Bill
Administrator
@Catscratch suggested a section for Quail discussion so we just added this.
I stay a nervous wreck from all the coveys of quail surprising me when I check trail cameras and do habitat work on my 100 acre place. It's not unusual for me to bump two coveys, and on unusual days I have bumped four different coveys in the same day. The habitat I see them use the most is fence rows with 100+ year old red cedars, honeysuckle and weedy NWSGs on one or both sides of the fence row. The food plots are also a good place to get the poop scared out of you. Four miles away on my 20 acre place, which is woods and crop fields, I have never seen a quail.
I don't do anything special for them other than maintain my deer habitat and keep coyotes down to a reasonable number. People think of quail as being "ground birds" but you would not believe how much time they spend up in those cedars. I've tried to spot them before up in the trees when I hear them whistle, and they just let me walk around and don't fly, because they know I will never find them.
PS - The thing you hear about NWSGs being too tall and thick for quail - all i can say is LOL. It doesn't work that way.
Love the new section! Yesterday I closed out 2023 with a quick hunt and managed to find a couple coveys and scratch down 4. Pup did good and found all of them.
I have killed probably well over a 1000 birds out of un-managed broomesedge in commercial timberland clearcuts. That said, I have hunted some type of tall, thick grass in Kansas WIHA that we never found quail in. It was even rare for a single to land in it. Head high or higher and so thick you couldnt see your feet. Not sure what it was. When we had birds down here, I would find far more birds in broomsedge or little bluestem than big bluestem or switch - but they could be found in all of itThe only thing I have read along those lines is quail chicks can struggle to navigate the thick thatch of an unmanaged NWSG stand.
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Awesome!Love the new section! Yesterday I closed out 2023 with a quick hunt and managed to find a couple coveys and scratch down 4. Pup did good and found all of them.
She is a French Brittany or more formally an Epagneul BretonWhat kind of dog is that?
She is a French Brittany or more formally an Epagneul Breton
Looks like black panther to meI have a couple coveys that absolutely love. Trying to manage an area to keep them around. Between the harrier hawks and the cats I have my work cut out. If you are in farm country cats are a real issue, they are absolute hell on birds. I have 2 hanging around that need to go.
May have to get a dna sample….Looks like black panther to me
I have a couple coveys that absolutely love. Trying to manage an area to keep them around. Between the harrier hawks and the cats I have my work cut out. If you are in farm country cats are a real issue, they are absolute hell on birds. I have 2 hanging around that need to go.