The biggest problem with establishing buffers, burning and doing everything right is that if you don't have control of a large enough block of land you are still mostly wasting your time. I have a 526 acre block that I could be doing more on to create better habitat, but even that is not nearly enough land to effect a real improvement in wild bird numbers. It is hard to look at the bigger picture and admit that even if you do everything perfectly on 1000 acres, and you still are surrounded by pine monoculture, or hardwood infestation, or intense row crop farming, or coastal bermuda fields, you have really not done much at all. Oh, you may see a few coveys return to a 1000 acre block, but not what we would hope for.

It saddens me greatly, but at the advice of one of the best quail biologist in the southeast I have just about given up on the idea of intensively managing my land for quail and expecting significant results. I am next door to one of the most intensively managed plantations in Georgia, Wade Plantation. Everything that was done on that place for 20 years was filtered through the sieve named Will It Be Good For Quail? Numbers increased to the point that there was great hunting there for a few years, but have again crashed! It is some of the most pristine habitat you have ever seen and I am told they now are lucky to find 6-7 coveys in a full days' hunting, and that with several dogs on the ground and two or three men on horses watching the dogs.

The same old 5-6 coveys on our place just hang on, from year to year about the same, just as it has been now the last 25 years. My hats are off to them, too, for they have become true survivors and have adapted to live in a "less than ideal environment".

Pardon my mourning. It is just so, so sad to remember what was, and see what is now.

SRH


Last edited by Stan; 02/13/13 07:25 AM.
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