Native Quail Enhancement

The basis for Native Quail Enhancement is Habitat Management and Responsible Predator Management. Other tools that can be used for Native Quail Enhancement are food plots, supplemental feeding, controlled burning, disking and reduction or removal of tall timber.  Our exclusive habitat video goes through these processes step by step to help landowners implement these practices.

Quality Habitat is the first step in increasing bird numbers

Good habitat should provide protection from the elements. Good habitat should also provide protection from predators. There are two tiers of predators that must be considered in evaluating and planning for effective cover. At QRT we emphasize the effect and damage of nest predation as well as predation on the adult birds. Studies show that we lose up to 80% of all potential quail in the nest and before 3 weeks of age. If these losses can be prevented or circumvented, greater quail numbers would result. Adult bird predators have less impact on bird numbers when compared to the damage done by predators on the nest and chicks.

Good food plots serve several purposes; they provide food and protection from avian predators.  For those who can’t plant because they lease property or graze, or for those without a year round food source, feeders placed around the property can increase your quail's survivability.  Supplemental feeding not only provides winter food for adult quail, but hen-laying mash fed in the breeding season can increase egg quality and quantity in nests.  QRT’s specially designed feeder allows you to feed several kinds of seed, including hen-laying mash.

Good habitat must provide for nesting and brood rearing. Controlled burning must allow for some second year grass growth, which is necessary for good nesting habitat. Burning must be tailored to the needs of each specific property and according to many different considerations. Disking areas is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to improve your food sources. It is important to experiment with the times and depth of disking over a few years, in order to discover what works best.

Reduction or removal of tall timber is helpful as this is habitat for predators.  Removing timber reduces the habitat of many common quail predators such as raccoons and possum.

The purpose of habitat improvement is to make predators less effective and to provide a user-friendly environment with abundant food and cover to maximize quail numbers in a given area.

Habitat Improvement has been the most common practice used by biologists to increase quail numbers.  In most cases, the intended result of significantly increasing the population has not been achieved.  Habitat improvement, as practiced today, is relatively unsuccessful partly because the eco-system has changed.

One of the most significant problems quail face is substantially increased numbers of certain types of predators.   Proper habitat improvement techniques will provide better nesting sites and food plots that allow free ground movements and overhead protection.  These improvements begin to provide quail the required protection from many predators.

In cases where habitat improvement alone does not yield increased quail population, Surrogate Propagation becomes an essential tool.  The required food, water, heat and protection is provided while young chicks develop their natural survival instincts.  When coupled with quality habitat Surrogate Propagation can significantly increase quail populations.

See the many products provided by Wildlife Management Technologies to enhance the native quail populations on your property.

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