Trapping Quail For The Table

[DKS]

Anyone got experiance trapping quail?
Heaps of birds around ATM, thought I'de have a go at catching some. I'm a complete noobie at this and web is not much help so far. Looking for trap design and build, how when & where to set traps and how to prep birds for the table ect. Basically any info you can pass on appreciated. Maybe good use for spent grain too me thinks.
Daz

 

[newguy]

Never did it myself, but heard this technique from someone who did it often. The trap he made is constructed from chicken wire and is basically a big cube, maybe a meter on each edge. One side has an entrance cone pushed into the cube. The tip of the cone has a circular hole, about the size of a quail. The idea is that it's easy for the bird to squeeze down the cone and into the trap, but very difficult to squeeze back out because of the size and the exposed pointy ends of the chicken wire that surround the hole. Bait the trap with seed.

He said that the trap would catch many more birds than he could use. The birds would stick their heads out through the wire and he'd just pull off x heads (enough for a meal) and then release the rest.

Can't help with prep of a quail, but if they're anything like grouse it will be really simple. With grouse, the only part of the carcass worth eating is the breast and maybe the legs - there isn't much meat on the rest of the body. You place the bird on its back with its head toward you. Lay the wings out, step on them, and then gently but firmly pull up on the legs. The breasts come right off with the legs, leaving the skin & feathers behind.

 

[jlm]

I'm setting up a couple of pens for breeding quail for meat at the moment......Can't help you with the trapping but as for dressing them, google "dressing quail". Heaps of info out there, looks a lot easier than a chook.

 

[DKS]

Thanks for that newguy. It seems that if you catch one you catch many and hence the large trap. Cheers.



Havent looked into that side of it yet jlm but will do shortly. Thanks

Daz

 

[Dave70]

Over and under 12 gauge loaded with #6 shot.
Bag some ducks while you're at it.

 

[Malted]

As far as prepping for the table I think newguy has offered the quickest and easiest method. When you have a heap of them it is probably not worth the effort of dressing the whole bird. We have done the same with pheasants, had them coming out of our ears; we started dressing the whole birds and ended up just taking legs and breast, the cat enjoyed the rest and got very fat.

If you do dress a quail whole, do not bone it out - time versus reward ratio is highly skewed. Butterflying a whole dressed bird is quick and easy and helps cook it more evenly. Quartering them and frying can be good too. I like to butterfly them (bought whole dressed ones), marinate them and cook them on the BBQ with a brick wrapped in aluminium foil placed on top of them. It helps reflect some of the heat and keeps the frame flat and pressed onto the BBQ plate. I do the same with chickens. Star anise, Pernod/Pastis, chinese five spices - all of these are perfect with quail.

Catching them. Perhaps a seed bait station and then flushing them into a net might work? Possibly a 30m bait net or two (a drop of 2-3m) with the bottom edge about 1m above the top level of grass? Never tried it, nor heard of anyone that has, but just thinking about how they fly when first flushed. Personally I'd give newguy's trap idea a go.

 

[DKS]

Malted,
Good stuff Malted I like the idea of set a trap then come back later, sort of set and forget, rather then the net option. Those cooking tips sound good too. If I get some Ill be trying all diferent ways but with KIS in mind.


Dave70
These things are to close to town for that Dave. We use the big bang sticks for deer.


Cheers & beers.
Daz

 

[srcossens]

I used to go and catch Quail with my great Uncle on their farm near Ballarat. We would go out at night in to the paddocks and sit on the front of the car with a spot light and a big net. Driving around the paddock would scare them out of where they hide and you would see them fly away. They don't fly too far, so you would follow and catch them with the net. Caught quite a few this way.

 

[DUANNE]

Over and under 12 gauge loaded with #6 shot.
Bag some ducks while you're at it.

have to disagree. that is so uncouth and plain wrong, a side by side makes a much better gun!

 

[kirem]

have to disagree. that is so uncouth and plain wrong, a side by side makes a much better gun!

.410

 

[DUANNE]

.410

that birds hot