Return of Quail

I just read a blog from the "Show Me" State of Missouri, the Department of Conservation, they report that quail have returned to the property surrounding the main office of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Quail and other wildlife are back after a ten or so year period without any birds. How did this happened? Well, the folks in Missouri understand that there are several ways to reduce upland bird populations, the first is to have large scale farming operations that require lots of open land. No trees or wood, no brush areas just open land. Another way is to abandon fields and let nature overtake abandoned fields without regard to the birds and animals that live there and in the surrounding woods and forests. This creates an environment which increases woodland species at the expense grassland species.

The department fixed up 150 or so acres which is surrounded by residential and commercial areas with road and highways. They cleared out brush, created ponds, food areas and brushy cover for the birds. They thinned trees from the wooded areas and used prescribed fires to create a more open landscape so that more seed producing grasses could grow. They identified invasive plant species, these were controlled or removed and thickets of cedar were cut back to allow more light to reach the ground. This will increase insect and plant diversity and reintroduce seed and insect eating birds and small wildlife.

Yes, quail and other wildlife can be successfully reintroduced into an area that has been "neglected" for years. It does not take much to repair the fields and extend the benefits of good management to all species and that is the beauty of nature is, if given proper encouragement it will flourish.

Improving the habitat is important whether you hunt or not, whether you train your sporting dogs for hunt tests or not and whether you live in and urban/suburban area or not. Nature can rebound when properly managed and while sometimes a forest replaces acres of farmland that once supported both song and upland birds. Controlled management can enhance an area far more that just leaving it alone. Continued

hunting amendment?

Here's a link to an interesting article. I found this on the Maine Hunting and Sporting Dog Owners blog. Do we need an amendment? You may not think so, but then there are groups who think you have no right to hunt.

As always forewarned is forearmed and it better to be safe now rather than sorry later.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/02/1805476/states-being-asked-for-right-to.html