OUTDOOR CORNER: MISSOURI HUNTERS ADJUST SIGHTS TO NOV. 1 QUAIL SEASON OPENER

Wednesday, Nov. 1, is more than just the day after Halloween. If you are a quail hunter in Missouri, it is the day when you would rather feel the heft of a game bag than the weight of a trick-or-treat sack. It is the day that you, and your bird dog, have waited for since last January. It is the opening day of quail season. Quail hunters have from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15, 1996, to pursue their quarry. A daily limit of eight and a possession limit of 16 will apply.

Statewide, hunters can expect quail numbers similar to last year when hunting prospects were rated as fair. Population estimates are based on roadside surveys conducted by Conservation Agents between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15. Birds were counted along 39 mile routes in 112 counties, excluding Jackson and St. Louis. For the third straight year quail numbers appear to have suffered from a wet production period. In general, hunters can expect higher success rates in the northeast, along the western border of the sate and in the Bootheel where quail numbers are rated as high.

The Missouri Department of Conservation conducts annual Small Game Harvest Surveys to obtain harvest estimates for various species, including quail. Hunters are questioned about what species they hunt, how many hours they spent hunting and how many animals they took. The information obtained allows wildlife research biologists to make estimates of both the number of hunters and the total number of animals harvested.

For 1993, the most recent year that harvest data has been analyzed, the estimated quail harvest was the fifth lowest since 1960. An estimated 77,175 hunters took just over 1.2 million quail in 1993. The harvest was about one-half of the long-term average of 2.2 million birds per year.

The low harvest reflects a decline in the number of quail hunters also. In the late 1960's to mid '70's, more than 160,000 hunters regularly pursued quail. Despite the reduced popularity of quail hunting, success rates have remained relatively good. the average daily bag in 1993 was 2.1 birds. that is only 8 percent below the 10-year average bag of 2.3 quail per day.

Locally, hunters can expect to find mixed results. As mentioned earlier, the counties to the south of Cape Girardeau have quail populations rated as good. Roadside surveys in the bootheel counties averaged almost 12 birds per route. The 30 mile surveys to the north and west of Cape Girardeau averaged less than two birds per route.

The northern counties appear to have fared better in the late production period (mid-August to mid-September) with area farmers reporting increased sightings of young birds. Therefore, early in the season, hunters may encounter coveys of quail comprised of "late" birds that are unable to fly very far. When this situation occurs, veteran quail hunters will not shoot the birds but rather, they will leave them so that they can mature and provide quality hunting later in the season.

Some other tips from the "old timers": don't shoot a covey down to less than eight or nine birds. This will help ensure the survival of that covey for years to come. Also, in late December and January, stop hunting early enough in the afternoon to allow scattered birds to regroup before dark. Quail survive cold weather by forming covey rings at night in order to share body heat. If the birds are scattered near dark, they may not have time to re-group and the entire covey could freeze to death.

~Gene Myers is a Missouri Conservation Agent in Cape Girardeau County.