NC-Ratler
Four Pointer
Wondering how many see/hunt quail? Also if you own or hunt a property that has them what seems to be the best crop for food and/or habitat for cover? Does anyone trap the property to keep predators down? Thx
Quail hunting
- Thread starter NC-Ratler
- Start date
NC-Ratler
Four Pointer
You see some good number of quail? What type of cover or habit you normally see them in?
“Good number” is subjective ,,,Earl an I find enough to keep it interesting
Cover? Varies
Cover? Varies
I have jumped a few coveys since I have started back deer hunting with dogs. Many times they are in thicker cover than deer bed in. I suspect that the ones I have found in that type cover had already been jumped that day, regrouped and decided to get the heck away from where they were originally foraging.
41magnum
Twelve Pointer
Quail Unlimited used to send folks seeds and gobs of info. Have ya asked them for help?
Kinda sounds like ya want to improve a property or 2.
Lespedeza, pallet/brush piles just inside woods next to fields helped our birds.
Kinda sounds like ya want to improve a property or 2.
Lespedeza, pallet/brush piles just inside woods next to fields helped our birds.
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41magnum
Twelve Pointer
Also, if ya wana learn to trap you’d be wise to attend the Va Trappers Convention Oct 16-18 in Bland Va.
There is a lot of good info on early succession habitat, which quail need. Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. James Martin, both NC natives, are two good places to learn more. Need to have plenty of areas with 2 to 4 year growth. Broomstraw, blackberry, beggar's lice, partridge pea, ragweed and plum thickets will likely be in a successful mix. Open forests can produce suitable groundcover as well, but will probably have to be managed with fire. Adjacent to a soybean field or some other kind of grain is a plus.
Quail Unlimited went bankrupt several years ago. There are chapters of Quail Forever and Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation in North Carolina. If you are looking for help with managing for quail you may want to check out the NCWRC Upland Gazette and talk to your local Technical Assistance Biologist. https://www.ncwildlife.org/Conserving/Upland-Gazette#72072148-2020-issues. The Spring 2016 issue has an article titled, "A Day in the Life of a Wild NC Quail".
Quail Unlimited went bankrupt several years ago. There are chapters of Quail Forever and Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation in North Carolina. If you are looking for help with managing for quail you may want to check out the NCWRC Upland Gazette and talk to your local Technical Assistance Biologist. https://www.ncwildlife.org/Conserving/Upland-Gazette#72072148-2020-issues. The Spring 2016 issue has an article titled, "A Day in the Life of a Wild NC Quail".
nchunter2
Eight Pointer
Coveys I've found were in incredibly thick cover....from the piedmont to the mountains.
Sandhills hunts for example, I don't even bother with "quail" looking habitat, but send my dog into the meanest cover I can find.
In the mountains I've had points where I was sure it was a grouse....always surprised when its a covey of quail.
Only times I've had luck in more open habitat was in soybean field edges in Robeson County.
Good luck. I target woodcock exclusively when not grouse hunting....quail are a bonus.
Sandhills hunts for example, I don't even bother with "quail" looking habitat, but send my dog into the meanest cover I can find.
In the mountains I've had points where I was sure it was a grouse....always surprised when its a covey of quail.
Only times I've had luck in more open habitat was in soybean field edges in Robeson County.
Good luck. I target woodcock exclusively when not grouse hunting....quail are a bonus.
jcsjr
Four Pointer
Plant you some VA-70 around your field edges. It provides food and excellent cover. Once established, it only needs mowing every 3 years or so.
Jett
Ten Pointer
What is VA-70?
lasttombstone
Kinder, Gentler LTS
zzmy guess is a lespedeza.
darkthirty
Old Mossy Horns
Fire fire fire........everywhere quail are thriving on private lands have two things in common. Native grasses/forbs and burning. I have a buddy who will quail hunt 3-5 days a week when the season comes in. He will occasionally find quail in places quail are supposed to be, but in most cases, the quail are in the thickest nastiest cut overs you can find.
For what it’s worth, years ago, lespedeza was marketed for quail habitat and food, but the tide has shifted. It’s not recommended now at all. It may have provided so so habitat, but it’s been found to be useless as a forage. Quail cannot digest the hull on the lespedeza seed so it benefits them none at all. Plus, it’s very invasive.
For what it’s worth, years ago, lespedeza was marketed for quail habitat and food, but the tide has shifted. It’s not recommended now at all. It may have provided so so habitat, but it’s been found to be useless as a forage. Quail cannot digest the hull on the lespedeza seed so it benefits them none at all. Plus, it’s very invasive.
