Demographics of Quail Hunters in Oklahoma

We collected information from Oklahoma hunters during a telephone survey conducted in February 1997, to compare demographics of scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) and northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) hunters to other hunters. Eight hundred ninetytwo annual, 709 lifetime, and 376 senior citizen hunting license holders, stratified by county of residence, were interviewed. Respondents who hunted quail differed from other hunters by age group, age of first hunting experience, the proportion of their life (\u3e=16 years of age) they have owned an Oklahoma hunting license, education level, annual household income, access to a computer at work, access to a computer at home, and access to the Internet at work (P \u3c= 0.030). No difference (P \u3e= 0.219) was found between hunter types by residential location, hunting license type, proportion of life residing in Oklahoma, ethnic origin, and access to the Internet at home. This information can help wildlife managers better understand their quail hunting constituents and tailor agency programs to fit their needs

A Monitoring Program to Evaluate the Coastal Grassland Restoration Incentive Program

The Gulf Coast Joint Venture (GCJV) is a regionally based, biologically driven, landscape-oriented volunteer partnership of private, state, and federal conservation organizations dedicated to the delivery of habitat important to priority bird species. The GCJV partnership’s Coastal Grassland Restoration Incentive Program (C-GRIP) provides financial incentives to private landowners for conducting habitat treatments that address the greatest limiting factor(s) to providing suitable grassland bird habitat on their property. The C-GRIP program is a way for the GCJV to deliver bird habitat to meet planning objectives for grassland birds, including northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Our monitoring objective is to evaluate whether the C-GRIP program is effective in providing a relative increase in the density (number/acre) of priority grassland bird species in focal delivery areas versus control areas over a 10-year period. Twenty survey routes (2 within each of 5 focal areas and 2 outside of each area, serving as controls), located on secondary and tertiary roads, were designated in the Texas Mid-Coast Initiative Area of the GCJV. Each route is 15 miles long and the land cover is similar along all survey routes. Each route has ≥30 point-count stations separated by ≥0.5 mile. We recognize that some routes will experience increased development over time, especially in counties neighboring large population centers such as Houston and Victoria. The plan is to continue to monitor these routes, as long as safety concerns do not increase. Survey data will be analyzed using Program Distance 7.3, release 1. Our poster will include details about the monitoring objective, survey route selection, and survey methods

Long-Term Climate Trends and Northern Bobwhite Populations in South Texas

Because climate change and its associated weather changes may influence population trends of birds, we analyzed northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite hereafter) age ratios and abundance in relation to climate trends during 1908-1997 in south Texas. Weather variables included regional mean temperature maxima for June, July, and August, and precipitation totals for autumn (Sep-Nov), winter (Dec-Feb), spring (Mar-May), and summer (Jun-Aug). Long-term temporal trends for these weather variables were estimated with a linear regression. Yearly weather data were used to predict bobwhite age ratios (juv/ad in autumn and winter) and abundance between 1908 and 1997 using neural network models. We compared these predictions with data available from various bobwhite surveys in south Texas over the period 1940-1999. Means for daily maximum temperature during summer declined at rates between 1.6 and 2.3°C/century. No temporal trends were detected for seasonal precipitation (1908-1997), age ratios (1940-1999), or abundance (1977-1998). Neural models developed independently to predict bobwhite age ratios and bobwhite abundance from weather data produced predictions that were consistent with each other. Years with high age ratios tended to coincide with or precede years of high abundance

Quail V: Proceedings of the Fifth National Quail Symposium (January 23-27, 2002 : Corpus Christi, Texas)

