Page 12 - 2020 November/December Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

Every quail hunter has opinions about what’s happen-
ing to the bird population. Biologists point to the bob-
white’s natural boom-and-bust cycles that are very much DON P. BROWN/ODWC
dependent on weather and habitat. Jim says the habitat
in his area isn’t much different from when quail numbers
were better. He seems to believe that more herbicides
being used by farmers are killing more forbs, which serve
as a quail food source.
Now, quail hunters have become sparse in Osage
County. Jim said in the past two years while he’s been in
the field, he’s heard only two volleys of distant gunshots
that he thought were from quail hunters. He said deer
hunting has taken over his area, and it’s understandable.
“You can hunt deer on 25 acres, and you can kill a deer. It
takes thousands of acres to kill numbers of quail.”
All the serious quail hunters he knows are older; Jim’s Reading books from his “hunting library” occupies much of Jim
youngest son is an avid bird hunter at age 37. He feels Johnson’s time outside of quail hunting season.
there isn’t a younger segment coming along to continue year his score is 4,322.
the bird hunting tradition. “It’s just a lot of work and not “The numbers are more important to the boys. They’d
much reward these days.” like me to reach 5,000.” But Jim said he’s not so sure that
will happen. But what has happened, he said, is how his
Thinking Differently mind-set has changed just recently.
But the rewards of bird hunting continue for Jim — if “I always liked to kill a limit,” he said. But these days,
not in numbers harvested, in memories made. it’s more about being in the field, with his dogs, making
At age 64, Jim had some health issues and decided it memories. “If I get one bird, I’m happy.”
was time to quit hunting. For a year or two around 2008, That’s how it was last year. “This may have been my
his journal has no entries. most enjoyable year ever. I got to spend a lot of time
“I had really quit. My son was working for a ranch over hunting with my sons. It was an unforgettable year.”
here, and he was encouraging me. And he brought me a Inevitably, Feb. 15 rolls around. “When the season clos- 2021 Oklahoma Wildlife
bird dog puppy.” es, I mourn for about two weeks.” Habitat Management Calendar
That was the medicine that restarted Jim’s passion. And he starts spending lots of time in his place of soli-
“Here in 2013, I killed 27.” tude. “I come in here and read — cowboys and hunting.”
Just three years later came a remarkable milestone. In And he stares out the window, daydreaming and antic-
part, the journal entry reads “December 23: seven quail. ipating the next chance he and his dogs and his sons will
Great hunt! My fifth bird of the day was my 4,000th. Josh have to hunt for that next covey.
saved it to mount.” That was in 2016, and going into this “I think I’ve been blessed.”
DON P. BROWN/ODWC

10 OUTDOOR OKLAHOMA

10/19/20 10:39 AM
OutdoorOK-2020-November-December.indd 10
OutdoorOK-2020-November-December.indd 10 10/19/20 10:39 AM