Author Topic: Bobwhite Quail (Read 2227 times)

willy12 · « **on:** September 11, 2003, 03:40:41 AM »

What is everyone seeing as far as bobwhite quail populations in the southeast? I live in Middle TN and while there are a few birds, the population seems to be struggling. A few years ago when my last birddog died I did not replace her and started squirrel hunting with dogs. ( I have to have a dog to hunt with).

Every year I think of getting another pointer, but I'm not sure if I can find enough wild birds to make things interesting. Do any of you quail hunt?

Hawghead · « **Reply #1 on:** September 11, 2003, 05:24:15 AM »

I would say quail & turkey hunting are my favorite. We have 2 english pointers .(one liver colored male and an all white female) not one spot on her. She is VERY pretty. my buddy has a springer spaniel that was hunting along side our pointers at 6 months. retrieving and flushing. He just followed along w/ the pointers.

Im in South Ga. Georgia has done a quail initiative project and it seems to be working. it works in conjunction with the state biologists and land owners. our county was picked as one to start the project on. we actually got a covey up 3 wks ago with babies in it with around 30 quail.

We actually release quail too during the season. We buy them for 2.75 a piece from a breeder that supplies all the quail hunting lodges around.

I actually heard some whistling "Bobwhite" last weekend on some other land we have that is mainly agricultural fields.

jdbe · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2003, 09:21:13 PM »

I would love to, but here in Ut, we really do not have many quail. We have some valley quail, but it all is in the green belts around suburban areas that cannot be hunted. There are some clubs that can be joined, but I really resist having to join a club to hunt lol.

I love to train bird dogs, and have my latest Labe doing well both in upland and waterfowl, but would like to bet a britt spaniel.

Hound_Dog55 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 12, 2003, 04:54:48 AM »

I live in middle TN also. For the last 10 years or so the quail population has dwindled. The state knows and wont do anything about it. I filled out their surveys for several years. I love to hunt and have 4 pointers. I have had some success in the last two seasons on private land but the days of finding 6 or 8 coveys are gone. What a shame.

MF · « **Reply #4 on:** October 12, 2003, 01:19:22 PM »

I have heard that the dwindling populations of bobwhites are because of fireants? Is this true? Mike

Hawghead · « **Reply #5 on:** November 07, 2003, 04:15:04 AM »

My guess would be habitat and pesticides from farming. I may be wrong though. WE have 1 covey I know of from deer hunting and hearing them whistle at daylight. HAve a couple coveys on other private land also. I wish I could of hunted back in the day. My grandfather tells me the best quail hunting stories about jumping a bunch of coveys all day long and you could hunt where ever you wanted to without people caring.

Doc Contender · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2003, 05:43:48 PM »

Quail population in southern Illinois also depleted. Only way to go if you still want to hunt is game farms. Reasons; little area for quail to live. hunting pressure, many people think wild turkey eat quail young.

TennSquire · « **Reply #7 on:** December 24, 2004, 02:37:09 AM »

I live in Central Florida and the quail population has severly declined over the past several decades. It's mainly due to the population explosion we have experienced. The population of Orange County was under 60,000 back in the late 1950's. You could hunt and fish anywhere. I could ride a horse through downtown and not turn an eye. Today we have almost 2,000,000 permanent residents in Central Florida. Add to that the 30,000,000 (yes, 30 million!) visitors each year, cars, exhaust fumes, crankcase runoff, and it's a miracle that even humans can live here!

Recently the Florida Game and Fish Commission has been studying the bobwhite quail decline. They published a paper explaining that the quail population has declined by more that 5% per yer, consistently over the past 5 years. That has qualified it to be placed on the State's "Protected Species" list. They are taking input as what solutions can be considered. I don't know what that would do to quail hunting down here if they are place on some kind of protected list.

TennSquire

Grizer · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2005, 03:24:08 PM »

I live in north central Florida & quail population is almost gone, more houses, few farmers row crop anymore, mostly pasture land. Cattle egrets will eat small quail also. No grown up fence rows, no brier patches and no quail.

dano · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2005, 06:10:13 AM »

I live in the panhandle of oklahoma and we have alot of quail bobwhite blue quail and pheasants. the population varys from year to year depending on the weather. this year looks to be very good.last night took a pointer pup out and in 8 miles he pointed 19 pheasants.this year will be one to remember

Ron T. · « **Reply #10 on:** August 21, 2005, 11:29:23 PM »

South-Western Ohio's "just fair" quail population literally "disappeared" due to the harsh winter of 1977/78 when deep snows and severe, frigid cold enveloped the State.

In truth, on my weekly hunting outings during bird hunting season, I had noticed that the Ohio's "only fair" quail population was just beginning to rebound and expand (I.E., I was seeing and hearing more quail each year, several years in a row) when that severe winter hit us... and, sadly, the quail population was apparently completely decimated... as was S.W. Ohio's rather "only fair" pheasant population.

A "bird-hunting mecca" Ohio "ain't"... trust me! In my youth during the 1950's, Ohio had a reasonably decent pheasant population, but there never was a large bobwhite quail population... at least in S.W. Ohio where I live.

Since then, I've never heard a single quail "whisle" at night like I used to hear every night around my home and on my semi-rural property.

If you wanna hunt birds in Ohio... a pheasant farm is about the only way to go these days. It's a sad state of affairs... but truth IS "truth".

Strength & Honor...

Ron T.