PLENARY SESSION Arizona Quail: Species in Jeopardy? Ron Engel-Wilson and William P. Kuvlesky, Jr. Emerging Trends in Midwest Bobwhite Culture, Thomas V. Dailey Quail Management: Issues, Concerns, and Solutions for Public and Private Lands: A Southeastern Perspective, L. Wes Burger Rangewide Trends in Landuse and Northern Bobwhite Abundance: An Exploratory Analysis, Markus J. Peterson, X. Ben Wu, and Paikho Rho Keynote Address: Ideas, Landscapes, and Conservation\u27s New Frontier, Shane P. Mahoney Banquet Remarks: Sustaining the \u27Quail Wave\u27 in the Southern Great Plains, Dale Rollins IMPACTS OF DEPREDATION ON QUAIL Coyotes: Friend or Foe of Northern Bobwhite in Southern Texas, Scott E. Henke Macrohabitat Composition Surrounding Successful and Depredated Northern Bobwhite Nests, Eric L. Staller, William E. Palmer, and John P. Carroll Bobcat Predation on Quail, Birds, and Mesomammals, Michael E. Tewes, Jennifer M. Mock, and John H. Young Effects of Field Borders and Mesomammal Reduction on Northern Bobwhite and Songbird Abundance on Three Farms in North Carolina (Oral Abstract), Peter T. Bromley, Shane D. Wellendorf, William E. Palmer, and Jeffery F. Marcus Understanding the Relationship Between Northern Bobwhite Mortality and Raptor Migration in South Texas (Poster Abstract), Fernando R. Holschneider, Fidel Henández, David Rios, and Juan D. Vasquez Effects of Micro-habitat, Macro-habitat, and Predator Space-Use on Success of Northern Bobwhite Nests (Poster Abstract), Pat Stockett, Mark Smith, James Austin, Scott Szukaitis, Chrissie Henner, L. Wes Burger, Bruce Leopold, and Dave Godwin PEN-REARED QUAIL Survival and Home Range Estimates of Pen-Raised Northern Bobwhites in Buffer Strip and Non-Buffer Strip Habitats, Michael J. Oakley, Dixie L. Bounds, Theodore A. Mollet, and Edward C. Soutiere Survival and Flight Characteristics of Captive-Reared and Wild Northern Bobwhites in South Texas, Robert M. Perez., Don E. Wilson, and Karen D. Gruen Survival and Habitat Use of Pen-Raised Northern Bobwhites at Camp Robinson Wildlife Demonstration Area, Arkansas (Poster Abstract), Matthew D. Lewis, Steven Fowler, Chris Kellner, and James C. Bednarz WEATHER INFLUENCES ON QUAIL MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH Effects of Hurricane Bret on Northern Bobwhite Survival in South Texas, Fidel Hernández, Juan D. Vasquez, Fred C. Bryant, Andrew A. Radomski, and Ronnie Howard Use of Weather Variables for Predicting Fall Covey Calling Rates of Northern Bobwhites, Ted P. Seiler, Ronald D. Drobney, and Thomas V. Dailey Weather and Age Ratios of Northern Bobwhites in South Texas, Fred S. Guthery, Jeffrey J. Lusk, David R. Synatzske, James Gallagher, Stephen J. DeMaso, Ronnie R. George, and Markus J. Peterson Fine Scale Influence of Weather on Northern Bobwhite Abundance, Breeding Success, and Harvest in South Texas, Robert M. Perez, James F. Gallagher, and Michael C. Frisbie WESTERN QUAIL SPECIES Brood Season Habitat Selection by Montezuma Quail in Southeastern Arizona, Kirby D. Bristow and Richard A. Ockenfels Efficacy of Line Drives to Locate Montezuma Quail at Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area (Poster Abstract), Froylan Hernández, Louis A. Harveson, and Clay Brewer HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND RELATED ISSUES The Impact of Invasive Exotic Grasses on Quail in the Southwestern United States, William P. Kuvlesky, Jr., Timothy E. Fulbright, and Ron Engel-Wilson Initial Effects of Prescribed Burning on Survival and Nesting Success of Northern Bobwhites in West-Central Texas, Philip S. Carter, Dale Rollins, and Cody B. Scott Does Habitat Management for Northern Bobwhites Benefit the Red Imported Fire Ant? A. R. Forbes, C. B. Dabbert, R. B. Mitchell, and J. M. Mueller Winter Macro- and Microhabitat Use of Winter Roost Sites in Central Missouri, Eliodora Chamberlain, Ronald D. Drobney, and Thomas V. Dailey Characteristics of Four Agricultural Crops Established as Northern Bobwhite Brood Habitat, Denise A. Maidens and John P. Carroll Effects of Northern Bobwhite Habitat Management Practices on Red Imported Fire Ants, Shaun Williamson, L. Wes Burger, Jr., Stephen Demarais, and Michael Chamberlain Response of Vegetation Important to Northern Bobwhites