Mike Workman SR

Chris;
I guess I missed your post in January. Since Nov 2014, I have been spending alternate weeks in Tupelo. It ain't really in civilization, but it's much closer to it than Mudhole.
I have only lived here steadily since 2002. However, in the '70's, this place was full of quail. I tried hunting them a few times, but was notoriously unsuccessful. Our neighbor trains dogs, and we used some very fine pointers of his. They were excellent; I sucked. Quail seem to have some sort of bat radar that guides them behind a tree before you can get your gun up. I am quite quick, but not enough for those guys. Maybe I could do better in an open pasture, but here, they stuck to the edge of the timber.
I never had trouble with Huns in Montana. They flush very much like quail, but they are open country birds. My old side-hammer cut down 12 gauge was just what they needed. Of course, they are a bit larger than quail. I have come to the conclusion that if it takes 10 birds to make a meal, they should be left alone.
But, for the most part, quail are gone from this part of the state. The infernal turkeys that have been stocked can take the blame for that. 
My project lately has been trying to slow the tide of raccoons that is invading my place. We have about 600 acres of hill country, but they seem to think they have to live where I have bird feeders. But my little Piccola Pupa and my 45 Colt are making inroads.

Mike

Your quail hunting there sounds like partridge hunting up in the U.P., always a tree in the way.I did most of my quail hunting in New Mexico when I lived there and it was mostly open field hunting. We also hunted prairie chickens that sound very similar to the chukar you mentioned. We would pool all our quail together with several hunting families and when we had a bunch we would have a quail fry, deep fried in a big pot just like a turkey fryer but a little smaller and easier to handle. They are small but they sure tasted good! Chris S