|
08-01-2019, 08:43 PM | #13 | |||||||
|
Quote:
|
|||||||
08-01-2019, 08:53 PM | #14 | ||||||
|
I think that the loss of wild birds can be traced to DDT removal from the environment. Birds of Prey numbers have soared because egg shells are not cracking in the nest for eagles and hawks and osprey and falcons. Enviro wackos would lose their collective minds but a limited season on just red tailed hawks might be whats needed. How many of you have seen Red Tails sitting on fence posts next to the highway watching traffic go by in the last decade or so. That never happened when I was a kid.
__________________
Spin Drift War Damn Eagle Molon Labe |
||||||
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Michael Moffa For Your Post: |
08-01-2019, 08:58 PM | #15 | |||||||
|
Quote:
But according to the anti hunters theres no correlation . |
|||||||
08-01-2019, 10:23 PM | #16 | ||||||
|
Mr Starr:
I'm in Auburn.
__________________
Spin Drift War Damn Eagle Molon Labe |
||||||
08-01-2019, 11:27 PM | #17 | ||||||
|
Years ago, I did the quail brush pile ,callback bird in a cage,artificial quail covey thing once here in Ms.I grew up in the 60's and 70's hunting quail both with and without a dog and longed to relive this.24 quail were put into this project.I was going to wait 2 weels to get them established in their new home.I began to notice a drop in the quail seen and then I saw the feather piles around the area.Then I saw the hawks.After 2 weeks the only bird was the callback in the cage.That was my last attempt at starting an artificial covey.The last small wild covey has recently disappeared from the area we deer hunt.I havent shot a wild quail in 20 years nor would I if I saw one here.We still have some game preserves with planted quail.And the memories of how it can be.Hugh
|
||||||
08-02-2019, 07:26 AM | #18 | ||||||
|
Here in Missouri we once took 3 million quail a year. Now it's about 300K in a good year, but it should be noted that hunter numbers have taken a proportionate dive. Our Conservation Department has been working hard to both study quail and their needs and to supply those needs on as much land, both private and public, as possible.
When I was teaching a class on hunting and conservation, I required a "service learning" component for all of the students. One of our projects was to work with the Conservation Dept. to survey quail numbers both inside and outside of the Dept.'s designated quail focus areas. These focus areas were on private land where landowners worked with the Dept. to establish quail friendly farming practices. The results were very positive, and we saw (actually "heard" birds, since we were doing dawn covey call counts) significantly larger numbers of birds within the focus area, even during years of poor Spring breeding conditions (cold and rain). The Dept. also just finished a three year study using, among other scientific means, radio telemetry to study population dynamics in differing cover types. A preliminary conclusion was that quail did better on grassland cover than the typical food plot/agricultural habitat. Part of what they learned was that there was diminished loss of birds to predators in the grassland covers since the travel patterns of predators did not correspond with nesting sites. It was an intriguing study. If we could replace fescue with native warm season grasses in our cattle pastures, and stop bullldozing fence line cover, we could have decent quail hunting again. Limiting the use of neonicatoids on crops would also go a long way. Other grassland species would be aided by these practices. Even non-hunters like to help birds, a win-win situation if we can get the story out. I'm guardedly positive about my upland bird hunting, but it sure would be nice if more folks cared. Many days I feel glad I'm not any younger when I think what the future might hold. However, I'm still planting trees even though I'll never sit in their shade, and I still try to help the next generation understand and appreciate our hunting heritage.
__________________
“Every day I wonder how many things I am dead wrong about.” ― Jim Harrison "'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy) |
||||||
The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Garry L Gordon For Your Post: |
08-02-2019, 12:11 PM | #19 | ||||||
|
My feelings regarding the loss of quail here in SE Tennessee have been expressed several times on this forum. I was recently at my dad's home on the golf course which borders the farm I hunted birds on for years. I asked if he had heard any birds calling this summer and he said no. His hearing is all but gone so I am hoping he just isn't hearing them, but I think that is wishful thinking on my part.
__________________
"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way." |
||||||
The Following User Says Thank You to Reggie Bishop For Your Post: |
|
|