8.

management calls for ample refuge cover in close proximity to all feeding   ea,
and an attempt to ear -ch winter food supply near refuge cover already existing.
in our ase most of the cover work is almad at protocting the birds from
blue darters" duryithe sewas of _shortest ground-ao     (feeding ground cover
I should say);the rest of the winged enemies we find we can normally Ignore. In
this part of the world I do not want a large so-called Abuffere population
(eotton rate, rabbits and so forth) for the reason that it appears to bait in a
predator population that Inolidentally preys on quail to a certain extent when
present. This especially true during the nesting season. Where only a portion of
a region is under Intensive game management, as here, we plan our development of
the preserfe with due consideration to conditions prevailing on unmanaged lands
outsiae. For Instance with the open territory swarming with cotton ratsa
preserve kept ecmperatively free of them ay be correspondingly free of
all predators that prey an rodents normally and on quail only incidentally.
Another pobnt you mention nay be samented oa prehape. Experience here
iadisates that *% quil gathwrfor breeding very frequently on ground of a high
winter carrying sapaeity. How they kaswtf they know, I fail to understand. We
have assumed that they are atteacted by the Insects so abundant an flowering
lapses that later any supply the backbone of their winter food supply. Prehaps,
So smuh for thinking out loai;It probably will have no effeet on you in
the interpretatiam of your data, which seems to point elsewhere. I still think
you any live to see the day in your country when a enmaIntion of population (quail
weather and cover conditiossavailable food and a good, old fashioned
goshawk visitation, my so reduce your quail population that it willj
recover In one or even two years. This an unesnaged territory with your normal
predator populatios. Under proper anagement ye should shoot your surphus anyhow,
both an land of high and low Intrinote carrying capacity, so that neither
'Blue Darters" or other predators will get too many of th4 No! Maybe not,
Well I mast ring off. I get healthy stialatiea froe our discussions en
these things, old timerp eves if I amaketfta eye to eye with you at times. I
feel sure we euld understand each other better face to face. Keep the good work
up (and up). An keeping the graph you sem, as you suggested. It surely is
interesting and sigifient.The whole family joing me in scading kindest regards
and all good wishes, Better spend those few  shekels you mention and soe down
for a pm wow. Prehaps if you eons in the hunting season we could get Aldo down
toothen we would burn the idnight oil in attempts to settle all these
important matters. Who I get too bet up about it, I go out and take a look at
the 'Big tpper,ete., and cse back In the house with a feeling that if we domt
settle it, some other generation will.

Sicerely yours,