Where have the quail gone?

Only a pointer I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I will switch my 2800 acres of soybeans to Austrian peas? As long as that would help the quail I guess it don'm matter that the only market for them would be seed for somebody else to plant. They use them some around for cover crops.
 
only a pointer said:
lmao are you trying to be funny old lol wtf are austrian peas i cant quit laughing lol :)
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Not kidding! Austrian peas are a winter legume and cover crop. They are widely fed as a forage, or high value hay crop in Europe. Marketed here mostly as deer and turkey plantings, but I'm sure they are of value to other wildlife. Used heavily in the southeast where deer season is a religion and the season is 4 months long. Be good or we are going to have to give you homework so you can keep up:). We may talk about Khale and turnips next:eek:!!! When I made my sporting voyage to merry old England we hunted khale fields, they were alive with pheasants, quite a few Huns too, though darned if I know what they eat in there! But lots of ovehead cover, open beneath, and a miserable wet, ankle turning mess to walk. But there were birds, I was reasonablly young, and as I say, there were birds, so what's a guy to do but follow the dogs mostly springers, cockers, and some labs. The Brits call that rough shooting, as compared to formal driven shoots. They have fewer birds than we do now. So any crop which might catch on here and help the quail is a noble experiment in my book!
 
SetterNut said:
I have found that it is the other way around, and not really close. Milo having many more quail around it than beans. In fact I don't bother to hunt around beans for the most part.

QUOTE]

Which might explain why you find more birds around milo because that is what you seek out and hunt.

A couple years ago I happened to find a couple of coveys in areas around bean fields early in the so I tended to target bean fields that year more often. The next year It was corn and by the end of the year I probably hunted around corn. This year It has been winter wheat that was planted in last years bean fields.... the birds get out in the wheat and pick the leftover beans (pheasant and quail).

Becasue you are not randomly picking spots and are specifically targeting a particular type of food source it's hard to say that one source is preferred over the other. In this case the researcher (the hunter) is introducing bias into the equation by favoring one type of food source over another. The answer is most likely that if there is a viable food source available along with escape and roosting cover then there "should" be birds regardless of the type of food.

Probably the best strategy is to evaluate the other parts of the equaiton - escape cover, roosting areas, etc. that are in close proximity to the food source. There is plenty of food out there with increased crop production. Quail are not declining becasue of lack of food.

Austrian peas are likely not the answer. There are probably pleny of native plants that benefit quail. Sometimes importing successful plants from other places brings a whole host of new problems.
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Only a pointer I doubt if you've ever seen them. They are very few and far between. There is no market for them they are starting to be used for cover crops, and their only other use is in food plots.
 
only a pointer said:
i still dont know what they are i know you have explained it do we ever see them out in ks? sometimes i need a picture drawn to me
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Quail? Ocaasionally they are seen in KS! :)


wouldn't know an austrian pea if i saw one so maybe? but I hope for the most part the Austrians keep their peas - we could just plant more big and little bluestem, switchgrass, etc. and few low growing woody shrubs here and there and help things out quite a bit.
 
oldandnew said:
Not kidding! Austrian peas are a winter legume and cover crop. They are widely fed as a forage, or high value hay crop in Europe. Marketed here mostly as deer and turkey plantings, but I'm sure they are of value to other wildlife. Used heavily in the southeast where deer season is a religion and the season is 4 months long. Be good or we are going to have to give you homework so you can keep up:). We may talk about Khale and turnips next:eek:!!! When I made my sporting voyage to merry old England we hunted khale fields, they were alive with pheasants, quite a few Huns too, though darned if I know what they eat in there! But lots of ovehead cover, open beneath, and a miserable wet, ankle turning mess to walk. But there were birds, I was reasonablly young, and as I say, there were birds, so what's a guy to do but follow the dogs mostly springers, cockers, and some labs. The Brits call that rough shooting, as compared to formal driven shoots. They have fewer birds than we do now. So any crop which might catch on here and help the quail is a noble experiment in my book!
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same thing with the old sugar beet fields we used to walk back in the 70s in eastern washington. ankle busting but they held birds like a magnet. I also was a kid at the time, but had the bb gun in hand and always followed dads gsp into those big fields. throw a bit of frost on top of them and it is amazing we could even walk through those things. I have read that turnips are a fashionable food again and gaining popularity in markets in the US. would be nice to see more turnip, beet, and pumpkin patches around the corn fields. a nice, balanced, combo of food and cover and then kill predators and I think we'd have something good
 
