Grease the Quail Wheel

[rFisherk]

The Missouri Department of Conservation manages about 1 M acres of conservation areas. They already have started to manage a few areas intensively for quail, but they are currently gathering public opinion about all their areas, one at a time.

You know the saying: squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Here's a link where you can ask for a little oil on the quail wheel: http://mdc.mo.gov/about-u....comment

[fishinwrench]

I've hunted a few of their specially managed quail areas in the past. Nice land/no birds.

I fail to see the point of it.

Making old farm land suitable for quail is easy.... Just leave it alone.

[Mac's Orphan]

I've hunted a few of their specially managed quail areas in the past. Nice land/no birds.

I fail to see the point of it.

Making old farm land suitable for quail is easy.... Just leave it alone.

+1000

And farmers - help us out - quit planting right up to the fence and ditch line and then spraying herbicide on the remaining weeds!

Quail need cover -

[The Troutdoorsman]

The link isn't taking me anywhere.

The great thing about quail habitat improvement is it helps all species. This is a large part of why we are seeing so many habitat partnerships now, like Quail Forever and National Wild Turkey Foundation.

[MOPanfisher]

If you all are willing to help them pay their bills I am sure they would be willing to leave a little more idle ground. Otherwise idle ground doesn't pay no mortgages.

[rFisherk]

I've hunted a few of their specially managed quail areas in the past. Nice land/no birds.

I fail to see the point of it.

Making old farm land suitable for quail is easy.... Just leave it alone.

I've seen CA areas that were loaded with rabbits and quail during the summer, but by the time the season opened, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, hawks and other predators have cleaned them up. Habitat isn't everything, and many places with excellent habitat are only smorgasbords for predators. But the general public seems to be in love with predators and protects them at the expense of upland (and other) wildlife.

[fishinwrench]

Quail populations where I grew up were fantastic in the early 70's but by the time I was old enough to take myself and have my own dog (mid 80's) it was hard to find enough birds to make it worthwhile.

The fields hadn't been made any bigger in that period of time, still plenty of cover.

Some blamed the newly acquired turkeys for "eating the quail eggs", some blamed hard Winters or overly hot Summers, and others blamed foxes and coyotes. But I don't buy that there were any more coyotes then than there was before. Probably LESS if anything because everyone that saw a coyote/fox would shoot it.

Nobody ever blamed hunting pressure for the lack of birds even though at least 3 families per block in the town I grew up in owned a bird dog or 3, and all those ol'boys were wicked good with a shotgun.

[Quillback]

Bird biologists will tell you it is all about habitat.

Hearing some scuttlebutt that there appear to be good numbers in Kansas this year. May have to give it a shot this fall.

[MOPanfisher]

You can create the best quail habitat around, but if there are no birds to populate it well it does make good rabbit hunting.

[rFisherk]

Bird biologists will tell you it is all about habitat.

Hearing some scuttlebutt that there appear to be good numbers in Kansas this year. May have to give it a shot this fall.

My old hunting buddy, Mike Pearce, writes the outdoor column for Wichita, and he is reporting good early numbers of quail and pheasants. I'm planning to join Mike in December.