Your first quail hunting outing can be exciting, especially as you think about getting some birds to take home and enjoy eating with your family. Before the quail is on your dinner plate, however, you'll need to be accurate in your shooting. A shotgun with which you've practiced many times will help you to succeed, but it's also useful to take a specific approach to your targeting and shooting. If you've hunted deer or other large prey, you'll find that hunting quail is uniquely different. Here are some tips for targeting the quail.

Aim At Specific Birds

If there are several quail that take to the skies in front of where you're positioned, you might instinctively just start to shoot into the general vicinity of the birds with the hopes of striking one or more. This panicked approach can especially be the case if you're surprised at how quickly the birds are flying and you're concerned that you might not have time to shoot accurately. It's important, however, as well as ethical, to take careful aim at an individual bird before you pull the trigger. Doing so not only increases your chance of hitting one, but also makes it less likely that you'll superficially wound others, which isn't what you want.

Watch Your Barrel Angle

As they rise from the ground, it's common for quail to fly high into the sky until they're too small to target. In some cases, however, the quail might turn sharply and head back toward the ground. You need to be careful when you're tracking such birds through your sights. When you shoot quail, you need to have an elevated barrel angle. Even dropping your barrel so that it's flat with the horizon can put other hunters who might be in the vicinity — perhaps even without your immediate knowledge — at risk.

Position Yourself With The Sun At Your Back

Whenever possible, it's ideal if you can set up to hunt quail with the sun at your back. Looking into the sun as you're targeting your prey doesn't just make it challenging to shoot with accuracy, but it can also lead to safety issues if you aren't fully aware of what or who might be in the distance because of the glare. Be cognizant of the sun's position throughout the day so that you can turn your body accordingly. Keeping these tips in mind will boost your chance of success and keep those around you safe.

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