OK, I read the 24 page report by AG&F. Lots of infromation there but I cant see habitat being a big problem with all the pictures of habitat that I am about to post of areas that I hunt with few birds.Look at the pictures and see what needs improvement. These same areas had many more birds 20 years ago. I think the report said Quail population has declined 90% since 1980.
Man, those places look like they should hold some birds. I sure can't provide any answers except wondering about predators. I have seen exactly 1 quail this year, and it ran across the road in front of my truck as I was pulling into my property. I just don't know where they are (or went).
Great looking places for quail. I'm going with the predator aspect. I've got a pal I had alot of wildlife classes with while at Tech that worked on a quail population project in Louisiana. I'll email him and try to find out what his opinion is. They actually put cameras on feeding sites that were set up to help(actually hurts) the quail and got some awesome footage of some avian attacks.
Queen up to her old tricks. Well, today Queen found only her second covey of the year, so far, in some of that "poor habitat".
bird dog, I decided a few years back that I would try and make my property better quail habitat. I had a few coveys that stayed and seemed to be holding their own. I did not hunt them but my timber was opening up and I could see that with the next thinning I could have a pretty nice little place to at least work a dog. I started to do controlled burns and planted seed areas and nesting areas with what I thought were good choices. All I have accomplished is that now I have turkey by the hundreds where there used to be only an occassional sighting and I have not heard a quail so much as whistle one time this year. I may be wrong but I am convinced the tremendous increase in turkey population on my place has had something to do with the simultaneous decline of the bobwhite. I think when turkey and quail use the same areas that the turkey can and will do serious damage to the quail population. I should have left well enough alone.