I detest lespedeza,,,,,same as fescue,,,useless plant
You would hate it more if you hung out in Tn much in the spring. Powerlines are grown up ceresia everywhere on govt land. That stuff is a seed tick magnet.
NC-Ratler
Four Pointer
Thanks for all the information. I plan on thinning out my forest and starting to manage my fields as well even though only a small parcel. Within the next year or two I would like to use fire as a tool to create better habitat.
Trapping - extremely nervous about dogs and traps - snare or foot holds mainly. Seems like a lot of dogs run stray in my area as I even picked up on trail camera a neighbors dog deep in the woods. I do have tons of raccoons and possum along with an occasional skunk that I plan on using a have-a-heart trap on. Might look into a having a local trapper come in after deer season? I also plan on doing a little night time hunting for coyote which for sure is not as effective but will knock a few down. Thanks for the tip on the trapping convention, but my time is so limited and I barely get out to have a little fun hunting every now and then. Kinda like fly fishing and golf, two things, I would learn to do if there were three of me. Hopefully a few others read the post and make plans to go as unfortunately, trapping numbers in general seem to be going way down.
Will def. look into woodcock as well for my dogs are itching for flushing some type of game bird and I've enjoyed the few I've shot over the years. Not like the dogs are slacking chasing any and all critters whether it flys, swims, slithers, or runs.
I have a some great reading material from WRC and NCFS and will check out the Gazette article, plus will be adding a book or two of Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. James Martin to my reading list.
Great to know that thick cover is where most are seeing them along with fire being a strong factor to keeping/increasing numbers. Thanks again.
Trapping - extremely nervous about dogs and traps - snare or foot holds mainly. Seems like a lot of dogs run stray in my area as I even picked up on trail camera a neighbors dog deep in the woods. I do have tons of raccoons and possum along with an occasional skunk that I plan on using a have-a-heart trap on. Might look into a having a local trapper come in after deer season? I also plan on doing a little night time hunting for coyote which for sure is not as effective but will knock a few down. Thanks for the tip on the trapping convention, but my time is so limited and I barely get out to have a little fun hunting every now and then. Kinda like fly fishing and golf, two things, I would learn to do if there were three of me. Hopefully a few others read the post and make plans to go as unfortunately, trapping numbers in general seem to be going way down.
Will def. look into woodcock as well for my dogs are itching for flushing some type of game bird and I've enjoyed the few I've shot over the years. Not like the dogs are slacking chasing any and all critters whether it flys, swims, slithers, or runs.
I have a some great reading material from WRC and NCFS and will check out the Gazette article, plus will be adding a book or two of Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. James Martin to my reading list.
Great to know that thick cover is where most are seeing them along with fire being a strong factor to keeping/increasing numbers. Thanks again.
lasttombstone
Kinder, Gentler LTS
You can get a few Dog Proof traps and put a hurting on the coons without the worry of catching a dog. They aren't all that expensive and it is just a bait and catch thing.
specialk
Twelve Pointer
i rabbit hunt mostly cutovers like everybody else and flush a few coveys every year....they are in the thick stuff like the bunnies.....
41magnum
Twelve Pointer
NC-Ratler
Four Pointer
before doing anything fishing, hunting or trapping (very much a newbie on trapping) i'd def check the regs. I have some large have-a-heart traps I would think would work fine for coons, skunks and possum, no? i have a lot of trail camera pics of fox and coyote and know a few of my buddies in NW states do well with killing the larger nocturnal critters with snares and the reason I mentioned.
thx.
thx.
Their regs vary quite a bit from ours due to population.
NC-Ratler
Four Pointer
Anyone know what type of grass this is? I have quite a bit growing in one of my fields and hoping beneficial/native. Thanks again.
Looks like purple top
NC-Ratler
Four Pointer
A yahoo search fro Purple top led me to Tridens Flavus which is a native warm season grass and does seem to be beneficial to quail and song birds. Looking at all those little seed pods I was hoping so. Thx Scrub!
I think he is correct, with a touch of johnson grass to boot possibly.
Yep, it is purpletop tridens. Not sure that the seed has a lot of nutritional value, but it will make a nice clump for cover. Spray the field with 2 or 3 quarts of 41% glyphosate per acre in mid or late November and burn next March. Will be good to see what pops up out of the seed bank.
nchunter2
Eight Pointer
We need a hawk and kitty cat season....that would help.
darkthirty
Old Mossy Horns
You mean there’s not one?????
darkthirty
Old Mossy Horns
Just out of curiosity, and sorry if I missed it already said, but do you have any quail on your property currently?? What makes quail so difficult to manage is they are not like deer or turkeys. You can’t “build it and they will come”. You have to have quail to get quail. Which in today’s time, is a helluva conundrum..........