Texas Tech looking at diminishing bobwhite quail populations

[TXpapa]

http://today.ttu.edu/2011/07/toxicologists-receive-846000-to-find-cause-of-plummeting-quail-population/

[Todd-ty729]

I have been suspicious of deer corn as a possible reason for the decline.

This is something I heard about from another hunter many years ago.

We quail hunted a ton up until the late 80's when auto corn feeders became very popular.

Be interesting to see if they do any research into this.

[HillCoBowHunter]

I hope they do find out the cause of this decline. I used to get into 'em in Lubbock when I was up there for school the last few seasons were pretty poor though.

[Artos]

I have been suspicious of deer corn as a possible reason for the decline.

would the corn in that area be any different than south tx...we have had bumper crops of quail the past 2 years and am seeing even more now.

[bowbroadhead]

aflatoxin is probably one reason and no rain the other, hope they find the reason

[Todd-ty729]

would the corn in that area be any different than south tx...we have had bumper crops of quail the past 2 years and am seeing even more now.

Good question.

My guess would be that weather is not as much of a factor therefore making the quail better able to fend off disease. Much of south Texas has better land owner investment into helping quail cope with supplemental water being a key ingredient. Most of it is done for the deer but it benefits quail and other wildlife as well.

Everyone knows that there is something about south Texas that is good for critters. Genetics, soil, vegetation, weather, whatever, wildlife seems to do well down there.

All I know is quail were abundant in the areas NW of D/FW until about the mid to late 80's when feeding corn to deer became the norm. Maybe just a coincidence but it needs to be looked into closely and without any outside financial influences. This last part will be the hardest part of the equation.

[RdRdrFan]

aflatoxin is probably one reason and no rain the other, hope they find the reason

Nope. Aflatoxin via corn hasn't been proven as a cause for the decline in numbers. We had a ton of moisture up here last year and it was the worst quail year we have had in a long, long time.

I truly believe that we will find that it is a part of the natural cycle. Quail in the Rolling Plains generally run on a 10 year (approximate) cycle. We usually see a three year boom with a shoulder (a couple of years) on either side of the boom then a three or so year time of virtually unhuntable numbers. Give it a couple of years and with decent moisture we will see the populations thriving again. I remember going out with my grandfather in the late 80's and he was bemoaning the quail crops and was talking about the good old days. Then they came back a few years later. During the late 90's and early 00's the populations were back down. Then by the 02-03 season they were back fairly strong and the next 3 years were bumper crops. Then they started to fall back off. I don't know why the cycle is there but it is.

[Cable]

Dale Rollins and the RPQRR also believe that disease might be more of a factor than once thought. Quite a few sick birds were brought in last year.

[RdRdrFan]

Dale Rollins and the RPQRR also believe that disease might be more of a factor than once thought. Quite a few sick birds were brought in last year.

Yep, Dale isn't throwing his support behind the aflatoxin theory. And there isn't anyone in the whole wide world who knows more about bobwhite quail than Dale Rollins. That guy has forgotten more about quail than any of us could ever hope to know.

[DFA]

Sounds like they masy already be on the right track.

“We think, at the end of the day, it’s a disease or disease/contamination interface,” he said. “So we’ll be trying to find out what those contaminants are. The central receiving station for all the birds being examined will be right here at TIEHH.”

Steve Presley, a zoonotic disease researcher in charge of the central receiving lab and disease studies at TIEHH, said researchers at Texas Tech had found evidence of West Nile virus and Newcastle disease virus in quail populations last year.

[Pablo]

thought is was due to fire ants . . .

[Ttechhunter]

Got one word- fireants

[Low Fence]

I think it will be a massive combination of events, from grasses, farming practices, habitat, change of crops, change of land managment, actually think the fire ant is not a major factor but are part of the problem as well as feral hogs, coons, skunks, road runners, cattle egrets, RAIN AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR NESTING...............and the fact that quail are born looking for a place to die (I raised them for years). They have an extremely high turn over rate in the wild.

Be interested in what they find as well.......my pointers are interested too