Following Chemical and Mechanical Treatments (Oral Abstract), James R. Welch, K. V. Miller, and William E. Palmer Winter Cover Height and Heat Loss: Is Taller Better? (Oral Abstract), Eliodora Chamberlain, Ronald D. Drobney, and Thomas V. Dailey Northern Bobwhite Habitat Use in a Forest-Dominated System (Poster Abstract), Ira B. Pamell III, Sara H. Schweitzer, Craig G. White, and Lynn A. Lewis Northern Bobwhite Population Response to Intensive Mechanical Hardwood Clean-Up (Poster Abstract), D. Clay Sisson, H. Lee Stribling, and Jerald F. Sholar Northern Bobwhite Population Response to Intensive Modification of a Farm Landscape in Middle Georgia (Poster Abstract), D. Clay Sisson, H. Lee Stribling, and Steven D. Mitchell LANDSCAPE SCALE HABITAT ISSUES Landscape-Scale Land-Cover Change and Long-Term Abundance of Scaled Quail and Northern Bobwhite in Texas, Andrew S. Bridges, Markus J. Peterson, Nova J. Silvy, Fred E. Smeins, and X. Ben Wu Movement Patterns of Resident and Relocated Northern Bobwhites in East Texas, Xiangwen Liu, R. Montague Whiting, Jr., D. Scott Parsons, and Donald R. Dietz Breeding Season Movements and Dispersal of Northern Bobwhites in Fragmented Habitats of Virginia, Michael L. Fies, K. Marc Puckett, and Bonnie Larson-Brogdon Habitat Selection of Northern Bobwhite in the Rio Grande Plains of Texas, William P. Kuvlesky, Jr., Wendell G. Swank, and Nova J. Silvy Contribution of CRP to Illinois Bobwhite Habitat at the Landscape Level (Poster Abstract), Whitney L. Weber and John L. Roseberry Habitat Selection of Northern Bobwhite Coveys on Two Intensive Agricultural Landscapes in Eastern North Carolina (Poster Abstract), Shane D. Wellendorf, William E. Palmer, and Peter T. Bromley QUAIL POPULATION DYNAMICS AND MONITORING Cyclicity in Northern Bobwhites: A Time-Analytic Review of the Evidence, Wayne E. Thogmartin, John L. Roseberry, and Alan Woolf Management Implications of Estimating Abundance of Quail Inhabiting Forest Environs in Mexico, Jack C. Eitniear, and John T. Baccus A Comparison of Two Quail Abundance Indices and Their Relationship to Quail Harvest in Texas, Stephen J. DeMaso, Markus J. Peterson, Jon R. Purvis, Nova J. Silvy, and Jerry L. Cooke Hunting Success and Northern Bobwhite Density on Tall Timbers Research Station: 1970-2001, William E. Palmer, Shane D. Wellendorf; Leonard A. Brennan, William R. Davidson, and Forest E. Kellogg Factors Influencing Early Morning Covey Calling in Northern Bobwhites (Oral Abstract), Shane D. Wellendorf, William E. Palmer, and Peter T. Bromley Improving Quail Management through Statistical Modelling (Poster Abstract), Erynn M. Call, Ronald D. Drobney, and Thomas V. Dailey Comparison of Methods to Capture Bobwhites During Summer (Poster Abstract), Shane D. Wellendorf, A. Vincent Carver, and William E. Palmer Methods for Capturing, Marking, and Estimating Survival of Northern Bobwhite Chicks (Poster Abstract), Mark D. Smith, Adam D. Hammond, L. Wes Burger, William E. Palmer, A. Vince Carver, and Scott Szukaitis QUAIL PHYSIOLOGY AND GENETICS Relationship among Plasma Triglycerides, Body Mass, and Reproduction of Northern Bobwhites, J. M. Mueller and C. B. Dabbert Comparison of Northern Bobwhite Chick Fecal and Crop Analyses, Kristen Urz, John P. Carroll, and Steven J. Moreby Using Microsatellite DNA to Understand Bobwhite Behavior and Population Structure (Poster Abstract), Brant C. Faircloth, Kristine Oswald, Williom E. Palmer, John P. Carroll. L. Wes Burger, Koom Wah Fok, and Shane D. Wellendorf PHILOSOPHIES RELATING TO QUAIL AND THEIR MANAGEMENT A Decade of Progress, A Decade of Frustration, Leonard A. Brennan Effects of Supplemental Feeding on Northern Bobwhite Populations in South Texas, Ted B. Doerr and Nova J. Silvy The Effect of Quail Feeders on Northern Bobwhite Density in Western Oklahoma, Stephen J. DeMaso, Darrell Townsend II, Scott A. Cox, Edward S. Parry, Robert L. Lochmiller, and Alan D. Peoples The Bobwhite Quail Initiative: Restoring Georgia\u27s State Gamebird While Improving the Environment (Poster Abstract), Chris Baumann, Bobby Bond, Joy Bornhoeft, John P. Carroll, Adam Hammond, Richard Hamrick, Walter Lane, Buck Marchinton, and Reggie Thackston Closing Remarks: Pieces of the Puzzle, Circles in the Stream, Leonard A. Brenna

