I tend to disagree with the biologists when it comes to what effect hunters have on quail numbers on a WMA. At a very popular WMA in Texas, there are 28k acres. Last year alone there were 10,500 birds shot off of it, you turn in a wing from each bird you kill when you leave. That doesn't even include birds that people forgot to turn in, birds that were shot dead and not found, and birds that were wounded and not found.
I'm sorry but you cant tell me that 10,500 birds, which is probably more like 12,500 birds being shot off of 28,500 acres has no affect on numbers. I just cant wrap my head around that.