Tag: Quail Management

Texas Quail Hunting is About Timing

Quail hunting is really fun when the birds are thick coming off a good nesting season, but it can be downright challenging when there are few quail to be found. In December 2009, I had the opportunity to hunt quail on two South Texas ranches. My expectations were low because the 2009 nesting season was nearly a total bust because of historic heat and drought conditions throughout the state. This was a nesting season where few, if any birds were produced.

Since the majority of birds in a bobwhite hunter’s bag are typically hatch-year (young of the year; juvenile birds), I knew from the get-go that we would most likely find only a few coveys for our efforts. After a hard day of hunting with good dogs and expert guides and in areas of good quail habitat, we flushed five coveys. Later in the week, after a half-day hunt on another ranch, again in good habitat, we only moved two coveys! Continue reading Texas Quail Hunting is About Timing

Quail Management: Leave the Coyotes?

When it comes to quail management, proper techiniques for increasing quail populations includes predator control and habitat enhancment. However, on-going research suggests that coyotes may be beneficial to quail populations that thought in the past, at least if the preliminary results pan out. The research, which takes place in Texas, involves putting GPS tracking devices on raccoons and coyotes to find out information on their movement patterns.

To date, the study has found that female raccoons were limited to the riparian areas with dense undercover and tall trees. Quail do not inhabit such areas, so female raccoons are presumed innocent of the crime of eating and destroying quail nest. However, whether female raccons would venture into the grassland if coyotes were absent remains to be seen, because all coyotes would have to be removed to determine their response. Continue reading Quail Management: Leave the Coyotes?

Bobwhite Quail Population Dynamics

Bobwhite quail are an amazing upland game bird species with dynamic populations. Research has found that annual cumulative rainfall from April through August is a predictor that explains over 92% of the variance in annual bobwhite quail productivity, based on juvenile:adult ratios obtained from hunter bags in South Texas. Basically, annual reproduction is highly correlated with precipitation.

Overwinter survival of bobwhites in South Texas ranges from about 17 to over 80%, and is far more variable than overwinter survival of bobwhites in the Rolling Plains, which is only about 30%. Harder, colder winter weather obviously can take it’s toll on bobwhite quail populations. Continue reading Bobwhite Quail Population Dynamics

Quail Management Assistance Program

In an effort to provide more comprehensive quail management assistance, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is starting has implemented the Quail Management Assistance Program (QMAP). While no additional habitat cost-share is available through QMAP, being a QMAP participant will insure landowners are updated on available cost-share opportunities.

To enroll in QMAP, complete the application provided on the VDGIF website and follow the instructions. QMAP cooperators will be asked to provide an aerial photograph of their property, an optional e-mail address and GPS coordinates, if available. QMAP will help VDGIF establish a QMAP listserv for rapid communications with program participants. It will also provide a link for like minded landowners to work together. In addition, it will facilitate establishing a quail habitat database, helping track habitat additions as they occur throughout Virginia. Continue reading Quail Management Assistance Program

Predator Control and Quail Habitat Management Face Off

Bobwhite quail

The relative merits of predator control and habitat development as bobwhite quail management practices have long been debated. A recent study in North Carolina sheds some light on this contentious issue.

The study took place during 1997–1999 on the coastal plain. This region consists of about 40% farmland devoted to soybeans, corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco. The researchers selected 3 areas. In each area, they selected 4 farms. One farm served as the experimental control (no management), one received only predator control, one received only field border development, and one received both predator control and field border development. Continue reading Predator Control and Quail Habitat Management Face Off