Green Horizons

Many who grew up hearing the whistle of bobwhite quail first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon, or enjoyed being startled by a covey flushing as they walked a fence row, have noticed that these pleasantries do not occur nearly as often as some years back.

In fact, Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) populations have progressively declined since the 1880’s (Guthery 2002). In a recent report submitted by the Southeast Quail Study Group Technical Committee (Dimmick, et al. 2002) entitled The Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, it is noted "that in some states the northern bobwhite could be approaching extirpation by the end of this decade".

The challenge of quail management is twofold. The first problem is rooted in a need for an increased understanding of the population dynamics associated with the manipulation of area-wide vegetation through land management practices. Studies have indicated that quail are associated with landscapes that are relatively diverse and contain moderate amounts of row crops, grassland and abundant woody edge. Furthermore, quail are likely to benefit from habitat that is evenly and appropriately dispersed over a given size land area. The second problem is one of economics. In order for landowners to adopt land management practices that benefit quail populations, that management strategy must be shown to improve the economic opportunities associated with owning and managing a piece of ground. Few are the landowners or farmers who can afford long-term management which results in expenses, but offers no chance to recover the associated cost. If we desire for quail to be a continuing part of our farms and hunting camaraderie, we must develop a better understanding of how to integrate their habitat while keeping farms economically productive.

Field windbreaks provide quail excellent avoidance from prey and weather protection.

Agroforestry consists of five distinct practices that seek to incorporate trees and woody species of vegetation into productive farming practices. Agroforestry practices can create landscapes comprised of crops and/or grasses, with woody plant species in an evenly dispersed pattern, while providing the opportunity to maintain production from a majority of the land area. Many, if not all farms, contain these landscape or habitat types (crops, grasses and woody species) to some degree or another, yet the desire to maximize production has led to increased acreages of mono-cropping and therefore a reduction in available acreages on farms that are usable space (discussed later) for quail. In the temperate United States, agroforestry consists of five main practices:

• Alley Cropping
• Silvopasture
• Riparian Forest Buffers
• Windbreaks and
• Forest Farming.

Of these, all but forest farming can provide the proper manipulation of vegetation to develop or improve quail habitat on an area-wide basis, while simultaneously maintaining the land’s economic productivity. While alley cropping, windbreaks (spaced appropriately) and silvopasture practices may stand out as benefiting quail, the riparian forest buffer practice is typically associated with an edge of the property or landscape, and in most cases should be viewed as a component of a broader farm management plan that also works to improve the interior portions of an area for quail.

When developing land to encourage quail populations, it is extremely important to objectively evaluate the usable land area accessible to quail. For instance, although soybeans are a great quail food, a square 100-acre soybean field only has usable ground around the edges, and then only if adequate cover is present. The identified agroforestry practices provide a method to develop habitat in agricultural systems while maintaining productive farming practices and better dispersing habitat across the farm. This is the concept of developing quail "usable" landscapes. Choose appropriate species of trees, shrubs/ brambles, forages, crops and forbs/weeds, and then plant mixes at appropriate intervals across a given farm practice. By developing more useable areas across farm landscapes, quail populations will have their greatest chance to be heard, flushed and otherwise enjoyed again as a part of our farms.

Regardless of the goals for a farm, land management that incorporates one or more agroforestry practice offers opportunities to improve the habitat for quail while practicing sound stewardship of soil, forest and water resources - and continuing to preserve the income sources that can keep farmers farming.

The following are some excellent resources available to assist you in evaluating your land’s current potential as quail habitat:

• Missouri Bobwhite Quail Habitat Appraisal Guide, produced by the University of Missouri Extension. The guide may be obtained through local MU Extension offices, or online at: http://muextension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/miscpubs/mp0902.pdf.
• A second guide is the Habitat Appraisal Guide for Bobwhite Quail, published by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. It is available online at: http://www.talltimbers.org/images/pdfs/e-904 Quail Habitat Appraisal.pdf.

Riparian forest buffers can provide excellent habitat for bobwhite quail.

Cost-Sharing Programs
An additional source of information on various cost-sharing programs that can reduce the establishment and maintenance cost associated with agroforestry and other conservation plantings on the farm can be obtained at: http://agebb.missouri.edu/umca/
pubs/fundincent.pdf; and http://agebb.missouri.edu/umca/
pubs/agrotaxcons.pdf.

Bioterraces can provide excellent habitat for bobwhite quail.

Lease Hunting
In addition to programs that support creating and managing habitat for quail, landowners may also consider leasing their farm ground for hunting. With the shortage of quality quail hunting land, sportsmen are willing to pay for the privilege of hunting where coveys are abundant. For more on lease hunting, and considerations that you the landowner should be aware of prior to allowing individuals to hunt on your land, visit the following online resources:
Lease Hunting Information:

• "Lease Hunting: Opportunities for Missouri Landowners" is a pdf guide available on the MU Extension web site at: http://muextension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/wildlife/G09420.pdf
• Several guides and additional information are available from Kansas State University Research & Extension at: www.agmanager.info. Select the links to Farm Management, then Land and Leasing, then Leasing.
• The University of Tennessee Extension program offers lease hunting information. Go to www.utextension.utk.edu/ and select Publications, then Wildlife and Fisheries to see a listing of lease hunting guides.