able to hunton your own or with friends and get the job done either way. I do fine with one dog by myselfbut my dog is better than most and I've hunted with many different bird dogs.

I know you didn't ask but I'll tell you anyways. Usually Quail are found at the edge of the field near thick cover in briars and bushy type of terrain where they can have good roostingcover and escape paths.

Have a great holiday and good hunting to you!

MNpurple

Good advice so far, and I'll add a couple more.

Hunt as earlyor as late as your legal shooting time permits. In the early morning and late afternoon pheasants are moving to and from cover and food. If legal shooting is at first light be there then as pheasants will be leaving their cover to eat and late afternoon, pheasants will be leaving food to roost. When you catch them moving, you catch them off guard and they may be easier to flush (important that you hunt in stealth mode so you suprise them). When you hunt them during the day, they are often in cover that they feel comfortable in and are then harder to flush.

Here in MN, late season means cattail sloughs. The native prairie grasses that held birds early in the year dont hold much anymore as the birds want the heavy cover.