In 1970, the census reported 4,589,000 people in Georgia. The 2010 census reported 9,683,000 or more than double that of 1970. The national population has not doubled, but there was a 50% increase. People have to live somewhere and habitat is sacrificed. In the mid 1960s, one of my old friends attended college at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College ABAC in Tifton, Georgia. A lifelong bird hunter with birddogs, but while at ABAC, the dogs stayed at the family home 180 miles away. BW and his roommate would ride the Tift County roads, stopping at farmhouses that had birddogs on the porch. The dogs would get in his car and off theyd go, returning the dogs at hunts end. The good dogs would wait for them the next week at the mailbox. One day when bringing a dog back, the farmer ran out and asked if theyd been using his dog. They sheepishly admitted they had. Good. Hes a great dog. Just bring him back. By the way, you are welcome to hunt my land. Two coveys are located around the big field. Help yourself. In our current world, do you think that would happen today? Ive read where some forum members feel that turkeys have wiped out the quail. One of the best public places we used to hunt quail is a large military reservation with hundreds of thousands of woodlands, mostly piney woods, which are burned almost yearly and have been for decades. It was off limits to turkey hunting until 1977, but not because of low populations. To the contrary, some of the reservation's birds where cannon netted for rebuilding populations else where. The turkeys have always been there. The military was and still is a good steward of the property. Food plots were planted and quail thrived. The amount planted depended if the base commander was a bird hunter, or so it seemed. When Schwarzkopf was there, it was heaven. There are still fields and food plots, but the quail hunting isnt what it used to be. What happened? Well, less considerate hunters (more people) showed up with wide ranging dogs and would shoot the coveys down to a few survivors or wipe them out entirely. Coyotes showed up and the area is riddled with hogs, but always has been. Quail need numbers for survival and the protection that a covey affords its members. During the spring turkey season, I still hear the calls of quail all over the place. I havent quail hunted there in many years. Now that I have my own dog, that will change. However, I have hunted pre-season released quail at other places. I wont turn down the invitation. They dont fly like wild birds, but some arent half bad and it is not like shooting fish in a barrel, at least for my skill level. For wild birds, I hunt woodcock and snipe. I shoot dove, which are wild, but thats not hunting. The best hunting game in town for me is the wild turkey. The good old days for Mr. Bob are in the past. The good old days for Mr. Tom are right now. Times have changed and so have I.
