Quail have no place to call home

Published 6:03 am Sunday, February 12, 2017

A Southwest Louisiana chapter of Quail Forever is in the early stages of helping to replenish the quail population in our area.

On March 2 the group will celebrate its first banquet (5:30-9 p.m. at VFW Post 7321 in Moss Bluff) with funds going to help the quail.

“Our chapter is small but all the men and women in it are dedicated hunters and outdoorsmen with a passion for quail and bird dogs,” said chapter vice president Scotty Schadler. “We meet the third Monday of each month at the Westlake rec center at 6 p.m. and everyone is welcome.”

He added that the chapter, which began in May of last year, has two main goals: building the quail habitat and population in Louisiana and getting kids outdoors.

“We are hoping that our first banquet will be a huge fundraising event for us,” Schadler said. “We will have games, raffles, live and silent auctions as well as a catered menu, including chicken and sausage gumbo.”

As for as the reduction of quail in the area, he said “there is just not as many of them as there used to be and it is mainly because of the lack of habitat.”

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Don Scott, who has written magazine articles about quail hunting, designed and produced quail calls as well as tapes and has been called the leading authority on quail whistling by Quail Unlimited magazine, knows well the plight of the quail, that bird whose average weight is between 5 and 10 ounces and goes between 6 and 10 inches from head to tail, and has a good take on the plight of the bird.

“The main thing is that they have lost their habitat (in our area),” he said. “The fields that were there have been taken over by cattle and fields that had been planted in soybean are now crawfish ponds and rice fields. And, this all the way across the south to Lacassine.

“Also, there has been a big influx of coyotes which we can’t seem to get rid of. And a big portion of the acreage the quail hunter could use has been posted for deer.

“They have done a good job (restoration) with the deer, but it has hurt the quail hunting. The other day I just went out to one of my favorite spots where I could always whistle five or six coveys. Only one answered,” he said. “It seemed like about a dozen coyotes heard my whistle and began to howl.

“We just don’t have the habitat — the coverage they need, the feed they need, the place to breed. You go south of town and all cover has been bulldozed. Really, the only habitat we have now is in Kisatchie forest.”

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Fire ants have also been something of a hindrance to the bird that will nest on the ground. And, in the state of Texas, Texas A&M has been doing research on an eye virus that blinds quail and causes death.

Quail hunting season is open in our state and will continue until Feb. 28. Most of the hunting taking place is at wildlife management areas, particularly in Kistachie National Forest on the south side of Fort Polk.

It’s also at Kisatchie that a 10-year plan for the restoration and maintenance of quail habitat on 9,000 acres has been approved.