managing bobwhite quail

Chris_H · 07-10-2007, 05:29 PM

Our property in SCused to have 3 or 4 coveys of quail. Now, they're all gone. I'd would like to know managing and releasing tips. Habitat, food sources, cover, etc...

birdhuntin · 07-11-2007, 07:11 AM

I don't know about releasing birds, but on our place in Oklahoma we have plenty of cover water etc. With weed control we don't have enough feed, but we used to have quail and there were still quail in the area. My wife and I keep some quail in a pen for working pups, and we never heard wild birds calling even when the penned birds called. We started putting out some hen scratch in 6 locations on the property once a week. Over the course of the last 2 years we have established 5 coveys of 12 to 15 birds. I know it doesn't sound likely but I had read some articles and if you have quail in your area and you keep feed out they will find it. If you have feed and cover they will set up camp! The spring is the best chance to get birds as the coveys split up to nest. Good Luck!!

Chris_H · 07-11-2007, 07:09 PM

Alright. Thanks a bunch for the info.

Chris

ErieBassin · 07-11-2007, 10:19 PM

Hey Chris, I have been told that in an area of quail you dont want to have any fescue grasses. I learned this from a quail organization that comes in any evaluates the land and will help to establish a population of quail. Good Luck because quail are not the most hardy birds out there.

Chris_H · 07-12-2007, 06:14 AM

Cool! Do you know how I can contact this organization?

falcon · 07-12-2007, 03:16 PM

Quail need a lot of cover. Made a mistake and brush-hogged a lot of the sumac on one of our places several years ago. Well, it turns out that quail like sumac seeds. Now we are letting the sumac grow and are taking long sticks and knocking some of the ripe seeds off so the quail can get to them. Milo is another good quail food.

daleh · 07-15-2007, 09:43 PM

Chris,
One of the first things that would be benifical to your property is to join QU
http://www.palmettoquailunlimited.com
There is alot of help and great advice you can get from this organization.
a few highlites
Releasing pen raised quail does not work, they will not reproduce.
Habitat is the most important of all.
Pradator control is secound
Feed is third

SamPAhunter · 07-19-2007, 09:46 AM

This is just from my own expirence but pen raised quail will and do reproduce in the wild. It's all about the age in which you release....the habitat they are going into...and the amount of predator pressure.
Im also working on a big bobwhite management project next year.
Good Luck with yours

daleh · 07-20-2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: SamPAhunter

This is just from my own expirence but pen raised quail will and do reproduce in the wild. It's all about the age in which you release....the habitat they are going into...and the amount of predator pressure.
Im also working on a big bobwhite management project next year.
Good Luck with yours

NO WAY NO HOW 1 out of 1000 maybe.
The hens that are raised in a brooder then to a flight pen will not sit on the eggs.
The Surragator People are the only ones that state that pen raised birds released by their methodwill reproduce. They must be ignoring all the work and research done by QU, Tall Timbers, and every University in the south has tried.
The onlyreleasedquailthat will reproduceis trapped wild birds transplanted to another place. I beleive that the birds must live and learn by experience to be able to hatch out a clutch. After raising quail and seeing just how dumb they are. Mother Hen in the wild does alot of work, more than we will ever know.

Chris_H · 07-22-2007, 04:13 PM

aight guys. thanks for the input.

Chris