THE QUAIL DOG 



BY W. B. TALLMAN 



Quail shooting in the Northern States is 

 practically a thing of the past. I can remember 

 when, in starting out for a day's shooting in 

 New England, the prospects of finding quail 

 were about equal to those of finding partridge, 

 but from what I can learn now of the quail 

 shooting north of Virginia, it does not amount 

 to much; surely not enough to warrant the 

 sportsman in going to the expense and trouble 

 of procuring and keeping dogs especially for 

 work on quail, unless he can go South for his 

 shooting. 



The limited area of open grounds where the 

 birds feed, and the fact that all, or nearly all, 

 of the shooting would be done in almost the 

 same character of cover as that in which par- 

 tridge are found, will warrant me in saying that 

 a good partridge dog is all that is necessary for 

 one who shoots only in Northeastern coverts. 



A good partridge dog is almost sure to be a 

 fairly good quail and woodcock dog, for use in 

 the small fields and thick rough coverts. But 

 that same dog, owing to his experience in hand- 

 ling the ruffed grouse in New England, would 

 be greatly handicapped when put down in the 

 large areas of stubble fields and ragweed of the 

 South. While I claim that a real good partridge 

 dog would make a good quail dog, I acknowl- 

 edge that it would take some time for him to 

 find out the difference between the birds, and to 

 learn to get out and range the wide open fields 

 as he should. So when speaking of a partridge 

 dog I mean a dog for Northern or New England 

 shooting, and when speaking of a quail dog I 

 have in mind one for the South or the West. 



Generally speaking, the dog to be used for 

 quail shooting need not go through as thorough 

 a course of "yard breaking" as the one to be 

 worked on partridge. Though I do not think 

 that he can be taught too much of those things 

 that really apply in his work afield, if it is 

 taught in the house or yard, I do object to his 

 being practiced in these accomplishments when 

 out for a run in the field, especially if running 

 where there is a possibility of his finding birds. 

 I would suggest that he be broken to come 

 promptly when called, made to drop to order, 

 and to follow at heel. This latter should not 



be too strongly impressed upon him unless he is 

 on a lead. In fact, it is well to do all the yard 

 breaking in the yard, and only use it when abso- 

 lutely necessary outside of the yard. As nearly 

 as possible make him understand that when he is 

 out his whole purpose and aim is to find birds as 

 quickly as possible and to handle them properly 

 when he does find them. Make him understand, 

 as nearly as you can, that that is what you expect 

 of him. Don't attempt to make him think that 

 he must find them within a given area, but 

 simply that he must find them if they are in that 

 township. Do not be too elated if the youngster 

 begins to point everything that wears feathers. 

 That is not the sort that is apt to make a real 

 good one. I remember a remark made by one 

 of the most successful field trial handlers and 

 breeders of field trial dogs some years ago, to the 

 effect that none of his good ones ever pointed 

 until he made them do it, and that he would 

 not have one that pointed naturally. I think 

 that this idea was carried to extremes by him, 

 and doubt if it was absolutely true. My idea is, 

 that he had lots of young stock "farmed out," 

 and that he selected for his field trial candidates 

 those that went the fastest and widest after they 

 had run wild until they were about a year old. 

 Then by judicious handling he made them 

 point and hold their birds. By running wild 

 they had learned to find birds, and knew just 

 where to look for them. Being uncontrolled 

 they went with all the vim and speed possible, 

 and when taught to point and hold their birds, 

 they were fit for the hottest field trial company. 

 This, of course, was an extreme case, but I 

 mention it, in order to impress on the minds of 

 those who desire to possess a truly high-class 

 field dog the necessity of selecting one that gets 

 Out and searches wide and fast for his birds, 

 rather than one that points sparrows and butter- 

 flies or creeps and crawls on the trail of a mouse 

 or turtle. If, when looking to purchase a likely 

 young dog, you are shown one that shows a 

 disposition to go fast and well, don't be discour- 

 aged if he chases a lark or sparrow, but watch 

 him closely, and see if when running fast he 

 turns out of his course, gets the wind, and goes 

 directly to birds, be they sparrows or game. 

 Notice how he carries himself. If he goes high- 

 headed and in a way that looks as if he meant 



