FC, If this gets to be a book, wait for the movie
From a quail perspecive, quail are a low successional species. What does that mean? It means that they thrive in the habitat that follows some kind of disturbance. Historically, that would mean a burn followed by thousands of bison grazing an area. These days, it is burning, disking, agriculture associated with perennial vegetation, grazing, etc. What does fire do? First, it sets back woody vegetation. If you haven't noticed, habitat left idle over long periods of time degrades. You cannot maintain NWSG grasslands without the use of fire. Look at a grassland. It is composed of grasses, forbs, and woody plants. The grasses are grazed by herbivores, but they don't eat everything. The herbivores tend to graze in a mosaic pattern. This is due to them eating the same plants over and over because the ones that they didn't eat the first time have now got thatch mixed in and it is low in nutrients. Over time, the plants that are not grazed get more and more filled with thatch and begin to decline. These plants don't harvest much sunlight due to the shading of their own thatch, and therefore, don't grow as much new green leaves. Since insects feed on the plants(forbs, grasses, and woody plants), the insect population decreases. As hunters we should realize that insects are essential for broods and laying hens that need the high protein they provide for growth and reproduction. The hatchlings have to also be mobile and able to catch insects and this thatch decreases their ability to hunt. As the grass and thatch becomes more dominant, the forbs tend to decrease. Since the forbs are the major food for the insects and are also the primary source for seed that is the food source for the adult birds, we want to make sure to have a healthy forb population. So, second, the fire removes the thatch, invigorates the forbs, and exposes bare ground where broodlings can hunt, stay dry, and feed on seeds later in the year that are exposed on the bare soil. The plants all grow post burn, harvesting 100% sunlight making the post-fire habitat the most vigorous and productive. A third aspect that has been shown to improve habitat for quail from fire involves rodents and their predators. Most predators are opportunists. They go where the food is the most plentiful. As a grassland gets further from fire, the thatch becomes a significant habitat for rodents. Predators move in to harvest the rodents and incidental nest predation increases as well. Here's your homework. Go out where you have found quail in a grassland habitat in the past. Lay on your stomach with your chin on the ground. You now are just a bit taller than a quail. Look at the habitat from their perspective. Imagine you are a chick 2 inches tall. Is the thatch going to impede your movement? Can you keep up with momma? Can you see/find insects? Now, move over to an area dominated by forbs and ask the same questions. It's important for hunters to understand and recognize good habitat and good management. If you are going to lease a piece of property, wouldn't you want the most for your money? You have to understand the habitat and how it is manipulated in order to know what to pay for it and what to expect from it. I wouldn't trust the landowner to tell me what the productivity of the land is. Learning the components of habitat and how they work together is important. That knowledge may get you to the point where you won't even slow the truck down for some sites because you can tell at 55 mile per hour that the birds won't be there. Questions?