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Georgia Bobwhites Past, Present, Future By Reggie Thackston and James Tomberlin | Georgia Department of Natural Resources 20 May | June 2013 N orthern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) hold a special place in Georgia’s outdoor culture and wildlife heritage. Georgia has been a premiere quail-hunting destination for more than 100 years, and in 1970, Georgia lawmakers designated the bobwhite the state gamebird. However, due to extensive changes in Georgia’s landscape over the last 75-plus years the bobwhite population has declined drastically. Consequently, so has the number of quail hunters. The good news is there is growing interest and increasing effort focused on restoring habitat for bobwhites and numerous other ‘early succession’ wildlife species that depend on grasses, forbs, and shrubs. Let’s look at the early days, where we are today, and where we’re headed relative to bobwhite restoration and hunting in the Peach State. Georgia Forestry Today The Early Days When the first Europeans to Georgia ventured inland, they encountered magnificent forests with great ecological diversity. Included were large, open-canopy pine forests maintained by frequent fire. These fires, set by lightning strikes and native Americans, created and maintained extensive landscapes of pine savanna best described as a prairie of grasses, wildflowers, and shrubs under the trees. The most notable was an estimated 21 million acres of forests dominated by longleaf pine. Bobwhites and many other early succession species occurred extensively across this landscape, but likely not in great abundance locally, except perhaps in association with native American agriculture. However, as settlements moved inland, gaps were cut in these forests, and settlers began implementing what we would consider very crude agriculture. This resulted in small crop fields with weedy borders and hedgerows—lots of idle land with native grasses, weeds, briars, shrubs, and bugs; i.e., excellent bobwhite habitat! Settlers frequently burned the woodlands between the fields, and used the forests for lumber, fuel wood, grazing, and turpentine. Also, crop harvesting methods were inefficient, resulting in waste grain available for wildlife. Mid-sized mammals such as raccoons, opossums, foxes, and bobcats were trapped or hunted, likely reducing quail predation. So, the accidental byproducts of early homesteading created an ideal bobwhite environment, and bobwhite populations exploded across the state. Through the mid-1900s, from mountain valleys to the coast, good to excellent quail hunting could be had on the back 40 of the average Georgia farm. But during the latter half of the 20th century, the bobwhite population began to spiral downward as agriculture and forestry practices intensified, urban/suburban development greatly expanded, and prescribed fire was suppressed across the 21 A spinoff of Georgia’s BQI has been numerous quota youth quail hunts voluntarily hosted by participating landowners. landscape. In 1962-63, surveys by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division estimated there were 135,000 quail hunters who harvested more than 4.5 million quail. By 2008-09, the estimates had dropped to 22,423 hunters harvesting 808,036 bobwhites, of which 97 percent were penreared birds! U.S. Geological Survey Breeding Bird Surveys (www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs) show that Georgia’s bobwhite population has declined by 5.5 percent per year since 1966, reflecting an overall decline of approxi- mately 90 percent. In much of Georgia, bobwhite densities have fallen below the level needed to attract and maintain hunter interest. In some landscapes, particularly in the northern half of the state, viable bobwhite populations are no longer apparent. Also in serious decline are a number of other wildlife species that, like bobwhites, need early succession habitats. The bobwhite is a barometer for an Georgia’s bobwhite restoration program is supported solely through the proceeds from vehicle license plate sales, grants, and direct donations. 22 May | June 2013 ecological problem that also affects state and local economies through the loss of quail hunting and other wildlife-associated recreation. Wild Quail Plantations Wild quail plantations in Georgia are clustered primarily around Albany and Thomasville, and cover about 400,000 acres. Many were established in the late 1800s through the mid-1900s when bob- Bobwhites Today Georgia’s current bobwhite culture is primarily comprised of three parts: the shooting preserve industry; private wild quail plantations; and, evolving wild quail restoration efforts through the transition of Georgia’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative, guided in part by the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. Shooting Preserves Georgia has approximately 150 commercial shooting preserves that use pen-reared birds to provide bobwhite shooting to thousands of residents and non-residents. These preserves have a huge economic and environmental impact. Collectively, they also provide thousands of acres of open space that benefit many wildlife species. Additionally, preserves help maintain interest in quail hunting and bird dogs, and expose many youth and adults to the sport who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Georgia’s future bobwhite restoration efforts will be largely focused on habitat restoration within focal landscapes selected through a detailed habitat prioritization process under the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative. Georgia Forestry Today 23 Native grass-forb-shrub field borders and field corners adjacent to pine stands that are thinned and frequently prescribe burned provide