January 2007 Archives
I spent today on the new TeamQuail Ranch in Fisher County . . . what a beautiful day. Chris Snow (new grad student) and I were setting up a Texas Quail Index line on the property. Of course I carried along 3 other "research associates" (i.e., Betters Li'l Annie, Doc, and Babe). Had a couple of nice points (saw 5 coveys altogether; covey size generally around 12 birds). I was disappointed that we saw no blues today; saw as many as 6 coveys about 6 weeks ago there.
The Betters picked up a new skill today -- they were baptized as "hog dogs." When we ran onto a sounder of wild hogs, I jumped from the pickup with my .30-30 and put two shots into a big sow as she ran off. I guess the dogs figured, what with this being a poor quail year, the Master was switching from feathers to fur. So, they proceed to catch piglets, a total of 5 in all. Annie and Babe both retrieved one to hand. I didn't scold them . . . all will be forgotten when they scent quail.
About 2 hours later, we came across another sounder, a half dozen sows, assorted choats, and probably 15 piglets the size of cottontails. I dropped 2 of the bigger sows, and watched as 2 more limped off hit. Annie made another retrieve.
The coyotes will eat well tonight. Cantad amigos!
Got this e-mail (edited a bit) from a depressed quail hunter in Mills Co.:
We have always had bobwhite quail in Mills County in the past. But, I am running my dog this year on pen raised quail because of a lack of birds.
We have 2,600 acres of prime quail habitiat. We shoot every predator we come across.
We plant some supplemental sunflowers, etc. I fallow disc each winter. We understock and keep our fence lines brushy. We don't shoot many, if any quail.
I know the plight of the little bobwhite is tough, but... I have just about given up hope.
Is anyone doing any work on importing a game bird that might be able to compete better with the current conditions in Central Texas? I'm not talking about pen raised birds that might last over the winter and maybe breed. I'm talking about a bird that could proliferate like the Chinese Pheasants of the midwest. For example, wild Hungarian Partridge or some other game bird.
I'd love any feedback or HOPE you can give me!
+++++++
Well, I wouldn't put my future hope on pheasants, Huns, or other exotic. IF the native, well-adapted bobwhite is struggling (and I agree with you it is), what makes you think an exotic will? Pheasants have been tried in various locations, but only thrive where there is extensive grain-based agriculture (e.g., Texas panhandle). I'm not sure about the history of trasnslocations using chukars, huns, and other game birds, but whatever attempts there have been have met universally with failure, at least in Texas.
Our lots are pretty well cast with our endemic species, in this case bobwhites. I can tell you some of the best properties for quail in west Texas witnessed reductions of 75 to 90% from Nov 2005 to Nov 2006 . . . and nobody I know of has all the answers. The medical community has a word for such blanks -- "idiopathic". In other words, we don't have a clue.
Surely much was due to hot, dry weather, but I dn't believe you can blame all of the implosion on that? Predators? You bet, but I don't think they were any more a factor this year than most years. Disease?? Intriguing ... I'm curious about the role of disease in wild quail dynamics. We know hardly anything about their impacts on wild populations.
The National Anthem of Quail Management (according to disciples of The Bobwhite Brigade) is Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", the lyrics of which insist "and this bird you cannot change."
I encourage you to conduct some spring call counts in early May from different vantage points around your property. IF you hear an average of 3 or more roosters calling, the breeding capital is there.
Don't give up the ghost my friend, Bob needs allies now more than ever. Keep the faith until at least this spring when we see how many birds are left on the landscape.
Had a question from someone in NW OK about whether wheat (seeds) was a satisfactory supplemental feed for quail, or if she should be using milo. I forwarded the question to Kent Mills, a nutritionist with Hi-Pro Feed in Snyder. Here's Kent's reply:
++++++
Wheat is higher in protein than most of our other grains and the starch
is more readily available, at least in ruminants and I assume that in
birds it is similar. Birds really like wheat, so I assume that it
supplies nutrients that benefit them as most animals prefer the foods
that give them the most benefit. Most companies put some wheat in their
chicken scratch and since wheat is the most expensive of the grains,
then there must be a demand, and a good reason, for doing that.
++++++
The TeamQuail E-covey Newsletter is an ever-so-often update of quail happenings in west Texas. Feel free to forward to your quail-addict friends, or reply with their e-mail address and I'll add them to the e-covey. Comments, questions, or ideas for future topics? Please e-mail me at d-rollins@tamu.edu. See the TeamQuail website (http://teamquail.tamu.edu) for past issues of the E-covey and additional information about quail
management.
