Quail Hunt with the EVOL .22(pics&video)

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Decided to head out with the dog for a few days to hunt Quail and film for a few projects I have going on. The weather has been really cold here so I wasn't sure what to expect with the animal activity. It's been a few years since I've had any luck with Quail hunting, I tend to always spot them when I'm hiking around without a rifle or when they aren't in season is usually how it goes.

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This time I brought with me the AAA EVOL standard in .22 caliber that puts out 40fpe with the JSB redesigns, super accurate.

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(10 shots @35 yards)

I mounted the new Hawke Airmax 4-16x50 that so far I've been extremely pleased with as it pairs with my camera very well. I really like this model EVOL as it's a good step between the Mini and the HP version with 60+fpe..It gets 60 shots with a 4k fill and the weight is just 7lbs so it's not bad to carry around most of the day. Marley and I had a hell of a time hiking through some thick brush to find the Quail, I did spot a few covey's but wasn't able to connect with one until late evening.

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Spotted a covey headed up the hill and tagged this guy at 74 yards, super excited to have some luck and be able to cook him that evening. If you haven't had the privilege to eat Quail I highly recommend it, similar to chicken but much better.

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We had a great camp setup, it got down to 28 degrees so bringing the tent stove to keep us warm through the night was a good call. Cheers!

https://youtu.be/c22_U7H9vd0
 
@crosman999 Uhhh Dana. I don’t know anyone that hunts quail this way. That’s awesome!! Truly beautiful birds. They are good eating too. I’m curious to see how many you nail. What’s the bag limit? I also noticed how you mounted that flip cap on the sunshade. Nice. I have been thinking of doing this on my occular lens cover because it gets in the way of my throw lever. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your outing. I’ll be waiting for the video. 
 
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@crosman999 Uhhh Dana. I don’t know anyone that hunts quail this way. That’s awesome!! Truly beautiful birds. They are good eating too. I’m curious to see how many you nail. What’s the bag limit? I also noticed how you mounted that flip cap on the sunshade. Nice. I have been thinking of doing this on my occular lens cover because it gets in the way of my throw lever. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your outing. I’ll be waiting for the video.
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Ive never actually reached the limit that's 10, the most I ever got in a day when I was younger was 4. The areas I hunt are plentiful but extremely difficult terrain and really thick brush. I can't really use my dog to flush them like you would with a shotgun so you basically have to find a covey and wait for them to move into the open when traveling. This particular trip I encountered quite a few but was only limited to long shots. Hunting them with an Air rifle can be really frustrating, not like they pearched up on a power line. Haha The thing about using an Airgun is they usually don't notice your shooting at them if you stay far away. They tend to mingle together in circles unless you get on top of them, they will get spooked and glide off into the thick stuff never to be seen again. Lol I'm usually happy to get just one but a good meal would be probably three or four on a lucky day with a shotgun. Yes, those flip covers work well for me on the scope when traveling from spot to spot, sometimes branches break off and can get on the scope lens along with dust and debris. I use a camera so keeping the glass clean is imperative. Thanks for the comment!
 
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@crosman999 I was watching this before bed and didn’t make it all the way through. So far I’m am enjoying your footage! I like how you edit your camera shots (eventually you may get tired of me saying that). Thank you for the informative bit on the bipod and leg extensions. Good shooting and I like how Marley works with you on those longer shots in that sort of terrain. She’s a good looking hunting buddy. Hopefully I’ll finish watching by this evening. 
 
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IMHO Quail is at the top of the list of gamebirds for the table. Really nice retrieve by your pup. 

Most people don't know those short legged little German bloodlines are rooted in tracking game. If you're interested in working dogs and blood trailing, I highly recommend the book penned by John Jeanneny. https://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Dogs-Finding-Wounded-Deer/dp/0972508929

It is a thorough piece of literature on training, gear and dog breeds for the task. John breeds wirehaired dachshunds and makes a good case for putting them on a pedestal for this kind of work. I have used a lab and two weimaraners that served well on both fur and feather.
 
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IMHO Quail is at the top of the list of gamebirds for the table. Really nice retrieve by your pup. 

Most people don't know those short legged little German bloodlines are rooted in tracking game. If you're interested in working dogs and blood trailing, I highly recommend the book penned by John Jeanneny. https://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Dogs-Finding-Wounded-Deer/dp/0972508929

It is a thorough piece of literature on training, gear and dog breeds for the task. John breeds wirehaired dachshunds and makes a good case for putting them on a pedestal for this kind of work. I have used a lab and two weimaraners that served well on both fur and feather.
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Thanks, I think she's well beyond good on the training. Usually it's the owners that need work. 
 
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@Crosman999 I liked the music at the end. I'm definitely interested in hearing more about camping gear like tents, stoves, etc. After finishing this video I'd like to know, how often do you clean your Evol after taking it out and getting dusty and dirty? How do you clean it? Same for question for your Accu-tac bipod. Also, how old is Marley?
 
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@Crosman999 I liked the music at the end. I'm definitely interested in hearing more about camping gear like tents, stoves, etc. After finishing this video I'd like to know, how often do you clean your Evol after taking it out and getting dusty and dirty? How do you clean it? Same for question for your Accu-tac bipod. Also, how old is Marley?
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I plan to show much more camping gear over the next year, lots of cool stuff coming. As far as the cleaning goes it's a never-ending battle, especially during the windy months. I spend most of each morning cleaning both the guns and camera gear. Last year I spent over 200 days in the field so have a fairly regular regiment of work that goes into each one of my days when out camping/filming. When I return home everything has to be pulled out, cleaned, supplies replenished and packed again for the next trip the following week. I keep the majority of my supplies in old milk crates that work very well for transporting and moving around. As for the bipod I don't think it's ever been more than dusted off. One of the reasons I prefer top quality stuff is that it's generally much more durable. Marley will be 8 years old in January
 
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@Crosman999 I liked the music at the end. I'm definitely interested in hearing more about camping gear like tents, stoves, etc. After finishing this video I'd like to know, how often do you clean your Evol after taking it out and getting dusty and dirty? How do you clean it? Same for question for your Accu-tac bipod. Also, how old is Marley?
Click to expand...

I plan to show much more camping gear over the next year, lots of cool stuff coming. As far as the cleaning goes it's a never-ending battle, especially during the windy months. I spend most of each morning cleaning both the guns and camera gear. Last year I spent over 200 days in the field so have a fairly regular regiment of work that goes into each one of my days when out camping/filming. When I return home everything has to be pulled out, cleaned, supplies replenished and packed again for the next trip the following week. I keep the majority of my supplies in old milk crates that work very well for transporting and moving around. As for the bipod I don't think it's ever been more than dusted off. One of the reasons I prefer top quality stuff is that it's generally much more durable. Marley will be 8 years old in January
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Good to know. I ask because I’ve been spending a decent amount of time moving through undergrowth hunting in the woods and I have been doing more cleaning than I’m accustomed to. Now I don’t feel that it’s so excessive. I don’t like to put dirty guns into clean bags or cases.


8? She has good energy. I look forward to checking out videos discussing your gear more in-depth. 
 
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