Texas LAND Summer 2017

Quail Sustainability
WRITTEN BY ROBERT AND JANELLE FEARS
One of the most avid and dedicated group of hunters in the
entire state of Texas are those that pursue quail. Often their
most cherished possession is one or more good dogs that flush
coveys and retrieve birds after they have been shot. Addicted quail
hunters will freely spend money to support their habit.
Drs. Dale Rollins, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
wildlife specialist at San Angelo, Jason Johnson, an AgriLife
Extension economist at Stephenville and Kelly Reyna with the
Department of Biological Science at the University of North Texas
in Denton conducted a quail hunter survey in 2000 and again in
2011. Through the latter survey, it was learned that each hunter
averaged spending about $8,606 for 8.8 days of quail hunting
during the 2010–2011 season. Based on harvest estimates, the
expenditures result in $253 per bagged bird.
“The impact that these hunting expenditures have on quailhunting
destination counties and communities is huge,” Johnson
said. “The latest survey showed that 46 percent of quail hunting
dollars are spent at the hunting destination with another 18 percent
going to communities located between the hunter’s home and
hunting site. These expenditures are for merchandise, hotels,
restaurants, fuel and sales taxes.”
This rosy scenario has a big black cloud over it, however.
There is a lack of birds, especially during drought. Decline in
bird populations severely threaten the ability of hunters to enjoy
their pastime and the continued heightened economy of rural
communities. A lot of research dollars, time, and talent are
channeled toward solving this problem.
Dr. Brad Dabbert, Burnett Foundation Endowed Professor
of Quail Ecology at Texas Tech University, discussed upland
game bird production during a recent Sustainable Rangelands
Symposium in Lubbock. His presentation was largely based on
results from his quail research funded by the Burnett Foundation
and the Park Cities Chapter of the Quail Coalition. The remainder
of this article contains quotes and information from Dr. Dabbert’s
presentation. Although the article focuses on northern bobwhite
and scaled quail, much of the information is also applicable to other
upland game birds such as lesser prairie chickens and wild turkeys.
Rangelands constitute the largest portion of available land that
can serve as quail habitat. The Society for Range Management
definition for rangeland is land on which native vegetation is
predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs (weeds) or shrubs
and is managed as a natural ecosystem. If managed properly, these
lands will provide sources of food and cover necessary for quail
population growth.
A strategy for sustainable game bird populations is maintenance
of sufficient vegetative cover for the species of concern while
attempting to minimize negative effects of drought and to maximize
positive influences of average and above average precipitation.
EFFECTS OF PRECIPITATION ON POPULATION GROWTH
It is important to understand how precipitation influences game
bird population growth. Bird life cycles are largely controlled by
photoperiod (light and dark cycle). Receptors in the eye and brain
detect increasing daylight hours in the spring which triggers
hormone release. The hormones cause ovaries and testes to
grow. Bird gonads shrink considerably during nonreproductive
periods and must go through a multi-week process of regrowth
each spring before reproduction can occur. When fully
functional, sperm production in males and egg laying by females
can begin. In addition, behavioral characteristics associated with
reproduction such as incubation and broodiness in females and
male whistling begins.
Drought short-circuits the reproductive process. Stress
hormones, released because of drought caused factors such as
food and water deprivation and heat, override the reproductive
system. This causes the gonads to inactivate and shrink. Sperm
and eggs are not produced and behaviors associated with
reproduction, including whistling, are depressed.
Game bird chicks require 28 percent crude protein for the rapid
body and feather growth needed to reach relative adult body size in
approximately 15 weeks. Chicks in the wild meet their high protein
demand by consuming insects, which average 40 percent crude
protein. Insect population growth is suppressed during drought,
making them unavailable for chick consumption. Freshly-hatched
chicks have a three-day supply of energy and protein they received
from the egg yolk. Those that receive inadequate sources of
protein die within three weeks of hatch.
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