Blue Quail: December 2004 Archives

Why would anyone want to manage for blue quail if they have bobwhites? Blue quail don't endear themselves to classical quail hunting, i.e., behind pointing dogs. But as a student of blue quail for the past 35 years, I appreciate them. When I say "appreciate" the implication is not only that I "value or admire them highly", but also that I "judge with heightened awareness" and “be cautiously or sensitively aware of” their sporting qualities.

Blue quail were a good third of my memories of hunting quail in my teenaged haunts in southwestern Oklahoma during the 1970s. During the dry years, blues would make up 75% of the quail we shot, during "boom" years, perhaps 30%. Accordingly, I submit there are at least 3 reasons to consider blue quail in your management plans. These include (a) they provide a measure of "drought insurance", (b) they offer a variety of hunting situations, and (c) perhaps you just have an affinity for blue quail, as I do.

Anonymous wisdom espouses that "experience is the strictest teacher; she gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards." I like tests. I use them in practically every program I conduct. At the very least, a good quiz can set the stage for a good educational outing by revealing what one doesn't already know. An humbled student is a more attentive student.

This past week, a Blue Quail Appreciation Day was held at the Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area south of Alpine. As the test instrument used at QUADs was weighted heavily towards bobwhites, I revised it to address questions more pertinent west of the Pecos. See how you would have rated. Answers are at the end of the quiz.