|
|
Post by Dutch on Oct 9, 2013 12:04:10 GMT -5
Just read our Commissioners voted to allocate $250,000 to "do something" with the Quail Management Plan. Ok, I'm sorry, but we can't even get the pheasants going in huntable numbers on a single WPRA, and now some want to try quail?  Folks, quail were NEVER numerous in this state, and now, some want to WASTE money on this program? We are at the northern fringe of quail country. All across the South, quail numbers have been PLUMETTING, even in areas where wealthy people are spening tons of money to try and help them, and the Commissioners think we can have quail in PA? Seriously, it saddens me to think we now have a Board or members of the Board that are so out of touch that they are wasting our money on this. The WPRA's have been less than successful and now hunter dollars are gonna be thrown at something that is even more likely to fail. Frustrating. |
|
|
|
Post by ridgecommander on Oct 9, 2013 12:13:03 GMT -5
I agree. Quail are not where were we should be spending our dollars.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2013 12:56:04 GMT -5
At least they are native. Pheasants aren't. I think we should be spending the money on grouse.
|
|
|
|
Post by Roosterslammer on Oct 20, 2013 22:18:28 GMT -5
Quail were very common 50 years ago. They are native to PA and trying to restore nativespecies is certainly the job of the PGC. I'm sure the same comments were made 30 years ago when the PGC started the bald eagle recovery program. There were only two nests in the state and their numbers were declining all across their range. It takes some vision to start these programs and the current PGC commissioners should be applauded.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Oct 21, 2013 5:07:06 GMT -5
Sorry, but quail, were never "very common" 50 years ago. My Dad has said they were rare when he started hunting in 40's. My oldest brother 62, only ever flushed one covey of quail back in the 60's and was so surprised by them he never fired a shot. Eagles had the habitat to repopulate, as did otters, fishers, etc. Quail don't. Quail are on the ropes everywhere and being on the northern fringe of their range and attempting restoration is a waste of money and time. Even the pheasant restoration areas are barely making it, but you and I have been thru that before.  |
|
|
|
Post by ridgecommander on Oct 21, 2013 5:55:20 GMT -5
. It takes some vision to start these programs and the current PGC commissioners should be applauded. Vision yes. Applauded for trying to bring back a species that will never make it, no. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 7:16:55 GMT -5
Sorry, but quail, were never "very common" 50 years ago. My Dad has said they were rare when he started hunting in 40's. My oldest brother 62, only ever flushed one covey of quail back in the 60's and was so surprised by them he never fired a shot. Eagles had the habitat to repopulate, as did otters, fishers, etc. Quail don't. Quail are on the ropes everywhere and being on the northern fringe of their range and attempting restoration is a waste of money and time. Even the pheasant restoration areas are barely making it, but you and I have been thru that before. I beg to differ with your dad, dutch. Quail were fairly common around here (Saint Thomas) in the 1960s. It was common to hear them calling in the meadows below our house nearly every summer evening, and I usually flushed at least one covey when hunting small game. They disappeared with the pheasants when farming methods changed. I do agree that attempting restoration of either pheasants or quail is a futile thing unless farming methods are addressed. |
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Oct 21, 2013 12:12:53 GMT -5
George, I wouldn't say flushing a covey or 2 per year means they were common, but, we do agree that unless farming practices change, and they won't, quail are done, and the PGC should spend more time on what can be done, than what can't.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2013 12:26:39 GMT -5
I hunted small game a lot in those days, so when I say I flushed at least one covey when I hunted means I may have flushed twenty or more in a season, but as usual in your thinking, I probably don't know what I am talking about.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Oct 21, 2013 12:31:29 GMT -5
Ok, I thought you meant one or 2 per year...
|
|
|
|
Post by cornusracemosa on Nov 1, 2013 13:58:00 GMT -5
I can get quail going in SE PA as we have large enough Game Gands to do. What I will need is a 3-4 man F&C crew dedicated to that one SGL, an annual ground distrubance of 1000 acres and the machinery to do it. Not to mention, pheasant stocking will need to completely cease to relieve pressure on the quail.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Nov 3, 2013 20:50:56 GMT -5
I can get quail going in SE PA as we have large enough Game Gands to do. What I will need is a 3-4 man F&C crew dedicated to that one SGL, an annual ground distrubance of 1000 acres and the machinery to do it. Not to mention, pheasant stocking will need to completely cease to relieve pressure on the quail. Sounds good! When do we start? Spare no expense to bring back something from the dead. OR we can spend money on grouse and woodcock habitat and let the little devils populate it themselves. I know some guys that flushed over 20 grouse this weekend and probably 30-40 woodcock and it didn't cost anyone a dime and they needed no special pampering. |
|
|
|
Post by bawanajim on Nov 4, 2013 12:11:25 GMT -5
How about that new Game News cover? Sweet job on the little guys!
|
|
|
|
Post by johns on Nov 6, 2013 17:15:20 GMT -5
Sorry Brad, when I started hunting in the late 50s we would flush quail coveys all the time, especially on the land my dad was raised on. He wouldn't allow us to shoot them but they were certainly not uncommon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Nov 6, 2013 19:35:56 GMT -5
So that warrants wasting money on them? I don't think so.
Best we could do is create an artificial population, with extreme measures, and protection.
|
|
|
|
Post by bawanajim on Nov 6, 2013 19:44:12 GMT -5
You mean like otters? Fishers? Woodsrats?
|
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Nov 6, 2013 20:04:33 GMT -5
You mean like otters? Fishers? Woodsrats? No extreme measures were taken with otters and fishers. The habitat they needed already existed. Same with eagles. In the case of the quail, habitat does not exist in sufficient quantity to make them viable, just like wild pheasants. If not for the CREP program, the reintroduction of wild pheasants would have been impossible. The areas that have failed, failed due to a lack of habitat. Even the area with the best habitat has not been stellar. That effort has taken a great deal of money to put the habitat on the ground, and pheasants pretty much only exist in those "islands", in decent numbers. Will there be huntable numbers of pheasants? Time will tell. But take away the CREP and the incredible efforts of some dedicated people, and that would collapse. |
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Nov 6, 2013 20:06:01 GMT -5
You mean like otters? Fishers? Woodsrats? Oh and BTW we now have a fisher season, and they are well established, on their own, with no special effort to propagate them. |
|
|
|
Post by bawanajim on Nov 6, 2013 20:16:38 GMT -5
My point being the PGC has varying ways and means of pissing away money that many find foolish, quail are cute and people like them, in our P.C. world they will be supported.
|
|
|
|
Post by bawanajim on Nov 6, 2013 20:19:08 GMT -5
You mean like otters? Fishers? Woodsrats? Oh and BTW we now have a fisher season, and they are well established, on their own, with no special effort to propagate them. And we all know how much this state needs more predatation on our small game resources, I can hardly wait for the wolf people to start their campaign. |
|
|
|
Post by Bill on Nov 6, 2013 20:27:30 GMT -5
I personally think we should have elk in every county in the state and work towards a state wide season for all. Let's put the money into THAT! |
|
|
|
Post by Dutch on Nov 6, 2013 20:30:49 GMT -5
Sounds like a plan Eye! LOL I actually think we need a PGC sponsored deer trap and transfer program to restore deer in the north central. |
|
|
|
Post by bawanajim on Nov 6, 2013 20:32:14 GMT -5
Your not getting my deer.
|
|
