I, Randy Rowley, am proposing the following outfitters for consideration for our 2005 Quail Hunt:
The ranch stocks the game. They are located near Winnie (221 miles SE of Austin, between Houston and Beaumont). They charge $150 for a 1/2 day hunt (12 quail or six pheasant or six Chuckar). They also have mixed bag options: 6 quail and 3 pheasants or 3 Chuckars - $150, 3 pheasants and 4 Chuckars - $170, or 6 quail, 2 pheasants and 2 Chuckars - $160. Hunting guide fee per hunter is $35 with a $70 minimum. Additional birds are available for a fee. Their hunts go from 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM. They offer bird cleaning for a small fee. Overnight lodging and meals is $100. Lodging without meals is $50. Lunch is $10 and dinner is $20. You get a little more bang for your buck with River Ranch but it's 490 miles further round trip (quite a drive for four more quail). You could realistically drive to Winnie, hunt, and drive back home in one day. At worst you'll have to pay $100 more for lodging and meals making the total cost $250 (not counting gas, bird cleaning, extra birds, or a more expensive package). Club member Shane Morgan recommends them.
They are located near Sterling City (268 miles WNW from Austin). They charge $200/day for a guided hunt with a two day minimum ($400 total). Lodging is included. If you hunted Flying Feathers for two days and stayed there two nights with meals it would cost you $500 so Texas Quality Hunts would be more cost effective. However, if you're only wanting to hunt for one day then Flying Feathers is by far the better deal.
They are located near Seymour (328 miles NW from Austin). They charge $225/day (includes lodging and meals) and have a four hunter minimum. Their hunts are not guided but you can bring your own dogs. They also have independent guides and dogs that they say are superior. The guide fees are $150 per day which covers a group of three to four hunters ($50/hunter for three hunters and $37.50/hunter for four hunters). This is the cheapest hunt (when you factor in lodging and meals) but it's not as cheap as Flying Feathers without lodging. If you hunted there two days it would cost you about $125 more than Texas Quality Hunts. It is also 120 miles round trip further than Texas Quality Hunts. Ranger Creek Ranch is recommended by the Christian Hunters and Anglers Club.
The ranch stocks the game. They are located near Clarendon (466 miles from Austin, near Amarillo). They charge $300/day for 20 quail, 4 Chuckar, and 4 pheasants or $150/half day for 10 quail, 2 Chuckar, and 2 Pheasants. They charge $60/day for lodging and meals. The hunt fee is cheaper and the deal is better than the competition, but you'll have to stay two nights ($120) and travel at least 400 miles round trip further. Club member Brian Tompkins reports that hunting ranch raised quail is like hunting chickens (not a challenge). They release birds prior to hunts and they're not wild and are accustomed to people. They do not instinctively flush. You could catch them by hand or almost step on them. The exception is pheasants.
There are many, many places that cost more than this. Several, and I mean a bunch, were in the $600 - $800 a day neighborhood!!! Of course I'm open for suggestions. If anyone knows of a more economical place where we can expect reasonable success, please let me know.