With dove season about over, the countdown to the "real" bird hunting season begins (quail, of course!). According to Texas Parks and Wildlife's annual quail hunting forecasts (available at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/hunt/regs/quail/index.htm) it's going to be a mixed bag. TPWD biologists use 20-mile roadside counts in August to assess quail trends at the "ecological region" level.

Bobwhite numbers are still below long-term averages (typically 50 to 70 percent below) in every ecological region, though slightly higher than last year's counts (which were the lowest on record for the Cross Timbers and Prairies, Gulf Prairies and Marshes, and Edwards Plateau ecoregions). Bobwhite numbers in the two quail Meccas of the state, South Texas and the Rolling Plains, are estimated at about 70 and 50 percent of the long-term average, respectively.

Of note is that the long-term average for both of these regions is basically the same (22.3 and 22.5 birds observed per route) for South Texas and the Rolling Plains, respectively. For those of us who have conceded that South Texas grows more quail, it looks like we Rolling Plains afficianodos have the bragging rights after all!

One bright spot in the TPWD counts is that blue quail numbers for South Texas were the highest since the counts began in 1976. Blue quail trends were also better in the Trans-Pecos than they've been in several years, and were right at the long-term average for the region. Blue quail numbers remained low in the Rolling Plains and Edwards Plateau ecoregions.

Given the drouth, things could've been worse.

While in Oklahoma City recently I heard Oklahoma Department of Wildlife's quail forecast, and it's nothing to crow about. The counts statewide were down 71 percent, and were the lowest since counts began 12 years ago. Two ranchers from the eastern part of the Texas Panhandle called in recently to lament of very low bobwhite numbers in their respective areas.

I'm going to be more optimistic in my quail forecasts, at least for the western Rolling Plains, Permian Basin, and Trans-Pecos. "Dummy nests" that we monitored in Coke and Coleman counties suggested very high nest survival, and the indicator seems to have been accurate. My lease near Tennyson appears to have a "pleasing" number of bobwhites, and good large coveys.

I've been hearing inspirational reports of blue quail west of San Angelo out through the eastern half of the Trans-Pecos. I hope they get so thick they become a traffic hazard!

And now that they're out of the nest, a "good" canopy of broomweed (well, at least to me!) will effectively insulate the fledglings against their respective enemies (furred, feathered, and firearmed). I'm going to petition the taxonomic authorities about renaming brooomweed — as "quailweed". I think it will be more palatable to landowners then.

Now that we've grown them, here are "Rollins' Recommendations" for becoming a better shot on quail hunts.

1. Pick out a bird on the covey rise. Don't get flustered by the whir of wings. Pick out a rooster and stay with him. If he drops, mark his location down mentally before trying to get another on the covey flush.

2. Hunt with good dogs. This is a no-brainer. And until you've hunted with poor dogs (which I presume you have), you'll never be able to appreciate a good brace of pointing dogs (notice I said "pointing dogs," not necessarily pointers!).

3. Hunt the right habitat at the right time of day. Hunt the edges between brush and openings early (until about 10 a.m.) and late (after about 4 p.m.). Hunt the "structure" (e.g., "quail houses") during the middle part of the day.

4. Don't tarry when the dogs are on point. These are not your grandpa's quail memories. Gentleman Bob has become more of a renegade, and won't necessarily wait patiently for you to saunter up to him. It's called survival of the fittest.

5. Adjust your hunting strategies to fit the cover conditions available. Expect birds to do a lot more running in sparse cover.

6. Trust your dogs. Research suggests that you only get a shot at about one-third of the coveys on a given hunt. But when your dogs are "birdy" there probably are, or at least were, quail there. Unless your dog has a fetish for rabbits (and yes, Joe and Jim, my prized setters, have pointed a rabbit on at least one occasion!).

7. Position yourself for a good shot. Like a good basketball rebounder, anticipate where the shot will happen as you negotiate the brush. Try to move from opening to opening quickly. Survey the situation, and position yourself between the point and the likely escape route.

8. Divide and conquer. Especially if you're hunting blues, try to get the covey split up. Single birds are more likely to hold than the entire covey.

9. Minimize your crippling loss. First, mark down your birds well. Always use a good retriever. And finally, don't scrimp on your shotgun shells. In my opinion, so-called "dove and quail" loads should be restricted to the target range. Spend an extra buck per box and buy a better shotshell. I've heard that the "trap loads" have five percent antimony in them, as opposed to three percent for "dove and quail" loads. Antimony hardens the lead and results in fewer deformed pellets, thus better patterning.

10. Change your hunting partners. The most enjoyable hunts I've been on in recent years were not necessarily with my lifelong buddies, but instead with a group of women (members of "Becoming an Outdoors Woman") and youth (cadets from the Bobwhite Brigade). Most of you are in the "give back" phase of your hunting career, so give something back. Make some memories. And savor them.

The mornings are cooler, and the dogs are restless. Let the games begin!