VALLEY QUAIL: Anything But Typical

By Jack Hutson

The small setter labored to transect through the drainage thick with nine-bark and wild rose brush. Suddenly, and quite conspicuously, the commotion of Tess’s progress came to a halt.

I stepped into the margin of brush and startled a covey of quail. They buzzed out like bees in all directions! Still holding her ground after the initial commotion, Tess had one more pinned. To flush the bird and still have a shot would be a challenge.

Cautious tiptoeing through rock and briar ensued. Opportunities often come quick and unexpected. With a jolt, the little rooster busted sharply to my left. I pulled the barrels of the little .410 past the fleet bird. The first shot lifted a plume of feathers. The quail fluttered downward then dropped like a stone as the top-barrel bucked.

Time to retrieve, reload and search for singles.

A textbook example of a typical valley quail hunt out west? Perhaps. Yet “typical” is not a term easily applied to these excitingly sprite game birds. This exquisite-looking quail’s origins are in various river valleys and canyons along California’s coast, offering the rather unusual circumstance of also being known as California quail. Here in Idaho and eastern Washington we call them valley quail.

The most sought-after of its western cousins, Callipepla californica has reaped the benefits of popularity through extensive distribution.

By the early 1900s, through private and state game agency means, the valley quail had experienced widespread proliferation throughout the northwestern states, pockets of adequate habitat in other western states, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Riparian areas below 3,500 feet of elevation seem to be essential ingredients in a life sustained by a large variety of seeds, fruits, broadleaf plants and occasional insects.

These hearty quail are a major prey species for a host of predators. To combat its status as low critter on the food chain, valley quail have developed several effective survival strategies. To enhance reproduction, both parents rear mobile and quick-maturing young, which can sometimes allow for multiple nesting events in the same year.

Collectively, the valley quail’s unique adaptability has made it a most successful upland gamebird.

There are vast amounts of information available to help you locate these little bumble-birds. Start by contacting agencies such as the BLM, USFS and state land and game agencies.

Focus your search in drainages along major waterways. These areas are often held in trust for public access, and offer the conditions ripe for quail. Don’t overlook private lands open to public access. Search for the heads of watery draws — where brushy canyons meet farmed ground. Once there, look for blackberry or wild rose cover that provides both protection and food source.

Listen: Valley quail are vocal birds and are often found by their chatter and signature call: chi-ca-go.

From sage and basalt canyons to forested glens, a scenic backdrop is always part of the valley quail hunting experience. Their explosive covey flush and the tight-holding singles make them a favorite among hunters with pointing dogs and light guns in search of amazing upland game action.

Jack Hutson is neighbor to coveys of valley quail. He lives near Lewiston, Idaho.