Many are its enemies, including snakes, opossums, raccoons, crows, blue jays and
fire ants. Wild turkeys prey on
chicks and eggs, too.
Wing Preserve. as i entered
the preserve, i drove slowly
down a well-maintained
dirt road. the road wound
through several acres of
mature loblolly pines interspersed with open areas full
of native grasses and weeds.
With a low basal area, which
allows for plenty of sunlight, i saw several species
of eupatorium along with
bluestems and narrow leaf
sunflowers.
Weather also plays a big role
in whether or not a clutch
survives, since these groundnesting birds are vulnerable to
spring floods and heavy rains.
after a short drive, i arrived
at a cabin nestled among
the trees. i was greeted by
the preserve owner, rusty
Stewart.
eyes. Many of his enemies pass
on, never realizing his presence.
Biologists have discovered in
early studies of quail that only
about 30 percent of all the eggs
laid will hatch.
Shooting preserves raise
most of the world’s
Bobwhite Quail population
all of this is before an egg even hatches!
Once hatched the little chicks are virtually on the run from hawks, owls, foxes,
coyotes and even the hot sun. estimates
show that at the end of the first year, 75
percent of that year’s hatch will perish.
interestingly, these facts hold true for
hunted and unhunted quail populations.
add to this habitat degradation, and it’s
a small wonder we have any wild quail
at all.
14 years old. after i retired, i got interested in trying to raise a few more birds.
i eventually got up to 10,000 birds a year.
i could sell th