THE HABITAT GUIDE Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation
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Volume 8, Issue 5 June 2017 THE HABITAT GUIDE Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation Notes from the Road - Page 3 Notes from the Dashboard Quail task forces, quail working groups and quail committees all QUWF reaches a corporate working to improve quail habi- tat and quail numbers. milestone for wildlife MDC expands deer There will be much more news on this subject but a quick update feeding ban to 41 on the QUWF efforts to restock counties in response the ruffed grouse in Missouri. The to CWD - Page 5 restocking plan was approved by The Missouri Department of the Missouri Department of Con- Conservation (MDC) has ex- servation Director and the staff, panded restrictions on feeding then it was recently supported by deer and placing minerals for the Conservation Commission. deer from 29 to 41 counties That means we are on our way to throughout the state, effective restock a native, wild specie after July 1. nearly a decade of hard habi- tat restoration. Hard because it QUWF endorses required intensive timber stand emerged as the single most benefi- improvement, untold meetings, cial habitat organization for local and co-signs NC many discussions, more than a efforts and national programs to public lands protec- million dollars spent in habitat “turn-the-dirt” for all upland game. work by combined efforts of our The restocking effort is a huge tion effort - Page 6 QUWF chapter who raised nearly and significant milestone for More than 35 North Carolina $500,000 in banquet proceeds, QUWF, any restocking effort by hunting, fishing and outdoor many grants and a full participa- any organization is and we are groups have sent a letter to tion by the MDC matching the proud to join the ranks because of the Congressional members of the state delegation calling for financial efforts of QUWF. hard work, dedicated staff and the a strong defense of America’s When we founded QUWF, we best chapter members who are to- public lands and efforts to op- did not have lofty goals, we just tally focused on a goal and fought pose any legislative attempts to wanted our chapters to have the for it over years of hard work, sell or transfer lands out of the most ability in local dollars to chain saws in hand. The Missouri public domain. achieve local goals for whatever Grouse Chapter of QUWF is a wildlife species or youth outreach story unto itself, worthy of a book they wished. With a few changes detailing its long track to this and modifications QUWF has point. “Making a Difference for Wildlife, One Acre at a Time” 1 Volume 8, Issue 5 June 2017 More, it speaks to true conserva- own, and produces results across habitat back in shape. All worked tion, not a chase for dollars in mem- the country from Oregon and together to get the job done, the berships, large corporate offices California to Virginia and Missouri. direction changes and the process with huge salaries and relationships There is no one in conservation began to todays decisions. based on quid pro quo deals, not that works harder, but more impor- Besides the story of the grouse conservation. tant, produces as much high-quality restocking QUWF has led the drive So many people worked tirelessly results. for active acres in bobwhite quail to this end. The MDC biologists, My input came at a point at one recovery for the past several years. staff, researchers, Forestry and of the earlier meetings when the Comparatively, far beyond any other Wildlife Division, the Grouse chap- Deputy Director basically was going conservation organization in the ter team and a battle-ready biolo- to shelf the entire project. Strong U.S. on private or public lands as gist named Nick Prough, our Chief professionals exchanged ideas. My reported by the National Bobwhite Wildlife Biologist. Nick is a driving point, were we willing as profes- Conservation Initiative (NBCI), the force, he bases decisions on science, sional biologists to let the wild ruff think tank of quail restoration. common sense and observation. He grouse expire forever in Missouri Thank you to our members, spon- is a copious note taker, and moni- due to declining habitat work or do sors and partners, you provided the tors trends across the country. He what our state constitution and pri- support to make this now part of takes no credit for any work but his vate support indicated and get the QUWF’s history. 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Mix includes: Western Wheatgrass, False Sunflower, Illinois Bundleflower, Orchardgrass, Upright Prairie Coneflower, Showy Partridge Pea, Alfalfa, Black-Eyed Susan and Butterfly Milkweed. Copyright 2017 Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc. All rights reserved. “Making a Difference for Wildlife, One Acre at a Time” 2 Volume 8, Issue 5 June 2017 Notes from the Road Quail task forces, quail working groups and quail committees all working to improve quail habitat and quail numbers Just this week I returned from a mation and data coming from these multi-day Missouri Quail and Small studies and projects that are occur- Game Task Force Meeting where ring out in the field. both state, federal and NGO bi- However even with many of these ologists from all over MO gathered task forces and working groups together for a couple days to con- working constantly all over in many tinue to work together to improve states across the bobwhite quails quail habitat and quail numbers all range and the National Bobwhite over MO. These groups are not Conservation Initiative (NBCI) that specific to MO but many of the I have mentioned in multiple previ- states within the bobwhite quail ous articles being an overlapping range have these task forces, quail umbrella to many of these efforts, working groups or quail committees there is still always a lot more work working on improving quail habitat to do by each and every one of us while working with private landown- from landowners to state agencies/ ers in their areas they work in to NGO’s to the upland game hunter meet the landowners quail manage- wanting to see more birds on his next ment goals and objectives. These are trip out. Quail numbers in many agenda packed meetings with many areas of their historic range continue June we continued that trend as well, biologists sharing the information to decline at a fast rate and that isn’t however on June 30th we got another they have been learning or research- what anyone wants to see for the 4” rainfall event right during nesting ing in their respective areas of the future of bobwhite quail. We have season. We all can remember that state to share with others in order to discussed many of those hurdles and has been the trend for many of the compare their findings and results obstacles to improved quail numbers past several years. This is just an- as we all continue to try to improve and habitat degradation many times other reminder that we must all do all quail habitat across the state. Sev- as well in previous articles but one we can to improve nesting conditions eral new results will be forthcoming that we constantly must remember and habitat conditions for quail and out of these meetings and current is one that I had a HUGE reminder all upland wildlife as they need all the research study’s in the coming weeks of this am as I typed this article and help they can get! and months so I will continue to up- that is the weather extremes we have Keep up all the great work out date in my articles the readers of the been having. As seen in the associ- there that each of you, your land- Habitat Guide in future issues on ated picture as I went out this morn- owners, your chapters and conserva- the major information and new re- ing to let out the dogs the rain gauge tion partners are doing on crucial sults that are being seen. Some new- had over 4” of rain in it from just wildlife habitat projects, landowner er types of management techniques the previous 24 hours. We all know and youth field day events, as well as such as patch burn grazing on native that extreme weather events such as all your other conservation outreach grasses and pastures are continuing large intense spring/summer rainfalls efforts that you are working on in to show better results after these especially during the later nesting your local communities each and new types of habitat management season can be very detrimental to all everyday, as you are Definitely…….….