Predation On Quail

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Art Eatman

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Browsing through my August issue of "Texas Wildlife" (from Texas Wildlife Association, a really worthwhile organization for hunters in Texas) I ran across some comments from a ten-year study on quail.

Cameras were set up on some 120 nests. Coyotes were the #1 predator, followed by skunks and fire ants. No nest predation by feral hogs.

Note: In Florida, rat snakes were found to be the primary nest predator.

Studying raptor effects on birds out in pastures, the problem varied with rainfall and vegetation. Less predation in wet years, with more herbaceous plants at taller heights to provide better concealment.
 
I don’t know where that study was done, but in Deep East Texas…”Ground Nesting” birds don’t stand much of a chance. The “short list” of egg consuming animals here (in no particular order):

Snakes: (primarily Rat Snake, but others too).

Coyote: (We are awash in Yodel Dogs).

Fox: (Both red and gray).

Coons: (Will not pass up eggs).

Possum: (Second in numbers only to coyotes).

Skunk: (Not as numerous as in years past, but they are excellent foragers).

Hogs: (A virtual plague some places).

Fire Ants: (Everywhere, but I believe not linked to egg/chick destruction to the degree most
folk’s allege).

Crows: (Opportunistic and don’t miss a thing).



To a lesser degree:

Rats
Feral Dogs
Larger Skinks
Bobcats (occasionally)


And then there’s “Obama” (I’m blaming him for everything). :D;) (Its a joke mods, nothing political). ;)
 
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Unfortunately, in our area it was another "predator"--Nile virus/bird flu. Wiped out 90+% of all our game birds 2 years ago (Quail, Pheasant, Grouse (sage), Chukar). Starting to see some recovery, but still weak.
 
Here in AZ roadrunners are supposed to be a big problem. My dad saw one catch a chick the other day. They are also supposed to rob nest eggs as well.
 
Feral cats are a problem, especially in farm areas,they breed in the wild and before long quail and cotton tail rabbit are just memories. Coyotes are a problem here in southern Indiana, and for the life of me I can't figure out why they class them in with furbearer here in IN, they have a season on them.!
 
What kind(s) of quail do you have in Texas?
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Bobwhites in most of Texas, but out where Art lives, it's scaled AKA blue AKA cotton top quail. They're a different bird to hunt, not really hunted with dogs. They'll run a dog ragged real quick.

I used to have good numbers of bobwhite on my place, not so much anymore. I have plenty of predators, am sort of overrun with bobcat (which I don't see mentioned). Of course, there's the rattlers, lots and lots of rattlers. Plenty of coyotes, some fire ants, though they don't seem to like the sandy soil down there for some reason. That doesn't seem to be a big problem. I'd think the rattlers would be a major predator, though, and we have a lot of feral dogs and cats around thanks to city folks who don't like their litters. :rolleyes:
 
The fire ants here in central FL loves my sandy soil in my yard - have to be careful mowing if I'm wearing sandals or crocs.......old timers around here always told me the fire ants wiped out the quail.....but I suspect that everything thing around here, (and there's LOTS of things), have a hand in it - from ants to snakes to coyotes......
 
The study was done near Kingsville, southwest from Corpus Christi. Bobwhite country.

Fire ants? I use a mix of five gallons of water, a cup of gasoline and a cup of supercheap liquid detergent. Use a sprinkler can like those for watering potted plants. Not much over a half-gallon of the mix on a bed in sandy land. I drag a bootheel through the middle of the nest before I "rain" on their parade. Most times it's a one-shot hit. There's not enough gasoline in the mix to kill grass.
 
Winter has its advantages.
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Sure does. Being from Wisconsin, I didn't even know what the 'ell fire ants were, till they ol' lady stepped in some last spring while ridin' the Hill country.


