It's interesting that disking, adding water sites, and burning didn't appear to have a positive short term impacts because our local WMAs use all them. I wonder if adding watering sites actually hurts the quail because it helps quail predators.
Research Summary: Evaluation of Northern Bobwhite and Scaled Quail in Western Oklahoma
- Quail numbers fluctuate wildly in Oklahoma as weather conditions change between years.
- Even in good habitat, quail survival is low each year and many different factors contribute to the low survival.
- Nest initiations fluctuated dramatically depending on the weather, but nest success was high where habitat was adequate.
- Quail have the capacity to produce large numbers of young and have multiple strategies to accomplish this.
- Brood counts are misleading indicators of quail reproductive success as chicks move between broods.
- Temperature is an important component of habitat, and quail are responsive to it.
- Having variable plant structure and composition is important to provide cover, including thermal cover, for quail. - Quail used different species of shrubs at different times of the year.
- Quail were associated with shrubs throughout the year. While shrubs are essential for quail habitat, shrub patches larger than about 5 acres tended to be avoided.
- Prescribed fire is important to maintain habitat for quail long-term, but it was found there was minimal short-term effects on quail in a shinnery oak plant community.
- Surface water can concentrate quail, but no evidence was found that water led to an increase in the number of quail.
- Disking may not be worth the effort for quail management in far western Oklahoma.
- Using bird dogs to estimate quail density (through mathematical models) can be an alternative to fall covey listening surveys.
- Little evidence was found of an impact to quail from low to moderate levels of energy development.
