I was going to my great uncles to go fishing yesterday in Spencer, in. Driving down a country road I see a bob white sitting on a fence post. Then I realized I had to stop slow down and make sure my son saw it, then I told him to remember seeing this because there is a possibility he may never see another wild bob white for a looooong time if ever again. It's the first one I've seen in over 10 years. Just depressing when you have to say things like that. Sure was a beautiful bird though.

We're seeing more down my way lately so maybe it'll turn around. Whippoorwill is what I miss hearing.

I'm actually hearing several whippoorwills this spring! I hadn't heard one in a long time! I heard a couple bobwhite whistles earlier this spring also which I hadn't in a long time too.

I hope it turns around they are such neat little birds.

The State of Kentucky is having some success in quail recovery:

http://fw.ky.gov/Documents/quailbenchmarkreport2015.pdf

Jack, did you see they are going to start ruffed grouse recovery as well?

Yeah. They are going to start timbering in their state forests like we started 10 years ago. Recently the Ruffed Grouse Society sued the U.S. Forest Service for not managing the Hoosier National Forest for wildlife.

http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/USFS%20petition#.VVoNtJrbKM9

Jack

We were seeing a decent recovery in the west-central part of the state until the 2013/2014 winter. Quail can recover quickly given good reproductive conditions. Unfortunately, farming practices are now not only attacking quail habitat. Wood lots are quickly disappearing over night to be farmed. Little or none of the timber is harvested, it's piled up and burned with about twenty or thirty tires. There are still pockets of good quail numbers in southern Indiana and Illinois, but those pockets are temporary if current land use practices continue.

Jumped a big covey in area #13 at Atterbury Fish & Wildlife late last fall.....

I shot my first spring gobbler this year and my first public land deer, but my greatest hunt this year was watching my 9 month old setter point her first wild covey of bobwhites. To me watching the dogs work and the fellowship supplied by upland hunting cannot be matched.

The biggest thrill I get when out and about the farm is hearing and seeing the quail again. Best I can tell, there are 3 coveys in the area. As of this winter, it appeared there were 12 to 15 birds in each covey. They are whistling all over the place mornings and evenings right now. Sure brings a smile to my face, even though I know we likely will not ever hunt them again. We have managed to keep them around, even with farming every tillable acre we can. The biggest help is leaving the bush hog in the barn, and leaving the fence rows, and grass waterways grow up.

Good deal leaving the cover on your place. Not many landowners doing that. Got a quail hunting, farmer friend who can't understand why he can't keep birds on his land. He has every square inch of his place in corn, beans or fescue. When a spot of ragweed pops up, out comes the sprayer. As much as he loves quail hunting, he can't help himself. I tell him he's an agri-businessman, not a farmer.

Let's see if I can get this to work. Got a Bobwhite whistling behind this house this morning. Pretty awesome, but sad I get so excited about it since it should be common place!

No go..???

Well rats can't photobucket to work. I need to find a different vid/picture host.