A place so close, yet so far: the best way to describe Spoke Hollow’s West Texas Outpost. Close enough to make it in a day even from out of the state, but far enough to enter a mindset that escapes anything relatively urban. This mindset is paramount for the next morning in the field, you have no option if chasing blue quail is the ultimate goal. Josh, owner of Spoke Hollow Outfitters, warned me of this countless times leading up to the trip, but all it took was the first covey contact in the morning to hear the words come out of his mouth: “I told you didn’t I?” 

Josh approaches introducing newbies like me to this sport and incredible landscape in an unconventional way. Everything he does is inspired by his passion for the habitat, the birds, the dogs, and the efforts to conserve those three for generations to come. With this approach in mind, I was told to do three things for the first handful of covey contacts. 

Leave your gun at the side by side Watch the dogs (how they move, their body language, etc.)Watch how the group reacts to the dogs

By taking time to understand and watch,  I was immediately immersed in the experience. I was able to notice the small things such as subtle changes in the dogs’ behavior, and features in the landscape which proved more likely to hold birds than others. Ultimately, I was given the opportunity to appreciate the art of hunting these birds over good bird