"In dry years you have to cover more ground to find birds," Michael offered. "That's tough on hunters and dogs. Without a doubt I will hunt closer to waterholes or rivers or whatever holds water, leaking windmills, etc.

"On the ranches I've hunted over the past few years, the swing in quail numbers from wet years to dry ones has been huge. On our place last year, it was so hot and dry during quail season the dogs could not scent the birds. Combine the tough scenting conditions with the fact we had fewer quail to start with, and that makes for tough hunting.

"Last season we found two to five coveys per day. The year before, the 2004-2005 season, was one of the best we've ever had. We found 30 coveys per day on two separate hunts."

Marc Haggar agreed that it's much harder to find quail when moisture's at a premium. "When it's hot and dry the dogs just can't smell the birds. My dogs have the best success finding coveys when there is high humidity, usually early and late in the day. Moisture in the air, such as fog or mist, can greatly improve scenting conditions.

"When the vegetation is damp after a rain, that also helps dogs to smell quail. When it's dusty, dry and hot with low humidity it's very hard for even seasoned dogs to point coveys."

WHERE AND HOW TO HUNT
You can find huntable quail even in lean years -- but it may take more effort. Consistently good hunting, even in dry years, can be found around towns like Albany and Throckmorton, Sweetwater and Colorado City. San Angelo annually offers good hunting for bobs and blues. In the Panhandle, I've encountered numerous coveys near places like Childress, Clarendon and Pampa.

Farther out west, near towns like Big Lake and Fort Stockton, you find mostly blue quail. Way out west, near El Paso, Fabens and the Rio Grande River, you'll even find a few Gambel's quail roaming the desert.

Of course, there are other good places to go, but these towns represent a few reliably productive locations at which to start any search for some quail hunting.

Sometimes I focus on edges, where two different types of terrain or vegetation meet. Specifically, I like hunting wherever thick brush and open pasture intersect.

When I'm trying to decide on a specific place to hunt, I follow my friend Michael Haggar's advice and spend time around water sources. Ponds, windmills and creeks are all frequented by quail. Water also fosters insect life. "Grow more insects and you'll grow more quail," I remember one of my professors telling us in an upland bird class at Texas Tech University.