The Versatile Gun dogs Vizsla Page

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Born in Scotland and having shot Grouse over dogs in Scotland and quail in Texas and Venezuela my early outlook for upland game and birddog possibilities in Queensland, Australia looked bleak when we arrived here in 1974. Asking people about shooting in those early days in the country, it appeared that pig and roo shooting was all there was to hunt.

Thankfully, my worst fears were not realised and soon I had discovered Brown Quail, established that I could legally shoot them, and set about finding a GSP pup. I had a DK (German-bred GSP) in Venezuela and saw them as being ideal for the sub-tropical environment in Queensland. We lived in Bundaberg at the time. So we got a GSP bitch from Dunfriu kennels in Melbourne by mail order and we embarked on a path that we are still on and will continue as long as I can go bush.

Not knowing anything about GSP breeding, I asked Jack Thompson to send me a pup with good working bloodlines. He sold me a bitch going back to Von Falkenhof Duke and I was totally happy with her on the Brown Quail that were quite plentiful near where we lived.

My first experience of Stubble Quail was when my bitch was about three years old, as I was walking through a paddock with short grass, moving towards an area of knee- high grass that traditionally held Brown Quail. My bitch came on point out in the open and I immediately thought “hare!”, but imagine my surprise when a pair of light-coloured quail rose to her flush with a loud whirr of wings, flying away from me, like a pair of clay pigeons. I knew what they were of course because by that time I had read about Stubbles and had spoken to shooters down south about them, but here they were in my backyard and they stayed there for a few weeks. They stayed in that area and it was clear they were there for the prolific tropical legume seeds that filled their crops. Other hunters were there too - falcons appearing regularly when dog and man entered the area and competing to take the flying birds.

Stubble birds are nomadic by nature and in that part of Queensland where I was, you didn’t see them every year and I never saw them again in that original paddock. Brown quail are more sedentary and are seen in the same paddocks year after year except when paddocks are grazed out

Further experiences eventuated and I have now shot them all over the country and apart from shooting them in pure stands of wheat stubble, I have seen most possible Stubble quail environments. They are truly world-class gamebirds because tending to be out on open grasslands, hunting them with a pointing dog is really a joy. The dog usually has to range wide and use the wind to advantage. At the point, the dog may find the birds are moving on, necessitating his roading, essentially pointing and relocating the scent of the moving birds until again the dog dominates, the birds stop and squats in the cover and the dog freezes on point again. At this point a dog that flushes strongly will dive forward (on command) with front legs extended, physically ‘beating’ the birds into the air. I like a dog that flushes hard because I think it helps my shooting by the dog indicating at the flush where the bird leaves the ground. Not for me a dog that is sticky on point, that finds it difficult to keep up with the bird and is soft at the flush. Those dogs necessitate the presence or noise of the handler to precipitate the bird into leaving the ground, often at the side of vision, leading to a missed shot. Fast-moving Stubbles are normally difficult enough to shoot often rising out some way from the dog, so a sticky dog is no help.

Where a brace of pointing dogs work a paddock together you will often see some of the best Stubble Quail shooting. That is because the dogs can usually see each other clearly in the open country and the pointing dog stands proud allowing its bracemate to pick up the point and back at distance. The back is the honouring of the pointing dog by the bracemate, freeze-pointing at the already stationary dog. A top dog should not only be an aggressive game finder but should back its bracemate immediately it sees him on point. Under those circumstances you will see some of the best bracework possible and if combined with soft-mouthed, efficient retrieving it will be a great hunting day that stays in your memory for a long time.

Not that the dog always wins with the Stubble quail. There is many a day when this wily bird will be virtually ungettable, especially when there is a strong, cold breeze on open plains country. There is many a normally- adequate dog that fails on Stubbles, with a frustrated handler following in its wake. Stubbles can also test the steadiness of a young dog. The low trajectory at the flush is a real temptation to the dog and you often see a dog running in at the flush or fall.

You tend to find Stubbles in pairs or singles but in some seasons in some paddocks they are so plentiful that they come off the ground in waves. In the last few years, the opposite has been the case in Queensland with sparse hunts the order of the day.

This year has been a sparse year for me and I really only had two good shooting days. Each time the birds were wild and touchy. The heat challenged the dogs on the first day. The Stubbles won hands down that time. The next time we had cool conditions and a nice breeze on the last day of the open season, with dogs that were hard and fit, with a season of Brown Quail under their belts. We did not shoot many but they were quality birds and we saw some quality dogwork.

Stubble Quail are great to eat. Sometimes when they have been eating clover they have a grassy flavour and at other times a more subtle gamey taste. Plucking them ensures the flavour is locked in when you cook them, but if you have a large bag and skin them, they are still good but you lose a bit of flavour. The trend in our place now is for some Thai spice options with baked Stubble quail.

What is the best shotgun to shoot stubble Quail with? A lightweight 12 gauge or 20 gauge would be my pick. I like an ounce load with a light pellet size 8-10. Quail hunting entails a lot of walking and the last thing you want is any weakness in the arms when you eventually get a find. You tend to have to carry a lot when quail hunting. Bottles of water for the dog and shells in the pocket weigh you down.

So are Stubble Quail Australia’s premier upland game bird? I’m sure my southern colleagues would say yes immediately. They are outstanding gamebirds and a great challenge always for a dog. However up north, we have the Brown Quail and while I love a day on Stubbles, I do not think one species is better than the other is, just different. We are lucky that we can get free entry to shooting such a bird. Elsewhere in the world you would have to pay big dollars to get the equivalent. Enjoy it while you can and make your input to the fight to protect our quail hunting!