Land Management
The backbone of Quail Forever is the unique system of county chapters that provides incentive for chapter leaders to raise money for pheasant habitat in their own area. All net funds (100%) raised by chapters remains at the local level.
Local control of the funds and the freedom to spend those funds means county-by-county prioritization of habitat needs. Local control means access to the network of contacts that chapter leaders have to the landowning public and to natural resources professionals. Local control means there is an incredible incentive to raise more to do more, and to wisely shepherd funds. Local control also means the ability to generate tremendous support from both the general membership and local businesses by presenting a product that local sportsmen and women can see, touch and walk on.
As an open country bird species, quail have the ability to range all over North America. They are able to adapt to a vast array of climates, from Canada to the gulf coast and from the east coast to Colorado. Unfortunately, quail populations have drastically declined over the last 30 years due to a lack of habitat. Quail need grasslands, bare ground, seed-producing plants and shrubs for nesting, food and cover. Urban sprawl and an increase in intensified agriculture have resulting in the largest decrease of quail habitat. Quail Forever concentrates its habitat project efforts on fulfilling the biological needs of the bobwhite, as well as on the preservation of permanent areas for other wildlife. Keep reading for more information on quail habitat structure.
The following information was generously contributed from "On the Edge" a publication of the Conservation Commission of Missouri
Crop Fields
Quail need a vast array of types of food in their diet to be thriving during the winter months and to have a high reproductive year during the growing season. This diet consists of crops such as corn, milo, millet, sorghum, sunflowers and soybeans. Receiving a wide variety of these nutrients allows for quail to meet all of their energy needs.
In places with very few types of grassland it is necessary that crop fields use a variety of applications for cropping in order to assist quail populations.
Some examples include:
- Strip cropping - 50 to 100 foot grass strips allow for greater nesting and brood rearing.
- Plant and rotate quail-friendly crops - Crops such as cotton, rice and cucumbers provide few benefits to quail. Rotate various crops such as those listed above. The crops that provide the greatest benefits for quail are corn and milo.
- Create Buffers - These protect against soil erosion as well as provide nesting, brooding and roosting habitat.
- Use less herbicides - herbicides that eradicate all weeds are great for crops, but not for quail. Eliminate use of herbicides on the outer two rows of your fields that allows for quail cover and protection.
- Over-seed winter wheat - Leave the field idle after harvest. This allows for a great brood habitat during the latter summer months and winter.
Grasslands
Grasslands were the primary source of nesting and brooding for quail, when their populations were at climax. Today, grasslands are fewer and far between, but when managed properly it can be used successfully for the improvement of quail populations.
There are a variety of ways in which you can protect and maintain your pastures and grassland for quail populations. If not maintained tall-fescue pastures can be extremely harmful for quail. These can be maintained by planting and protected various shrubs, not mowing your pastures, grazing and over-seeding to encourage seed-producing plants for quail food and disking to reduce tall fescue.
Additional type's grasslands include cool and warm season pasture grasses as well as cool and warm season grass hayfields, all of which provide excellent habitat for quail. These can be maintained in a variety of ways. Planting different varieties of grasses, three-four year burning intervals, controlling woody invaders and planting native legumes and wildflowers allow for a great range of diversity in nesting and brooding cover for quail populations.
Forest and Woodlands
Essential for a quail's winter cover, forest and woodlands are great places for quail to remain concealed and covered from predators as well. Maintain a good forest edge of briars, brambles, grasses and weeds that are ideal for quail on the edge of forests. You can also plant blackberry, plum, greenbriar, coral berry, sumac, grape and rough-leaved dogwood along the outside edge. Allow the forest canopy to be broken in order to establish lower growing plants. This can be done in woodland areas through forest thinning.
Idle Areas
Many landowners have idle areas in which land cannot be used for cropland, grazing or haying. These areas can be great assets for quail. They must be maintained and still need disturbance to stay productive for quail. Tall fescue crowds quail and can be removed by using limited herbicides, burning or disking areas. Trees also should be thinned out to allow for greater quail habitat. Too many trees shades out grasses, shrubs, native legumes, wildflowers and annual weeds which quail utilize for cover.
Fencerows and Drainages
Additional habitat for quail can be in fencerows and drainage ditches if it is left undisturbed and populated with fescue, brome and trees. Maintain these by trimming hedges and spraying fescue and trees. Spot spray invading trees and fescue in the fall or spring. Finally, leave your brush piles to provide immediate cover for quail. These allow for quail to walk through, but inhibit large animals from doing the same.
Savannas
Savannas consist of a scattering of post and blackjack oak trees or short-leaf pine trees as well as variety of shrubs. Ground cover allows for quail to thrive in these areas where grass, legumes and wildflowers are highly abundant. Savannas appear less often than ever and restoring them is hard work. Cutting trees and allowing for periodic burning are the best ways to establish this form of quail habitat.
Recent Habitat News
CRP Survives Early Outs Talk, but Soil Bank Tragedy Looms
July 29, 2008
Quail Forever (QF) and Pheasants Forever (PF) support the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision not to offer "early outs" to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts without penalty. Today's USDA announcement comes after months of speculation about early outs, which would have led to a multi-million acre loss of environmentally sensitive lands currently providing wildlife habitat, protecting water quality, and safeguarding soil resources. However, PF/QF warns of further trouble ahead for CRP, which has already seen 3 million acres leave the program with an additional 13 million more acres in line for expiration in the next three years.
...moreQuail Forever Opposes Early Outs to CRP
July 01, 2008
On July 1st, Quail Forever joined 12 other national conservation groups on a letter to USDA Secretary Ed Schafer. The letter opposed any "Early Outs" to Conservation Reserve Program contracts. Any form of Early Outs to CRP would have a dramatically negative impact on quail, other species of wildlife, water quality, and many rural economies.
...moreStudy: Wildlife Refuges Make Up Tax Costs
June 16, 2008
National wildlife refuges more than make up for their cost to taxpayers by returning about $4 in economic activity for every $1 the government spends, according to a federal study released Tuesday.
Overall, the refuges drew some 35 million hunters, anglers, birders and other visitors in 2006, supporting about 27,000 jobs, the study found.
...moreImportant Days for CRP Ahead
May 30, 2008
Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) have a mix of reactions as a result of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement to open more than 24 million acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands to haying and grazing later this summer. While the move holds some habitat benefits, it does create problems for hunters this fall and sends the wrong message about the value of CRP to America. Also looming is the recurring discussion about “early-outs” from CRP contracts.
...moreQF and PF Launch Build a Wildlife Area Campaign in Illinois
May 12, 2008
Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) recently announced the launch of the first annual Illinois Build a Wildlife Area campaign. Through the campaign, PF/QF and its partners will raise funds to be used for the acquisition of public game production areas in Illinois. All funds raised through the campaign will be tripled by matching grants.
"Illinois is a state where 95 percent of land is in private ownership, so we're excited to be launching a Build a Wildlife Area campaign as a way to ensure we'll always have places to enjoy the great outdoors," said Aaron Kuehl, PF/QF Director of Conservation in the state, "And what really makes the campaign unique it that it stretches one dollar into three, one hundred dollars becomes three hundred. The Build a Wildlife Area campaign gives you the most conservation bang for your conservation buck."
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