As we continue meeting with bird dog trainers, handlers and hunters periodically through the rest of the year in an effort to better understand what it takes to pick, train, finish and ultimately hunt a bragging-rights bird dog, a common thread is woven into the mix.

This important component is, of course, the birds: bobwhite quail. Wild quail are on the rebound in this area, a fact that inspired this series of columns in the first place. And while lots of wild bird contact is imperative for teaching a young pup to begin hunting natural objectives and pointing staunchly, it’s not always easy – nor time appropriate – to rely solely on wild birds.

Decades ago, quail populations began to decrease. So a few forward-thinking trainers began to keep coveys of artificially hatched bobwhites in specially developed enclosures so they could always guarantee at least a few quail in the field for their dogs to find. Instead of spending hours to get into a covey or two of wild birds, it was possible to let a few quail out, run the dogs and be done with the training session in plenty of time for supper.

Today, using pen-raised quail for training is the norm, and having a family unit of quail out back makes it possible for your average guy or gal to almost completely break a bird dog on a limited amount of ground. No longer is a sprawling plantation necessary – five or 10 acres will suffice if managed correctly.

Enclosures for keeping pen-raised quail for dog training are usually called “Johnny houses” or call-back pens. While design and materials differ, they all serve the same basic purpose. Many years ago, I constructed a call-back pen similar to the one Robert Wehle discusses in his classic hardback, “Wing and Shot,” and the small enclosure is more than enough to accommodate 15 to 20 bobwhites year round. The unique feature that sets a Johnny house or call-back pen apart from, say, a chicken coop, is a conical wire opening, which allows the birds to re-enter after a training session.

Here’s a brief description of how a call-back pen works: Adult bobwhites are purchased for $3 or $4 and placed into the call-back pen for a few weeks with ample food and water. By nature, the hodgepodge of human- and mechanically reared quail will eventually become a large covey that relies on one another for security, just like a family group would in the wild.

Once this strong bond is formed, usually after a month or so, a trainer can begin to use them for dog work. He can open the door to the call-back pen, careful to leave several inside, and let five or six others fly into the fields and woods of his training grounds. With any luck, the dog finds a few of the liberated quail, points them magnificently, and the lesson is over for the day.

Meanwhile, the quail in the pen and the quail in the field are exchanging assembly calls to determine their locations following a few flushes from trainer and dog. Later that evening, or early the next morning, the handful of quail that were let out for training waltz back into the call-back pen via the one-way conical wire opening to be used time and time again for training.

Because of the quails’ strong instinctual drive to form and maintain a covey, the same group of birds can be used over and over for years, with replacements added as needed. It is really a very nifty and advantageous system for keeping young and old dogs alike in constant supply of quail.

Maintaining the quail is yet another facet of the training process that many folks grow to enjoy, because often it is fun to simply have the quail around to listen to and tend to on a regular basis.

— Geordon T. Howell is outdoors columnist for the Daily News. He may be reached by e-mailing highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.