A Comparison of Two Quail Abundance Indices and Their Relationship to Quail Harvest in Texas

Surveys are used to monitor status and trends of animal populations. However, different surveys may give conflicting results for the same species and population being surveyed. Therefore, we compared results of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) roadside counts for scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) and northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in Texas. Surveys were compared on both an ecoregion and statewide basis. The BBS and TPW surveys gave similar trends for bobwhites and scaled quail for 5 of 8, and 3 of 5 ecoregions, respectively. Survey trends differed at the statewide scale for both species. We compared estimated statewide harvest as an independent index of quail population status in Texas with results from both surveys. The TPW roadside survey was more closely related to estimated statewide harvest for northern bobwhites (R2 = 0.86, P \u3c= 0.001) and scaled quail (R2 = 0.75, P = 0.0001) than the BBS survey (R2 = 0.60, P = 0.001; and R2 = 0.35, P = \u3c0.0001, respectively). Survey methods, sampling frameworks, and issues of scale are important variables to consider when interpreting survey results. The BBS provides useful data on quail populations at a multi-state or national scale. However, most state wildlife agencies require surveys that provide information at finer spatial scales

The Effect of Quail Feeders on Northern Bobwhite Density in Western Oklahoma

We investigated the effect of quail feeders on northern bobwhite (Colinu s virginianus) covey size and density from I October 1991 to 1 October 1996 on the Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area (WMA ) in western Oklahoma. Thirty-two quail feeders tilled with milo were located near the center of every 8. 1 ha on a 283.3-ha treatment area. An adjacent 283.3-ha control area contained no quail feeders. Line-transect methodology was used to seasonally determine covey size and density on each area. Transects were traversed on horseback during October and March of each year. Mean fall covey size was similar (t = 0.19, df = 1, P = 0.8525) between the control (14.0 ± 1.2 birds/covey ) and treatment (14 .2 ± 1.1 birds/covey) areas, pooled over years . Mean spring covey size was similar (t = 10.18, df = 1, P = 0.9999 ) between the control (9.4 ± 1.9 birds/covey) and treatment (6.6 ± 1.5 birds/covey) areas, pooled over years . Pooled over treatments, mean covey size was similar (F = 1.30, df = 4, P = 0.2798) among years. but differed (F = 40.56, df = 1, P = 0.0001) between spring (7.6 ± 1.2 birds/covey) and fall (14.1 ± 0.8 birds/ covey). Mean bobwhite density, pooled over seasons and years was similar (t = -3.55, df = 1, P = 0.9125 ) between control ( 1.28 ± 0.43 birds/ha) and treatment (1.38 ± 0.44 birds/ha) areas. We concluded that quail feeders had no effect on mean covey size or density of bobwhite populations on our study area in western Oklahoma

Northern Bobwhite Age Ratios and Productivity at the Individual Property Scale in South Texas

Annual adult survival rate (Sˆ) and finite rate of population growth (k) are critical parameters that must be considered when subjecting a species to annual harvest. We used a data set of 148 estimates of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) juvenile: adult age ratios (R) derived from hunter-harvested wings in the South Texas Plains to estimate these parameters. Data were collected from 1940 to 1976 and from 1983 to 2008. We used adjusted estimates of R to account for higher harvest vulnerability of juveniles, and the regional estimate of Sˆ (30.6% based on a stable population) to calculate estimates of k at the ranch (~800 2,000 ha) scale. Mean (6 SE) adjusted R was 2.79 6 0.13 juveniles: adult. Assuming a stable population (i.e., k 1⁄4 1), mean (6 SE) regional Sˆ was 30.6 6 0.1%. Given an annual Sˆ of 30.6%, mean regional k was 1.16 6 0.04, and single year k estimates ranged from 0.40 to 3.03 among individual properties. These data have important implications for bobwhite harvest management because they identify the potential for highly variable population growth rates (k) at a localized scale. There is an increased probability of overharvesting the population when local populations are declining. Our data indicate using only a regional estimate of k may mask local population trends, which has the potential for mismanagement of harvest within a given property by making harvest recommendations that are too high (overharvest) or too conservative (loss of opportunity)

