Bob-WHITE! Miss the quail’s call on your land? Set a natural feast and watch quail, turkey and other upland birds flock back.
QUAIL NEED SPECIAL HABITAT.
In fact, a particular blend and arrangement of diverse native plants. This special type area creates a ‘quail covey headquarters’. About 40 acres of native plants arranged to offer the right food, cover and nesting area.
If you don’t have 40 acres of your own, check out surrounding land parcels. Chances are, your neighbors may have complementary habitat that you can supplement. For best results, convert at least 1/10 acre, or 4500 sq. ft. per 40 acres to quail habitat. Years of research and wildlife study support this plan.
The ‘quail covey headquarters’ is a management main-stay of wildlife managers. So much so that it may qualify for funding to offset establishment costs.
Wildlife-designed plantings like the ‘Headquarters’ can give you a higher Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) score. See your CRP contract for details on mix ratios and maintenance requirements. CRP is a voluntary government program aimed at conserving soil, water and wildlife resources. Learn more from agencies like the Missouri Department of Conservation. It removes erodible and sensitive lands from agricultural production to conserve resources. Contracts for land enrolled in the Program are 10 to 15 years. During that period, USDA provides a yearly rental payment to the landowner. Since 1987, USDA has made about $50 billion in CRP payments to landowners.
Funding also may be available through non-government organizations. Quail Unlimited works through local chapters to subsidize landowner projects. The goal of Quail Unlimited is to increase regional habitat for quail. Learn more on the QU website, www.qu.org, or by calling national headquarters at 803-637-5731.
