THE WEEKEND HUNTER: EFFORTS AFOOT TO BRING QUAIL BACK

Bring back Bob -- bobwhite quail that is -- now is on the top of the list for Missouri Department of Conservation and Quail Unlimited.

A cooperative effort between the two organizations has developed a new quail habitat initiative to help bring back the bobwhite quail population to its former abundance.

No matter if you are talking deer, turkey, rabbit, dove, and quail, the most important thing is habitat! habitat! and lets not forget habitat.

If you never have hunted quail, or maybe you have, you will know that quail has to be one of the most exciting game birds to hunt. Just remember to leave six birds in a covey. Remember conservation is also a key.

Quail Unlimited chapters in Missouri have dedicated some or all of their wildlife habitat budgets to four cost-share or incentive practices promoted by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will match Quail Unlimited chapters' contributions 1-to-1 and provide technical assistance to qualifying landowners.

So be sure you contact your local Conservation Department private land conservationist or Natural Resources Conservation Service office.

Cost-share or incentive payments are not available for land enrolled in the CRP. However, acres enrolled in the conservation department's environmental quality incentives program or wildlife habitat incentives program are eligible for enrollment in continuous CRP buffer practices.

To learn more about buffer practices and what they are also check with the USDA about buffer zones on your land. Look for the following information.

Conservation buffers work economically and environmentally.

Field border conservation practice job sheet.

Managing Grasslands for Profit.

Habitat losses have been caused by an increase of large, poorly managed or unmanaged fields with just one type of grass like fescue.

Fescue has to be one of the most unbeneficial grasses and even the cause of low population of quail, turkey and even rabbit due to the fact that it leaves no bare ground like warm season grasses and forbs, such as wildflowers, switchgrass, bluestem, indiangrass, which all tend to clump, providing pathways between the plants while providing cover.

Annual disturbance provides essential elements of quail habitat bare ground and annual weeds.

The quail habitat initiative, called Bring Back Bob, provides 75 percent cost-share or incentive payments to landowners with a wildlife management plan to implement approved practices.

Practices available for cost-sharing or incentive payments are herbaceous-vegetation control, nesting cover establishment, annual disturbance and old field/hedgerow renovation. Other practices may be available, depending upon local habitat needs.

The bad news, out of 25 Quail Unlimited chapters in Missouri, the Southeast Missouri area has no chapter. The closest chapters are in St. Louis and Springfield. That does not stop you from being a member or from starting a chapter. This year there has been a dove society started that can be the same as a Quail Unlimited chapter. Remember conservation is the key. We can't keep taking from the sport without putting back in. We owe that to our kids.

For more information about Quail Unlimited contact:

Quail Unlimited National Headquarters

31 Quail Run or P.O. Box 610

Edgefield, South Carolina, 29824

Phone: (803) 637-5731

Fax: (803) 637-0037

www.qu.org

While you have it on the phone, ask it about two great magazines: Quail Unlimited and Dove Hunter.

Also some other great resources from Quail Unlimited:

Article on Plateau Herbicide Registered for CRP use Target Tall Fescue.

National Conservation Buffer Initiative Buffers commonsense conservation.

Handling the Fescue Problem.

Quail Unlimited brochure Join Today.

But not all is lost if you don't qualify for any programs. The Bring back the Bobwhite series appears monthly in Rural Sportsman. Just go to www.progressivefarmer.com then click on ruralsportsman link.

There is a great little booklet, entitled Managing for Quail, for $9.95, plus $3.95 S&H. It is available by calling 1-800-425-0374 or by writing

Managing for Quail

Progressive Farmer Publications

P.O. Box 830069

Birmingham, AL. 35283

For information about starting up a Quail Unlimited chapter, contact Jef Hodges. He is the regional director for the Great Plains region office, and he can help you get started. I have talked with Jef and he is very committed to the quail problem in Missouri and would be glad to help people interested in starting a chapter.

Great Plains Region

Jef Hodges

382 NW Highway 18

Clinton, Missouri 64735

Phone: (660) 885-7057

Fax: (660) 885-7152

Thanks to the Missouri Department of Conservation for the information for this story.

The Weekend Deer Hunter

http://walden.mvp.net/~gam/

and

South Missouri Sportsmen Information Network

www.southmosportsmen.com

P.S. Be sure to listen to the new and only outdoor radio show at 6 a.m. Saturdays on 106.1 FM in Cape Girardeau, with the host horntagger and bassbuster.