Had a Northern Bobwhite Quail in the backyard yesterday
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No Bobwhite's around here, we get the California Quail in our yard all the time though. They drive the dogs nuts!
Occasionally they'll fly into a window and off themselves so I turn Thor out and he'll scoop 'em up and bring me dinner.3 -
When I was a kid me and my Dad lived to go quail hunting is Georgia, sadly now there are very few wild quail.
The fire ants really hurt them.
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In the 1960s and 70s in Missouri, wildlife biologists did studies and determined that 95% of all the bob white quail hatched in MO in a given year, did not live for one year. They were food for everybody. Still, quail were common, almost any day in the field kicked up a covey or two, and I often saw them from the road. Then the coyotes arrived. 3 -
drobs:
What area, State?
I really liked quail, turkey and squirrel hunting. Quail are as scarce as hens teeth in this neck of the woods (Oklahoma) now days along with Turkeys and Squirrels. (Mother nature is talking to us)
Lots of Hawks, Owls, Coons, Possums, and wild hogs. Really tough for any kind of bird that feeds and nests on the ground to live now days. See a road runner every once in awhile. Few rabbits around houses and in towns.3 -
I got so excited when I saw two on my farm last year. Haven't seen any for over a decade. 3 -
Have a few around here that call out. 3 -
3 coveys of 20+ birds each frequent my "wild bird seed" scattered area in front of my house daily. California quail. they compete with Eurasian doves for the small seeds. the squirrels come in for the black sunflower seeds and unsalted peanuts i provide also. mule deer like it all, including the fruit i place out there throughout the year. mulies and squirrels really like fresh watermelon. 3 -
Okie said:drobs:
What area, State?
I really liked quail, turkey and squirrel hunting. Quail are as scarce as hens teeth in this neck of the woods (Oklahoma) now days along with Turkeys and Squirrels. (Mother nature is talking to us)
Lots of Hawks, Owls, *, Possums, and wild hogs. Really tough for any kind of bird that feeds and nests on the ground to live now days. See a road runner every once in awhile. Few rabbits around houses and in towns.
Okie - Southern Missouri about an 1 hour east of Branson.
We have Fox & Gray Squirrels, Turkey, Deer, Dove, and Rabbits around the house. Lots of Road Runners elsewhere. Have good sized pair of Red Tail Hawks that live nearby. Plus a Bobcat, Possum, Raccoons, and Coyotes.
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Possums, foxs, raccoons, and coyotes destroy the eggs and nest.
I raised various types of quail for years. The expensive ones (up to $750 per pair) are the California quail.
I could never afford the California version because they ship at buyers risk. Why buy a dead quail?0 -
Years ago there were 6 or 7 coveys of them on the farm . No coyotes and few hawks or owls . Everyone kept them killed out to keep them from killing the yard chickens . Now no one keeps chickens , hawks are protected and totes have overrun the world . I have seen or heard a quail in the last two years .
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My Dad was from Grand Junction, TN where the National Field Trials are held.I followed in my Grandfather, and father's steps raising and training English Pointers and Setters.
We had so many birds on Dad's Farm that I hunted without a dog as a youngster and never had any trouble; I knew where every covey would be at a time of day.
I first saw trouble when the farmers started leasing large tracts of land to Deer Hunters/Clubs.
I was going on a preserve hunt for Bobwhites when the Virus hit. I quit training dogs years ago, and have not hunted wild birds in a long time.
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for me, the downfall in bobwhite quail in southern illinois began when Mass farming" got started in the 60s. the push was on to farm to capacity every available inch of ground. fields that had previously lay fallow for a season or 22 was now being tilled smf weeds were now sprayed with herbicide. quail lost their habit cover and food supply. quail cannot thrive in row crop fieldssmall overgrown woodlots got cleared and started into row crop production eliminating more habitat still. farm ground doesn't support quail 0 -
Brutus approves of your message.
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pulsarnc said:
Years ago there were 6 or 7 coveys of them on the farm . No coyotes and few hawks or owls . Everyone kept them killed out to keep them from killing the yard chickens . Now no one keeps chickens , hawks are protected and totes have overrun the world . I have seen or heard a quail in the last two years .
About same here. So many coveys 25 years ago I could hunt them without a dog. Also had some good squirrel dogs and red squirrels were the dominate species and enough to hunt even without a dog. Gray squirrels took over and then they started going away.
Even seen quail in mountains when deer hunting. (where they were not suppose to even live)
I seen quail & roadrunners start going away when pesticides started being used. Seen them go away in places that their habitat appeared same to the naked eye. You would not even notice such until too late if you were sitting behind a desk and not in the outdoors often. No farming, no changes to their habitat to the naked eye.
Also seen wild Honey bees going away 30 years ago in the woods. So many bee trees in the woods that I hunted for them and robbed their honey.
See more animals now days in towns and around houses, such as squirrels, rabbits where people feed them instead of out in the back country woods. (city dwellers)
Also noticed that Hickory trees and acorn trees do not produce an over abundance of nuts and acorns for animals as in the past.
Appears Mother Nature might be getting sick.
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George may be onto something:
shot down Al gores theory's.
https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/1890393/george-carlin-on-the-environment-and-humans#latest0
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