Welcome to Backwoods University, a place where we focus on wildlife, wild places, and the people who dedicate their lives to conserving both.

On this episode, I want to tell you about Bob White Quail, a bird that once covered the entire North American continent in abundance, and the hunting culture centered completely around

them, that now has almost been completely forgotten.

It's late January. I'm in North Mississippi, and the sound that you're hearing is me hiking through the woods.

I've been at this all day with a new friend of mine and his dog.

We're out hunting, but we're not here hunting deer, we're not here hunting ducks, we're not even here hunting squirrels.

In fact, the few other hunters that we've crossed past with today gave us odd looks when we told them what we were here after.

What's the most cubbies you found in the day you said? Two. In both of them

pretty sizable cubbies you said. Yeah, yeah. There's two cubies in here according to

when I came in September.

One was farther away that way and one was right up here.

And I'm quite surprised we didn't push them because they usually, well we'll make a circle

and come out of the wind will be in our favor.

Come on.

What we're hunting is Bob White Quail, an animal that is called this place, this state, this continent, home,

since before any of us were alive on this earth. But unfortunately, these days can be tough to find.

Our mission today is simple. Find wild quail. We're in an area where there still remains a

huntable population. We hiked

onward, following the dog through every thorn, bramble, and cane thicket that she could find

until eventually she went on point, letting us know she had found a bird. Oh yeah. What you're hearing now is us making a game plan as to how to approach the dog on point

and flush the bird.

This can be extremely tricky, putting ourselves in position for a good shot given the type

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