THE  MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST, Vol. 2, 1o. 1 
 
 
  Makes Quail Survey 
 
Second Census of Unmated Male 
  Bobwhites Furnishes Additional 
    Information on Populations. 
 
  With a considerable array of statistical 
data on hand for study as the result of 
cooperation given by quail hunters last 
fall who furnished the Missouri Co- 
operative Wildlife Research Unit with 
their hunting records, additional in- 
formation  has been sought through 
another type of census made possible 
because of a habit peculiar to unmated 
Bobwhite quail. 
  It is because unmated Bobs continue 
to whistle "Bob-Bob White", after the 
nesting season is underway and even 
until the "kee-loi-kee", or covey call, 
is heard, that a check-up of quail popula- 
tions is possible for persons with a keen 
ear. Last year, the Missouri Wildlife 
Conservation Agents cooperated with 
the Research Unit in a three-day census 
of whistling Bobwhites in August and 
this information was used as basis for a 
study of a proposed plan of checking quail 
populations by counties. This year, no 
attempt is being made to survey county 
units but the check-ups were made on the 
basis of land types. The survey was 
under the direction    of Dr. Rudolf 
Bennitt of the Cooperative Wildlife 
Research Unit, at Columbia. 
  The agents and field biologists started 
their checks at sunrise and continued 
for one hour on each of two days during 
the week beginning July 16.       They 
stopped each mile and listened for the 
early morning whistle of cock birds, 
made a note of birds heard, and their 
location as to land and cover types. It 
is known that after mating, the Bob- 
white ceases his "Bob-Bob-White" call 
so that any calls heard late in the nest- 
ing period are almost certain to be those 
of unmated cock birds. With records 
showing a percentage of females to males 
available, it is believed that a census of 
unmated Bobs can be used as a basis for 
an estimation of adult quail population. 
   Following the summer census last 
year which furnished interesting material 
for the Wildlife Research Unit, reports 
received during the open season last 
fall by 573 hunters in widely scattered 
parts of the state added to the material 
available for study. 
  The ratio of cocks to liens is shown by 
the 37,627 quail whose sex was recorded 
in the survey from hunters' reports. 
Cooperators killed 19,944 cocks and 
17,683 hens (112.8 cocks to 100 hens). 
There were more cocks than liens in 
every region, the surplus varying from 
5.1% to 21.3%. 
   The check-up showed that hunting 
success with dogs was 19% greater than 
without dogs. The figures follow: 
 
 
    Shown on this chart, prepared by the Missouri State Planning Board, are
existing and proposed 
dams and those under construction on Missouri Streams. It was the increased
activity in this field 
of dam construction in Missouri that resulted in the adoption, at a recent
meeting of the Missouri 
Conservation Commission, of the following resolution: 
    "The Conservation Commission is charged by the Constitution of the
State of Missouri with 
the duty of restoring and conserving the bird, fish, game, forestry and all
wildlife resources of the 
state. The Commission, therefore, will endeavor to advise the people as to
the significance and 
effect upon these resources of the construction of dams in the streams of
the state, or as to the sig- 
nificance and effect of other water-control projects, such as flood control,
sanitation or drainage, 
and it will not concur in the construction, maintenance and operation of
such projects unless pro- 
visions are made in connection therewith such as it feels are adequate and
justified to protect and 
conserve the wildlife resources which would be affected." 
 
 
  With   dogs:  24,707 hours hunted; 
35,940 birds killed, 1.45 birds per hour. 
  Without dogs: 1,114 hours hunted; 
1,361 birds killed, 1.22 birds per hour. 
  It was shown that there was a general 
downward trend of hunting success, 
measured in birds killed per hour, dur- 
ing the season, but it was slight. This 
is regarded as evidence of a large and 
healthy population of birds in most 
parts of the state. 
  The report also shows that the larg- 
est number of hunters took to the field 
during the first week; after that there 
was a gradual decline until the last 
minute "spurt" at the close of the season. 
Thus the heaviest hunting pressure was 
early in the season; taking the birds 
killed over dogs as typical, 24.4% were 
killed during the first week and 48.1% 
during the   remainder   of November 
(which included the first three weeks of 
a 7 V2-week season). 
  The census just completed revealed 
that every major part of the state has 
shown an increase in the population of 
adult quail during the past 12 months 
(this count does not include young birds 
of the year, of course); the increase has 
added at least 50% to the population 
almost everywhere, and in some places 
100% or more. 
 
 
  The factors responsible are believed to 
be: (1) A good breeding season in 1938, 
resulting in a large population of birds in 
the fall. (2) A mild winter; a larger-than 
usual supply of birds survived the winter. 
(3) This survival was materially aided 
by the efforts of conservation organiza- 
tions; in some cases there is actual statis- 
tical evidence that there are more quail 
in the most active counties than in 
neighboring counties of similar type. 
Present indications are that the sup- 
ply of quail this fall will be even larger 
than that of 1938, which was a banner 
year in most parts of the state. 
  A considerable number of young birds 
were probably lost through the heavy 
June rains, especially in northern Mis- 
souri, but on the whole breeding con- 
ditions have been good this year. 
  A warning is given however: Quail 
have increased so rapidly during the past 
two years that without much doubt they 
have filled all the available range to its 
carrying capacity. It is especially im- 
portant, therefore, that a great deal of 
attention be given to improving the 
winter range this year, in order that the 
largest possible percentage of the fall 
survivors may winter over and breed in 
1940. The new lespedeza program is a 
step in the right direction; this and many 
other steps like it are needed. 
 
 
August, 1939 
 
 
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