Although I wasn’t in Grundy County for the “glory days” of bird hunting, I can only imagine what it must have been like. Monday, Nov. 1 is the traditional opening day of quail and pheasant season in Missouri. Although the weather is forecast to be near perfect for quail and pheasant hunting, it will, again, be disappointing to me as a Conservation Agent to see such a lack of interest by the hunters. It seems to me that the tradition has died in Grundy County.
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In past autumns, bird season openers were like deer season openers in many counties in the state. Hunters would flock to the local hangouts long before dawn to fill their coffee thermos and get a bite to eat. With dogs raring to go, hunters would stake out their favorite fields waiting for daylight in order to begin the new season.
Back then, farming practices were much different, and quail were much more abundant. Most farms were smaller, because farm machinery was smaller. Grain prices were higher, and it didn’t take a 600-acre farm to make a living. The countryside was broken into small, 40 acre farms, each one separated from the other by a brushy fence row. Crops were abundant, cover was good, and quail were hiding in every brushy draw.
Of course, we know that isn’t the case today. Small farms have expanded into large ones. With the expansion of farms comes the destruction of the brushy fence rows. Then, along came the era of CRP in much of north Missouri. With the CRP program, many of the crop fields became a sea of fescue or switch grass, neither of which was good for the quail and pheasant living in the area. Don’t get me wrong, the CRP program is a good program for what it was designed for, but the early plantings were not very “wildlife friendly.”
Quail are very fragile birds. It doesn’t take a whole lot of change to their habitat in order to affect the entire population. Many people think that because quail are birds, they will just fly to another farm if their habitat is destroyed. That is not the case. Most quail will spend their entire lives within a 1/4-mile radius. If the habitat is changed within that 1/4-mile, it is likely that the birds will perish rather than move on. Small changes may have huge impacts on these localized birds.
It is important to realize the impact that man has on other living things. Too many times I have heard people try to blame the decline of the quail on other animals, such as the fox, bobcat, turkey or hawk. While predators do have an impact on quail populations, no impact is greater than habitat destruction. When coveys of quail are suddenly “wiped out,” it takes several years for the population to rebound.
A quail has a life span of about 18 months. If everything is perfect in a given year, the population may have good reproduction. However, with such a short life span, it is going to take several “perfect” years in order to build a healthy population of birds. If the habitat is improved, the year doesn’t have to be as “perfect” in order for the quail to have a chance at survival.
Things are looking up in the state of Missouri. The current CRP program rewards landowners for being “wildlife friendly.” Food plots, warm-season grasses and other management practices are now encouraged on most CRP fields. Gone are the days of “fescue seas,” and in are the days of bunch grasses and strip mowing.
The Department of Conservation even created a division to help landowners make the most out of what they have. The Private Lands division is working with landowners to create farm plans that will benefit both the farmer and the quail.
When I drive around the County Monday morning, I will try to imagine what Carl Rude might have seen in Grundy County 40 years ago on the opening day of quail season. I can’t say for sure, but I bet it was lots different back then. Maybe someday the tradition will be revived. to maximize air circulation.
In summary, wild meat needs proper care, long before it reaches home. With a little planning and effort, hunters and their families often find that eating wild game can be just as enjoyable as hunting for it.