Saw the first quail on my family's property (Update: Covey Found!!)

M

Makintrax73

Member
:)

Went out to the property today to check my CRP and shrub/covey headquarter plantings. The bad news is the mid-contract management plantings on the filter strips look horrible (dead grass and weeds), and at least half of the shrub seedlings I planted in the spring appear dead or choked out by thistle.

The good news is that I finally saw a quail on the property. It was only one lonely bird, but IIRC the covey splits up in the summer so perhaps there are some more around.

This has been a LONG hard slog fighting with my farmer and his G&* D&^@ned mower, fighting monoculture brome grass, setting up contracts for CRP, lining up a seed drill, begging my farmer to spray and plant, and on and on and on.

Today is the first time I have seen any fruits of the work that started about 5 years ago. Perhaps only a small glimmer of light, but at least I can now feel like if I get the habitat in shape the birds are there to populate it.

Thank you UPH habitat forum for the advice I have received here!!


UPDATE : Nov 25, 2017

Found a covey on Saturday. One of the areas I worked on are some water diversion structures. Previously all brome. I sprayed them with Roundup, and PF loaned us a seed drill which my farmer agreed to pull. The dog went on an unsure, tail flagging point. He firmed up as I approached, and two birds flushed. I didn't even get the gun up I was so shocked! Then about 8 more launched! :) and I missed.

Presume they moved up the strip because 150 yards up the dog goes again:

e0ilbl.jpg


This time I took time to step to an open shooting lane as birds flushed and put down the last bird of the bunch. Dog could not find him. Scratch my head for a few minutes. Did he fall in the flowing water? Lucky break - found half submerged 20' away lodged on a stick.

2ueilj6.jpg


Wrangled the very confused dog into place and didnt have to get my feet wet.

1zbtq81.jpg


At least 10 to start. Likely I will leave the reast this year and hope for a good breeding season!!! First bird since we bought the place, and having quail in the northern 1/2 of IL is a special treat.
 
Last edited:
Keep up the fight my friend !!! I was just out on our property where we started a habitat project 3 years ago . We have went for one covey using our property of and on, to 3 coveys last year hoping for another covey moving in this year .
 
Build it and they will come! Keep up the good work.
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys. This really makes me so happy. Finally seeing a bird was the boost I needed to keep working to make the habitat better.

We added about 4 acres of field border and pollinator this year and I had the farmer plant some water run off berms outside the CRP areas to native short grasses from Pheasant's Forever (it was all overrun with brome which I killed off).

Hopefully in a couple years these areas will mature and I'll have a huntable population.
 
I am in the Flint Hills of KS, which is pretty good quail country for the most part, but we do not have the numbers we once had.

I have a quarter that I have done a fair amount of habitat work. Removed trees in the pasture, prescribed burns, pollinator plot (EQIP), and a 30' buffer around all of the crop fields that I kept out of the cash rent to make sure I have quail habitat in all areas of the place.

I have a good deal of plum thicket around the field edges. I have been killing off broom that has gotten under some of the thickets, that is coming in from the place next door. That has made it easier for the chicks to move around in a safe area.

Fire is your best friend for the quail habitat. That has been a big help.

Brood habitat is what I need more and better of. I have quail, I just need them to breed more and have more of the chicks survive into the fall and winter.

Keep it up, do a little each year to make it better, and have fun.

One last thing, Get a Setter so you can do a proper quail inspection.
 
Yesterday I saw my first quail brood of the season.
They were about the size of a fat sparrow and flew about 50 ft.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top