RE: How about a 2 bird limit???

Soonerhead

Soonerhead

Member
RE: How about a 2 bird limit???

First, guys, thanks for all the replies...it was VERY interesting to see what I saw and learned what I learned from ya'll. More importantly, I think we may have finally killed that danged Residents only first weekend post! hehe Next, here is another one I have been pondering. I am fully up for it where I live, in NE Oklahoma, but let's get this one started...What would you all think about maybe closing quail season for a year and then find out what impact that actually had on bird numbers? Do you guys think it would have that big an impact?
 
Zero impact.

We haven't quail hunted the pastures I grew up hunting in several years. When we were hunting there were a ton of birds. Now, there might be one covey still up there. Again, these haven't been hunted in 5 years, and then it was only once or so a year for the years previous to that.

For quail its all about the habitat.
 
cheesy said:
Zero impact.

We haven't quail hunted the pastures I grew up hunting in several years. When we were hunting there were a ton of birds. Now, there might be one covey still up there. Again, these haven't been hunted in 5 years, and then it was only once or so a year for the years previous to that.

For quail its all about the habitat.
Click to expand...

Interesting for sure. I have always wondered just how much impact hunters have on certain species. But from everything I've seen and read, it seems that you are right.
 
These kinds of studies have been done already. And while harvest has been shown to impact quail if that harvest takes 30% to 40% or more of the population, that level of harvest rarely happens on a landscape or population scale. Even in Kansas with all the WIHA, there are so many "refuges" that see little if any hunting pressure, that impact just doesn't occur.

More importantly, quail populations are reliant on early successional habitat, they need weedy areas, new grass growth, etc. and most habitats in eastern KS and OK have matured to the point of tree invasion or been replaced by non-native grasses (fescue), or are just older undisturbed native grass stands (we need more fire!!!). These habitats are not conducive to quail (but they are to turkey and deer). So that's the habitat fix that needs to occur, and it needs to occur at large scales (multiple contiguous farms, not just a few acres here and there). Then there is the weather factor, can't be too dry/droughty and can't be too wet at the wrong time (nesting). When considering the habitat issues and the weather issues, the impact of harvest is so minimal for quail.
 
Might make for pretty short hunting days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top