only a pointer said:
i still dont know what they are i know you have explained it do we ever see them out in ks? sometimes i need a picture drawn to me
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I'm just teasing you. I don't think we could scrounge up a crop of peas north of Alabama unless Jaytee plants 'em. look on the Biologics website. They sell them and have pictures. I doubt they are an answer to quail population increase. There are so many good natural options, no real need to go exotic unless you want deer and turkey. I would go with broom corn and ragweed as a first choice, wouldn't even need seed for ragweed the seed bank in the soil will do it for you, if you disturb the soil at the right time.
 
Was reading an older article in Gundog or Pointing Dog and the article gave some reasons why Quail are in decline.

1.) Land Fragmentation

2.) Chemicals ( Names have changed, but are basically the same)

3.) Inbreeding ( evidently Quail hens pick their Male sutors and are quite picky, so new Blood should be close by or implemented. This probably has something to do with #1)
 
I dont know of a market for the peas, I was just considering using them instead of beans for the toxicity factor. There are several different type of peas, cowpeas, winter peas, ect. Heck maybe even good ole early June peas. I do think the land fragmentation idea has a lot of merit, thats why I'd like to see some type of an agreement or cooperation between the utility companies and the local/state game commissions throughout the United States and get these rights of ways planted with something beneficial to small game and adjust their mowing practices. These rights of way could act as superhighways if you will to allow species migration or movement.
 
jaytee said:
I dont know of a market for the peas, I was just considering using them instead of beans for the toxicity factor. There are several different type of peas, cowpeas, winter peas, ect. Heck maybe even good ole early June peas. I do think the land fragmentation idea has a lot of merit, thats why I'd like to see some type of an agreement or cooperation between the utility companies and the local/state game commissions throughout the United States and get these rights of ways planted with something beneficial to small game and adjust their mowing practices. These rights of way could act as superhighways if you will to allow species migration or movement.
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That's a great idea. I have a once a week train track by ny farm. The dang railroad sprays the thing once a year to kill weeds. Smells like a herbicide factory for weeks.
 
oldandnew said:
You guys are deprssing me! I grew up with the family farm in Greenbush, hunted based in Frontenac, hit the area from Arcadia- Liberal,Mo.- Mindenmines, Mo.- on back to Frontenac,when not going west to Girard, Greenbush, Hepler, Walnut.
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oldandnew,

The current 'Kansas' magazine on news stands now, is the people issue. You will know it because it has a picture of a Native American, Manny King on the cover. Inside, representing the Italian culture is Dickie Palluca of Frontenac. Just thought you would like to know.

Quite a shame that the covers you(and other well known persons of interest;)) grew up hunting don't support the quail the way they used to.
 
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I do not know the current treatment/maintenance of high voltage transmission lines R-O-W. Back when I has something to do with it, Tordon beads was the method of treatment. Tordon beads look like beads of nitrogen fertilizer, but is a herbicide that prevents the growth of woody plants but allows the growth of grass. Power transmission line right-of-ways could be kept free of woody growth by broadcasting the Tordon beads. Again, I don't know the current maintenance methods.
 
I use Austrian winter peas mixed with triticale for winter food plots for the deer or grazing for my cattle.

I have just a few partridge peas in my CRP grass. I want to establish some more partridge pea in the grass and will use them in the mix the next time I interseed forbs in my CRP grasses(assuming I have CRP after next year). I do have a fair stand of Illinois bundle flower and Maximillan sunflower in my CRP.

Ragweed is a favorite of the birds. I have both what I call common ragweed in my pasture and what I call giant ragweed in some non farmed areas. Most farmers hate ragweed, I on the other hand leave it alone and even propagate it some.
 
Seems like most of the powerline right of way maintenance around here is done with a brushhog and at the wrong times. Just when it starts to look "birdy" they go in and slick it off like a table top.
 
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