Increasing Nest Predators Deadly for Quail and Other Songbirds

It should be no secret that loss of habitat is the primary reason behind the decline of the nation’s quail population. However, in the complicated web that is nature, other reason’s play a part in the survival of a quail. A much debated and sometimes controversial topic is nest predation. For years wildlife professionals and quail enthusiasts alike have agreed that predation of quail is a natural phenomena that does not drastically affect quail numbers. But, the tables may be turning.

R.J. Robel, a retired Kansas State professor and acclaimed upland bird biologist, along with Ron Klataske, Audubon of Kansas executive director; believe that an increasing raccoon population in the state of Kansas could be taking its toll on quail as well as a variety of other ground nesting birds, as stated in a recent Wichita Eagle article.

And they are not alone. Across the country predator control management plans are being put into place to curb the number of quail nests that are being depredated by raccoons and other mesopredators such as opossums and skunks.

Mild Winter in Illinois is Great for Bobwhite Quail

A recent article in the Illinois State Journal-Register, dicussed this year’s mild winter and the positive effect it could have on next year’s quail population. Quail are especially susceptible to harsh winters, however the mild season could mean more birds next year.

Specifically, the Illinois DNR manages the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area specifically for upland habitat. The area allowed 55 hunters per day, were allowed to hunt a 14 day stretch. During that span hunters harvested more birds than ever before. A sign that quail numbers are on the rise, and with the thus far mild winter, the quail population should enter the spring breeding season in good shape.

For information and click here to read the entire article.

Quail-hunting opportunities are there!

To those of us that are interested in quail hunting and management, it is a wide spread fact that quail numbers are down across the nation. However, that doesn’t mean that the opportunity to hunt wild birds in nonexistent. There is a nice article in today’s (1/11/07) Houston Chronicle that discusses this very topic. The article mentions that parts of Texas and Oklahoma have outstanding populations of scaled quail, that provide ample hunting opportunity to the general public. Here is an excerpt from the article:

“Overall quail production was poor,” said Steve DeMaso, Upland Bird Program Leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “The widespread drought really hurt, but some areas — especially portions of South Texas — got late summer rains that encouraged a late hatch. The coastal region south of Corpus Christi probably fared best.”

DeMaso said that despite the fluctuating quail population, Texas hunters typically harvest 25 to 30 percent of the available birds in a given season. In a boom year, the harvest might be as high as 3 million quail; in a bust year, the harvest might drop to 750,000.

Bye bye, birdie: Weather, growth lead to decline in quail numbers

By Mike Belt -The Lawrence Journal-World

In the 1950s when Dennis Domer was a boy growing up in Nemaha County, he didn’t have to walk far from his house to hunt quail.

“In about a mile or so there would be eight covey of quail or more,” said Domer, a rural Lawrence resident. “I never even had a dog. I just walked them up.”

But by the 1970s, the landscape had changed.

“I couldn’t go back there to hunt anymore because it would be like going to the moon,” he said. “That was such a great quail area.”

Landscape changes due to urban sprawl, modern farming practices and adverse weather patterns are among the big factors that have taken a toll on quail, hunters and wild game, experts say.

Snow Burying Plains Bad News for Quail

Ed Dentry:RockyMountainNews.com
Life is hard out there in the sand sage. It’s even harder when you weigh 6 ounces, the snowdrifts can bury standing cows and the only food for miles is you.

When Gov. Bill Owens surveyed blizzard-ravaged southeastern Colorado from a State Patrol airplane Sunday, he saw “just a sea of white.” Highways had been erased, human traffic frozen in memory.

Most folks are warm, hunkered down and still waiting to be dug out. But there will be no rescue for wildlife, including what before the fierce storm Friday and Saturday was a rare abundance of scaled quail.

“I’m singing the blues as far as the quail are concerned,” said Jonathan Wright, district wildlife manager in Springfield. “I’m rather worried for them.”

“I hunt quail, but I don’t shoot them.”

This article by Phil Taunton, of the Emporia Gazette, I think, sums up how many Midwest quail hunters approach and view the current state of upland hunting. Its no suprise that the majority of hunters in the Midwest don’t have the opportunity to hunt areas with a large quail population. The quote, “I hunt quail, but I don’t shoot them,” reflects a common attitude among outdoorsman and hunters. Just getting out and working dogs and seeing birds is a thrill in and of itself.

Read the article in it’s entirety here.

THE COVEY HEADQUARTERS Volume 5 Issue 4 Winter 2006

The winter edition of The Covey Headquarters newsletter is available online. As usual there are several good articles that are written for the landowner.

One of the better reads is the very first article, “The Best Nesting Grass for Quail…Not Much at All” written by ohn Murphy, Private Land Conservationist (Kirksville), stresses the importance of quail bobwhite nesting habitat, and how landowners can work to achieve habitat that is highly suitable for quail nesting success.

The issue is all packed full of upcoming workshops and seminars

Conservation Contractors Put Professional Wildlife Management Within Reach of Private Landowners

By Jim Low – Parties on both sides of these arrangements are pleased with the results.

When Craig Allee knocks off at the end of the work day, he can see the results of his labor. One day, it might be several hundred yards of sheared-off trees and brush piles. Another, it is a new wildlife food plot. His clients – both human and wild – appreciate his work, too.

Allee, owner operator of Allee Brush Clearing Service LLC, is a conservation contractor, one of a new breed of wildlife managers. He is an entrepreneur, rather than a government employee, doing custom wildlife management work for private landowners. He has the satisfaction of knowing that wildlife will thrive as a result of his labor. His clients find it convenient and economical to have the work done by a professional.

Oklahoma Quail habitat to be Restored

At their December meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission accepted a donation of $4,000 from the non-profit organization. The donation will be matched with $4,000 of Wildlife Restoration funds and will help restore native grasslands on the Packsaddle WMA.

“There is a 500-acre area on Packsaddle that was planted by the previous owner years ago in Old World bluestem. Unfortunately, this is a non-native grass that makes for very poor quail habitat, and it is also difficult to control. This donation will allow us to disc the soil and re-plant native grasses more beneficial to wildlife,” said Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

What About Bob? – It’s time for conservation dollars to be spent on bobwhite quail.

The November issue of Outdoor Life featured a pretty lengthy article about bobwhite quail. The article discusses the decline of bobwhites in their range over the past few decades, and what is being done to manage quail today in several different regions.

One of the more interesting parts of the article is a few paragraphs discussing the often heard myth that wild turkey’s are predating upon bobwhites. A biologist who is interviewed dispells the myth and backs his opinion with some research data.