Richard Nelson, district wildlife manager at North Platte, reported that hunting in the southwest was rather bleak last year. “The best report I can come up with is that quail hunting was poor last year,” he said. “It doesn’t look all that good this year, either. We had a bad ice storm in January that sure didn’t help the birds, and our whistle-count routes this year show an average of 10 to 12 per route; a few years ago we would tally 30 to 40.”

Randy Chinn of Columbus, a guy I’ve hunted with for over 25 years, does most of his bob-busting in central Nebraska. His success with hunting over his shorthair and his son Todd’s pointing Lab was substantial last year, he reported.

“We hunted many of the places we have hunted over the years,” he said, “and we put six bobs in the bag on numerous occasions. The quail numbers were very good, and we had good hunting all through the season.”

Keith Brus, a regional Pheasants and Quail Forever biologist living in Wolbach in east-central Nebraska, expected that wingshooters would be doing well this season, as the hunting was good last year and nesting cover good this year. “I hunt over Brittanys and spend most of time in east-central and southeastern Nebraska, where I hunt a lot of the CRP acres,” he said. “I use a beeper on the dogs. And I shoot a Ruger Red Label over-under 20 gauge, and use No. 7 1/2s in the skeet and improved barrels.

“My hunting last year was better than it has been for the past eight years.” --Don Bergmeyer, Lincoln quail hunter

“I don’t hunt quail exclusively. I take what my dogs serve up, be it quail, pheasant or prairie chicken. I hunt throughout the season, but if it gets really cold I quit by mid-afternoon, because I don’t like to break up a covey any later than that.

“I’m optimistic about the birds in eastern Nebraska,” Brus concluded. “There is still a lot of work to be done on the habitat front, but I think we are gaining a little on it.”

As regional biologist for Pheasants and Quail Forever, Drew Larson works the state west of Highway 281. The North Platte resident, who hunts over a Lab and shoots a 16-gauge side-by-side, bored modified and improved, finds the most quail in Kearney and Franklin counties. “Last year was one of the best years I have had hunting quail in the past 10 or 12 years,” he stated. “From reports I had before the season opened this year, I believe hunters should have a good season.

“There is still a ton of work to do to give the birds a productive place to live. The more sportsmen we can get involved in Pheasants and Quail Forever, the better the chance for good bird hunting in the future.”