critical habitat for bobwhites, rabbits, certain songbirds and a variety of other wildlife. whites were abundant across Georgia. Northern industrialists traveling south were attracted to the excellent quail hunting. Properties were acquired, consolidated, and placed into intensive bobwhite management. Even today, these lands boast some of the highest wild bobwhite densities ever documented. This interest in sustaining high-density bobwhite populations led to a landmark effort in science-based wildlife management when in 1924 Herbert Stoddard was hired to head the Cooperative Quail Study Investigation. That work resulted in his 1931 publication, The Bobwhite Quail, Its Habits, Preservation and Increase. This book is still considered the ‘bobwhite bible,’ and Stoddard's legacy exists through Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy (www.ttrs.org), a national leader in research of intensive bobwhite management and fire ecology. Wild quail plantations prove there is no mystery to the quail decline and that when quality habitat is provided at the landscape scale, bobwhites respond. Like shooting preserves, plantations also provide strong economic stimulus to sur24 rounding communities and provide an array of ecosystem services, such as open space, carbon sequestration, and improved air and water quality. Wild Bobwhite Restoration Responding to the bobwhite decline, in 1998 a grassroots effort spurred by key members of Georgia’s General Assembly and the Board of Natural Resources led to the Wildlife Resources Division’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative. BQI provides landowners, called cooperators, with technical guidance and has provided financial incentives for specific habitat practices (e.g., field borders, hedgerows, fallow corners, conservation tillage, and thinning and burning pine stands) to benefit bobwhites and other early succession wildlife. To maximize program efficiency and success, BQI initially focused on 15 counties in the Upper Coastal Plain. Public interest in BQI has been high from the beginning, and the program continues to enjoy strong support. Since 1999, BQI biologists have worked with hundreds of landowners on more than 600,000 acres, developing plans to integrate bob- white management into working farms and forests. Intensive monitoring and research funded through BQI has shown that bobwhites and certain song birds respond favorably to habitat practices applied with the appropriate intensity and at the appropriate scale. Georgia has also increased its emphasis on bobwhite management on stateowned lands. A number of wildlife management areas have bobwhite manage- May | June 2013 ment objectives; most notably, DiLane, Silver Lake, Chickasawhatchee, and River Creek WMAs. Intensive management at DiLane has resulted in about 200 wild coveys on 5,000 acres of managed uplands. BQI has provided public education about the bobwhite decline and youth hunting opportunities through quota quail hunts held on cooperator farms. BQI has also been used as a match to secure more than $400,000 in outside funding for habitat restoration by working with conservation partners like Quail Forever, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bottom line: BQI has shown that bobwhite populations can be increased and sustained on working farms and forests through coordinated management applied at the appropriate scale and focused within the proper landscape context. Healthy bobwhite populations are no longer an accidental byproduct of agriculture and forestry. They occur only through planned management. The Future? Based on years of research coupled with the knowledge and experience gained through 13 years of implementing BQI, Georgia bobwhite restoration efforts are being expanded to parts of more than 68 Upper Coastal Plain counties. The counties were selected through a landscape analysis guided by Tall Timbers Research Station working with the Wildlife Resources Division as part of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (www. bringbackbobwhites.org). NBCI is a 25state plan for bobwhite habitat and population restoration. The Wildlife Resources Division has developed an NBCI implementation plan that transitions BQI into these priority restoration landscapes. The intent is to work intensively with interested landowners on private lands and suitable public lands within the landscapes to target management programs, funding, technical assistance, research and monitoring efforts. Georgia’s NBCI presents bobwhite Georgia Forestry Today enthusiasts with a clear vision and road map to make a real difference for bobwhites and other grassland-dependent wildlife. However, public support is needed to: • Promote and fund Georgia’s implementation plan. • Continue and increase funding for federal, state, and non-governmental organization programs and practices that help bobwhite habitat. • Support an increased emphasis on managing public lands habitat (especially timber thinning and frequent prescribed fire) to benefit bobwhites and other early succession species. Please note, too, that Wildlife Resources Division bobwhite restoration efforts are funded solely through the sale of an automobile license plate. If you want to support bobwhite restoration, buy or renew a BQI tag, or make a direct donation to BQI! v Learn more at www.georgiawildlife.com /conservation/quail. Reggie Thackston is Private Lands program manager and bobwhite project leader for the Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division. James Tomberlin is a senior wildlife biologist overseeing BQI implementation. Allow our 30 years of experience serving • Hunt Club Liability Forestry Businesses, Landowners and Hunt • Timberland Liability Clubs to work for you. 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