A Simulation Model of Sustained-Yield Harvest for Northern Bobwhite in South Texas

Recommended sustainable harvest rates for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) vary greatly and range from 25% to 70% of the prehunt population. Because northern bobwhite populations have declined across their geographic range, determining sustainable harvest levels is critical for effective management. Our objectives were to use simulation modeling to identify sustainable rates of bobwhite harvest, probability of population persistence, and minimum viable population estimates. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the impacts of harvest on northern bobwhite populations in Texas, USA. We constructed a simulation model using Program STELLA 9.0 for a hypothetical northern bobwhite population on 800 ha in the South Texas Plains USA and modeled population dynamics to 100 years over a range of harvest rates (0–40%). A 20% harvest rate produced the greatest average yields (mean ± standard error = 231 ± 10 bobwhites harvested/year). Given a quasi-extinction criterion of ≤40 bobwhites (≤0.05 bobwhite/ha), a 30% harvest rate resulted in a high probability of quasi-extinction (PE = 0.75) within 47.8 ± 2.3 years. A 40% harvest rate was not sustainable (PE = 1.0), with quasi-extinction occurring within 15.5 ± 2.6 years. Harvesting northern bobwhite populations in the South Texas Plains at rates of 20−25% of the prehunt population should maximize long-term harvest while minimizing the probability of population extinction. Spring densities of 0.60−0.80 bobwhite/ha may represent minimum viable spring densities for northern bobwhite populations in the South Texas Plains as these are the densities associated with sustainable 20-25% harvest rates. Harvest rates \u3e30% are likely to be excessive with respect to long-term population persistence for northern bobwhite populations in the South Texas Plains

Field Application of Sustained-Yield Harvest Management for Northern Bobwhite in Texas

Sustained-yield harvest (SYH) is considered a potentially viable strategy for managing harvest of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). However, application of SYH has not been evaluated for northern bobwhites. We evaluated the application of using SYH as a harvest management strategy for bobwhite during the 2007 2008 and 2008 2009 hunting seasons in 2 ecoregions of Texas (Rolling Plains, South Texas Plains). We collected field data at 3 study sites/ecoregion (900 1,900 ha each; 2 hunted sites and 1 control) to estimate 4 demographic parameters (fall and spring density, overwinter survival in the absence of hunting, and harvest rate). We used these data to parameterize the additive harvest model for bobwhites and compare predictions of spring abundance of the model with field estimates. The additive harvest model, compared to field estimates, consistently underestimated spring population density (mean 6 SE) by 55.7 6 17.8% (2007 2008) and 34.1 6 4.9% (2008 2009) in the Rolling Plains, and by 26.4 6 25.3% (2007 2008) and 49.1 6 2.1% (2008 2009) in the South Texas Plains. Implementing SYH in the field, despite its potential benefits, will be challenging given the need for reliable estimates of 3 key population parameters (fall and spring density, and natural mortality in the absence of hunting) and the high variation often associated with them. Conservative harvest prescriptions based on the lower 95% CIs of fall density estimates may permit sustainable harvest despite variation in density estimates

Application of Metapopulation Theory to Northern Bobwhite Conservation

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have declined throughout the majority of the species’ range, and have experienced the largest declines in fragmented habitats, suggesting landscape scale processes may be responsible for this decline. We used the results from a stochastic population dynamics model of South Texas bobwhites as conceptual justification for use of metapopulation theory in bobwhite management. Annual quasi-extinction probabilities for isolated bobwhite populations were 0.003 (95% CI: 0.001 0.006), 0.105 (95% CI: 0.083 0.126), and 0.773 (95% CI: 0.750 0.796) for simulated populations harvested at 20, 30, and 40% annually. The probability of regional persistence at 30% harvest increased to ~ 100% in scenarios where we modeled 5 occupied hypothetical 800-ha habitat patches; however, at 40% harvest rates, probability of regional metapopulation persistence did not reach 95% until 12 habitat patches were occupied. This suggests bobwhites probably require somewhere from 800 to 9,600 ha of available habitat space to maintain 95% probability of regional metapopulation persistence as harvest varies from 0 to 40% annually. Our results have strong implications for bobwhite harvest management given the high probability of quasi-extinction of isolated populations at rates of harvest 25%. Multiple patches of habitat (where individual patch size is 800 ha) must be available to ensure bobwhite metapopulation persistence