Quail hunting in Texas

“That’s where the excitement is: right at the moment of the covey rise, the explosion of the wings beating as the shooters walk up to the pointers,” says Garrett Gordy, eyes sparkling with enthusiasm behind his tortoiseshell spectacles. Sitting high up on the quail rig, having just witnessed a dozen bobwhite quail burst out of the long grass like a short-fused feathered firework, I could see what he meant. The hunter’s shot that followed wasn’t anywhere near the same adrenaline-inducing quality.

Hunting bobwhite quail

It was the third covey I’d seen flushed that overcast day on the Gordy family’s ranch in southwestern Texas. I was fascinated; being a Brit, I’m used to a very different sort of bird hunting. The family’s team of English pointers had been hard at work all morning, but, as Garrett explained back on the quail rig, the first half of the year hadn’t been good for quail – quite the opposite. There simply weren’t many coveys around this year. A lack of spring rain and a hot summer meant poor growth for brood cover and insects for these wild birds. “We do all the habitat work we can, but at the end of the day, it’s all very rain dependent,” Garrett shrugs as we head to the house for a break.

And Garrett has certainly done a lot of habitat work. Having learned from the renowned Dr Dale Rollins, he has amassed a wealth of practical and theoretical knowledge about how to get the best out of the land and secure a solid future for these diminutive game birds. The future is very much on the agenda here, and not just for the quail: hunting heritage is being expertly blended with modern habitat management across three generations of avid outdoorsmen and women.

The heritage of Gordy & Sons

The ‘Gordy & Sons’ referred to in the name of the Houston-based high-end outfitters are store founder Russell Gordy and his sons Shaun and Garrett. Russell and his wife, Glenda – known as ‘Bops and GG’ by their grandchildren – are both passionate hunters, and it seems to be a highly heritable trait, with their sons, daughters-in-law and now grandchildren all being devoted to their rods, rifles and guns. At least one branch of the family will be found hunting or fishing every weekend. Incentives to invest in a sustainable future don’t come much stronger than providing for your own children and grandchildren. As Garrett put it, “You’re not going to have any hunters in 30 years’ time if there’s no habitat in 30 years’ time.”

The upshot is a passion for creating and sustaining habitat that runs as deeply as the passion for hunting itself: “I love to hunt,” Garrett says, “but even more than the shooting itself, I love to create an environment for wildlife to flourish and for hunters to have the ideal hunting ground for the best experience. It gives you a real connection with the land. For me, that trumps everything else,” he pauses, before adding, “maybe not archery elk, but it still comes pretty close.”

Creating the perfect habitat

Creating such optimal conditions, let alone maintaining them, is no easy feat, however. “It’s a constant battle with the habitat,” Garrett continues. “Over the years, as plant succession occurs, the grasses and brush just get too thick. Everything has to be managed and set back through grazing, prescribed fire or discing to be quail friendly. Brush sculpting takes a lot of work and grasses have become a real big hobby of mine.”

I was learning that, a bit like our British grouse moors, the habitat is a lot more complicated than it appears at first glance, and getting it right requires a complex mixture of planting, plus a lot of hard work. Garrett agreed: “The ideal bobwhite habitat consists of a patchwork of nesting cover, woody cover, and a reliable food source from a mix of grasses and forbs. The quail need enough woody escape cover to stay hidden from predators and for protection from the weather. These need to be about a softball toss apart. As ground-nesting birds, quail need large clumps of bunch grass or cactus to give their nest the best chance of survival against predation.

“We’ve had to reseed over the years and have cleared a lot of invasive grasses that had taken root.” Good grasses and forbs that Garrett has planted in their stead include Catarina Bristlegrass, Arizona cotton top, Sideoats Grama, Clammyweed, Prairie Acacia, ragweed, and purple prairie clover. “Planting a mix of grasses, forbs and wildflowers works well,” he continues. “It’s important to get both seed-bearing plants and plants that attract insects with the right structure so the chicks can feed with a canopy safely overhead. The aim is to create an insect buffet.”

Hunting with gundogs

The talk of buffets was timely, and we soon found ourselves back at the ranch for a delicious (not insect-based) lunch. The Gordys take their duty of hospitality to guests just as seriously as that to their quail. Once fully refuelled and recharged, we rolled back out into the fields.

It being a low-yield year, we weren’t looking to move or shoot big numbers of birds, but from my point of view, it was fascinating to see the way the hunt worked and to have the time to get a closer look at the Gordy’s great grass project. What’s more, as Garrett pointed out, it’s always good to get the dogs out. The family has around 40 working dogs. Today’s business was done by a pair of English pointers, with a cocker spaniel on hand to pick-up. The full canine complement includes more pointers and cockers, English setters, and Garrett’s own Small Münsterlander.

This formidable pack moves between the ranch here in Texas and the Gordy’s Montana hunting grounds, where their skills are used to rustle up Hungarian partridge, sharptailed grouse and pheasant. It’s a long trip, but they travel in a 32-foot trailer that was custom built by specialists in canine comfort on the road, Ainley Kennels. It features kennel spaces for 34 individual animals, three air conditioning units, its own generator, air bag suspension and enough storage for everything a dog could desire. Being treated this well, it’s not surprising that the dogs worked like a dream, holding each point perfectly, never ranging too far, and working beautifully to pick the small but expertly shot selection that made up the day’s bag.

Images: Sarah Farnsworth

For more information about Gordy & Sons, visit the Grand Showroom in Houston or online via gordyandsons.com