Around here, feral cats along with all the other fore-mentioned predators keep quail numbers low enough, that altho we have a season on them here, not many folk hunt them exclusively. 40 years ago my grandpa taught me never to take more than 2 birds from a covey. Told me they couldn't handle any more pressure than that. To no surprise I didn't listen and had to learn for myself. Last few years whenever the dog takes a point and it turns out to be a "bob", I raise the gun and say "bang". Just tryin' to make up for the mistakes of my youth.
 
Second the motion on feral cats. Once watched a covey for many days from my box blind deer stand (in AR). Fewer birds nearly every time I saw them. Finally saw why. A feral cat (we were miles from any houses) was stalking them.

Said predator's head had a quick date with a 150 gr Nolser BT from my .300 Win. End of problem.

Sorry cat lovers.
 
I was standing in a draw in a quail hunting area I used to go to often. I heard the call of a crow from over the top of the ridge. Chuckling, I ducked slightly and got ready for the shot. As it came over the hill, it flew low, right into a big cloud of birdshot.

Usually, they'd fly no closer than 150 yards away from a guy carrying a shotgun.
 
I love cats AND dogs. But for the sake of maintaining balance and protecting game species, I will (humanely) kill yotes, feral dogs, and feral cats in rural areas. I feel a little bad, but it's needed.

I'm in
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Eeexxxx-cellent.... [/CM Burns]
 
I love cats AND dogs. But for the sake of maintaining balance and protecting game species, I will (humanely) kill yotes, feral dogs, and feral cats in rural areas. I feel a little bad, but it's needed.
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I'm with you there, especially on the feral animals. Nature will eventually find a balance between natural predators like skunks and coyotes, but ones introduced by man upset that balance and wipe out the prey animals.
 
I think turkeys play a large role too.

Here in Kansas where I grew up, (65 years old now) we had bob-white quail everywhere, but no turkeys.

After turkeys were introduced in the 70's & 80's, they have taken over the quail habitat in crop fields and along the wood lines next to fields.

Now, we no longer have a huntable population of quail, for whatever reason.

Large turkey flocks are an eating machine, and I doubt if they would make a distinction between a grass-hopper or a baby quail running for it's life. Or quail eggs.

Watching a large flock feed across a bean field makes me wonder just how far removed they really are from their Velociraptor ancestors?

rc
 
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Crying shame.

Quail hunting is about the most fun I've had in the field.

Never been attracted to the idea of sitting on my ass in the dark, waiting for dawn, and shooting a turkey.
 
Never been attracted to the idea of sitting on my ass in the dark, waiting for dawn, and shooting a turkey.
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Oh, but it's fun if you're right by the roost, and you can hear them calling and vice versa as the sun comes up, then they fly down right on top your decoys. Good stuff. :)
 
Compared to hiking around in the hills and gulches, hunting quail with a dog and a gun on a crisp morning, having them pop out of nowhere, and knocking them down before you even realized the gun was on your shoulder?

Not for me.:)

Not only that, if you get shot hunting quail, it could be by the Vice President, not some redneck in face camo with too much Jack Daniels in his coffee.:D
 
Well, the Kansas F&G biologists claim a turkey is a quails best friend, and wouldn't eat a baby quail or egg on a bet!

They sure haven't convinced me yet, after watching turkey flocks in action!

But they are the same F&G biologists that reintroduced wild turkeys to the state 40 years ago. And it's been all downhill for the quail in eastern Kansas ever since.

I like hunting turkey too.
But I wouldn't trade one more day in the field behind a good quail dog for all the turkey in the world!
And it appears those days are gone forever around here.

rc
 
I hunted turkey once, took a nice tom. It was fun, but I don't have 'em on my place nor any place to hunt 'em. I don't have bird dogs and don't hunt quail, either. I used to chase scaled quail out west on a lease, that was fun, exhausting, but fun. Ducks over deeks is my thing....and geese. :D But, I'm ready to go shoot anything legal with feathers. I don't discriminate. I'd love to go after pheasant some day. Those things are tasty.
 
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