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Author Topic: Reintroducing Quail  (Read 55461 times)

Offline Shawn

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2008, 11:10:50 pm »
Jp, I liked your idea about setting the habitat and feeding some the birds. It will work and might vene show you some pictures of some quail that were released last year and their covey is still growing. Rancher bought them, just released them, and yes they are still there one year later. Habitat is the key and yes he had the habitat.

Offline charlescfry

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2008, 08:47:13 pm »
all of the suggestions here are good - and they generally don't work. we spent years and countless dollars on this effort, and in the end reintroducing game birds was a bust. we did have occassional coveys that would winter over, and once in a while a pheasant or two would hold out, but in the scheme of things we were never able to get anything like a sustainable, wild population. for reference, this was on approximately 250 acres of intensively managed land (feed plots, native cover, etc.) in a rural setting with surrounding farm ground. not to rain on anyone's parade, but we had the land and spent the money to make it go... and after about 7 years decided it was easier to raise them in the pen and release them before a hunt. (fyi... i was an assistant to a millionaire sportsman who funded this effort. we even had a full-time resident game manager. this was a serious effort!)

now, maybe Ohio is not the place to do this... but if anyone wants to ask about specific efforts, go ahead. seems like we tried just about everything!

good luck... and if it works i am thrilled for you. just offering the benefit of my experiences.
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #22 on: October 10, 2008, 12:21:00 am »
My five acres was a cotton field 7 years ago. It was totally barren of everything... Just dirt... when we moved on it. Other than attempting to have a garden a few years I have done nothing to it except keep the weeds mowed down. I have had quail out here every year. They just came here on their own.
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Offline Keith13

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #23 on: October 10, 2008, 08:49:54 am »
Well here is my plan the fields were going to be returned to as near native as possible either way. I will continue down that path incorporating some of the methods sent to me from Quail Unlimited, they have been pretty helpful so far with information, and plans. I think I might hold off on introducing birds to the property for a few years to see what happens and what shows up. Most of the local old timers all say that before the big farmers moved in and plowed every available acre from property line to property line removing all the shelter belts, they had birds. So I will try to improve the habitat until I feel comfortable that the habitat is there to support a population then introduce a covey or two. Also, even if I never see a quail the native wildlife will benefit from my efforts, so that’s something. With the fields of wildflowers and food plots my beehives should be full as well, again win win. Thank you to all who offered an opinion all were taken with interest and appreciation.

Keith

JP might take you up on a quail meal for bee trade soon.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #24 on: October 11, 2008, 10:51:24 am »
Charles, I thought that as pretty cool that you got to be an assistant to that millionaire dude.  I bet that land was well managed and looked wonderful, seven years of fun it sounds like to me.  What a lovely experience.  Have a most wonderful and awesome day, Cindi
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #25 on: June 23, 2023, 09:03:26 am »
I realize this is a very old post and many of the participants posting on this topic my no longer be among us with some having went on to their rest.. Even so, I was wondering how things went for Keith13 in his endeavor. If anyone knows, or knows of others who have tried this, I would appreciate your chiming in.
The quail population has come to a screeching halt in my part of Mississippi as well. I miss them... One of the last quail I heard whistle or sound out in my area was about the year 2008. I had heard of the drastic decline in quail in other areas previously..

Phillip
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #26 on: June 23, 2023, 09:15:50 am »
We used to have them here on my farm also but now that you mention it, we have not seen or heard them here this year.
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Offline animal

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #27 on: June 24, 2023, 01:51:52 am »
Dunno if this is relevant, but .. Up where I used to hunt, many years ago quail all but disappeared and rabbits got thinned way out. We had been noticing more coyotes and decided they needed thinning. Word was spread among several hunting clubs and we took it on ourselves. After a couple of weeks, it became evident that there were way more than we had thought.. coyotes, feral dogs and cross breeds. After a season of ridiculously high body counts and many stories of passing up shots at good deer, etc. to kill a coyote .. the next year seemed almost like a miracle. .. quail rabbits, turkey everywhere. Coyotes started coming back a couple of years later and a gray wolf was sighted(we left him alone) and the coyotes disappeared and didn't come back until we hadn't seen the wolf for a couple years.
A coyote attack on a covey is a disgusting thing to see... dead birds everywhere. Looks like they ambush them on the ground, kill everything they can, and eat a couple. Imo, the most wasteful animal in the woods other than man. They seem to like half-rabbits instead of whole ones too.
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Online Ben Framed

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #28 on: June 24, 2023, 07:59:28 am »
Quote
"Animal"
They seem to like half-rabbits instead of whole ones too.

You can add watermelons to that statement as well, very wasteful. You may be right about the loss of quail and rabbits to coyotes.. Come to think of it we had plenty of quail until coyotes were introduced into my area. Thanks for your response...

Beemaster2, Jim, do you have coyotes in your area as well?

Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #29 on: June 24, 2023, 08:14:00 am »
Yes I do. I?ve shot a couple of them. I haven?t seen one in several years. I heard that they were seen many years ago (decades) riding on trains coming from the west to get here.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #30 on: June 24, 2023, 08:30:28 am »
One of my neighbors, several years ago, was a big time foxhunter. It was told by 'scutttlebutt' that he brought them into my area for the purpose of "chasing the hounds".. I do not know if this was true but I heard my first coyote sound out while hunting on the same grounds, and it was the first 'I had ever heard' of a coyote being located on the east side of the (Mississippi River)...   Adding: Just because I had not ever heard of such a thing does not mean there were not others in other locations East of the Mississippi River at that time.  But no one at the local country stores had ever heard of it either.. Anyway, coyotes are here in abundance in my area and the quail are gone... That saddens me... I love hear quail whistling out "Bob White", a good bird dog, and a good mess of quail for breakfast... Gone with the wind..
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline animal

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Re: Reintroducing Quail
« Reply #31 on: June 24, 2023, 11:40:20 am »
imo, everyone that enjoys hunting should go quail hunting on horseback at least once in their lives. I've only had the chance a few times. It doesn't sound like much compared to a big game hunt, but there's something special about it. A fine working horse, well trained dog, and a smooth shooting shotgun.

My grandpa used to say quail were the "canary in the coal mine" for the woods and he never steered me wrong as far as I know.
Also noticed ... though it may be a just a coincidence ... I've never seen a healthy quail population where there were a lot of feral hogs.

A good foxhound is trained to run only foxes and ignore other scents, so I kinda doubt he would do that, but you never know.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2023, 09:07:02 pm by animal »
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