Quail in South East Kansas

[Stepper]

I have a question for all of you who live in South East Kansas. The Kansas Department of Parks & Wildlife has a upland bird forecast on their web site and for the fall 2006 forecast they said that the quail numbers are suppose to be the best it has been in the last 30 years. Well hunted up there for almost 3 days and got into 3 small coveys of birds.

I talked with a few other hunters who had been hunting there for over 30 years and they said that the quail numbers was the worst they had ever seen them.

So here is my question. For all of you who live in South East Kansas do you think there are more or less quail there now ? And if there are more birds in South East Kansas. What part or where are they ?

 

[KANSAS]

Quail numbers have been down for atleast 15 years in Bourbon County. I would say the lowest was probably 5 or 6 years ago. They are coming back now, but it is a slow process. I have my ideas as to why they are down, but I will wait and see what others have to say first.

 

[lilmac]

Quail can, and will come back in 1 year. If the winter conditions are right, they can hatch 3-4 clutches in one season. They will pair off so 3-4 times 10-12-14,?????
I have seen 4 hatches, and as many as 12 pre clutch.
Mac

 

[KANSAS]

Well that may be true, but I have seen some of the mildest winters in Southeast Kansas over the past 15 years and the quail were not coming back then. Seriously, this year has been the worst winter since I was 13.... We have had some incredibly mild winters in the past with no noticable difference in the quail population aside from continued decline or maintaining existing populations.....

At this point I am not a believer in that statement, but will remain open minded...

 

[Stepper]

I dont know what has happened with the quail. Here in North West Arkansas we still have plenty of good habitat for quail so i dont that that is what has happened here. Some of the things that i have noticed since the quail populations has declined are there are not as many people trap anymore because there is no money to be made in it. So animals that prey on quail have grown in numbers alot. And i dont know if there is any link or not but about the same time that the chicken/turkey farming really started expanding the quail numbers fell off. Farmers use alot of the chicken/turkey litter to fertlize their hay feilds. There is very little hunting pressure on quail here because there are not enough birds to hunt.

Do they do much chicken/turkey farming in South East Kansas ? I think that farmers probably use alot more chemicals on hay feilds here now than they did before the quail numbers started falling off. That probably has something to do with declining quail numbers. Use to we had alot of feild larks but you hardly see many of them any more here.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Fireant's have taken them out here as well as feral housecat's.
I can't remember the last time I heard bob white here.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Fireant's have taken them out here as well as feral housecat's.
I can't remember the last time I heard bob white here.

They are around here at times but the fireants have definately taken their toll on them.

What I haven't seen in years is a horned toad. They used to be everywhere.

 

[llcupit]

I don't know about everywhere in the southeast area but here on our place hawks are extremely prolific. I have always been told that they will follow a covey of quail untill they catch every bird.

 

[Stepper]

llcupit,

I am glad that you mentioned that. I noticed alot of hawks while i was bird hunting in Kansas. I bet you are right and they do catch alot of quail.

When i was a kid out hunting. It was just a unspoken word that if you saw and had the chance to shoot a hawk you shot it.

 

[ga. prime]

According to research, hawks are the #1 killer of quail. However, not all hawks prey on quail. It's the Coopers Hawk(Chicken Hawk) and Sharp-Shinned (Blue Darter) varieties that do the damage. (Common names in parentheses).

 

[dun]

According to research, hawks are the #1 killer of quail. However, not all hawks prey on quail. It's the Coopers Hawk(Chicken Hawk) and Sharp-Shinned (Blue Darter) varieties that do the damage. (Common names in parentheses).

The research of Quail Forever claims that in MO the #1 predator of quail is Black Rat Snakes. The #1 predator for BRSs are Redtail Hawks.
I see more hawks flying off with snakes (pretty obvious when something skinny is hanging down) then I see with anything else.
A peculiar aside. Before the ice storm we had a bunch of Kestrals and Rough legged hawks but no redtails. Now there are redtails all over the place but none of the others. But the starlings are gone too so I'm not complaining

dun

 

[ga. prime]

#1 predator for quail eggs is maybe snakes(rat,oak,black rat, etc.) vying for the crown with Racoons, Oppossums, Skunks, Cats, Armodillos, Dogs, etc. #1 for eating grown birds is Chicken Hawks and and Blue Darters. But, the decline in quail population can't be attributed to that at all. The decline is entirely attributable to habitat loss.

 

[KANSAS]

Ok... I have a feeling that the hawks and habitat loss contribute alot to the decline in quail populations, but I have a theory that I would like to bounce off of some of you.

My theory coincides directly with the fur market. During the bad years in the quail population (That I have experienced:Note: I am 32) the prices in the fur market have completely been in the tank the previous year. I agree with a previous post about skunks raccoons etc reaking havoc.

I am convinced that even those folks that are targeting one species of animal, say coyotes, catches enough non-target/incidental animals to help control the predator prey population. In my neck of the woods it was not uncommon to drive the old country roads after a snow and kill as many rabbits as you had .22 bullets. That is definitely not the case anymore.
I was so excited this year to read about the potential increase in the price of fur to help reduce the quantity of prey. I have not gone back and compared the hawk boom to the predator boom, but it may correlate directly to the lack of trapping as well.

So to all of you I urge you to go out this upcoming winter and set a few traps like you did when you were a kid. I mentioned in a post a few months back that I took my 5 year old trapping this winter. I can tell you this much, his excitement elevated mine and reminded me about how excited I got when I trapped as a kid. Even opossums were a trophy to a child.

As far as habit goes, I am not extremely convinced this is it. Once again, in my area only, I do not see a loss of habitat rather an increase that has been going on for years. With a vast majority of land being purchased by hunters over the past decade there are huge expanses that are allowed to grow back.

Please note: This is simply my opinion no more no less.

 

[MikeC]

Anybody ever notice when the deer and turkey population goes up, the quail population goes down?