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Quail habitat improvement program

I love that Ohio’s upland game birds are getting air time on this forum. While predation plays a part, it is not the #1 limiting factor to upland game species in Ohio, the lack of quality upland habitat is.

The density of upland predators in Kansas is 200% greater than Ohio, but KS has 1.5M more acres of upland habitat. This yields a significant difference in annual harvest.

From my AI assistant: In the 1940s, Ohio had an estimated 5 million pheasants. At that time, the landscape was roughly a 50/50 mix of cropland and undisturbed grassland. Today, Ohio’s wild pheasant population is estimated at only 35,000 birds. The predators (foxes, raccoons, hawks) existed in the 1940s as well; the variable that changed was the removal of 750,000+ acres of native prairie and the loss of fencerows/small-grain agriculture.

Ohio will never be Kansas, but the numbers show that habitat is the number 1 factor to upland game bird success.

Ruffed grouse used to thrive in OH, then the forestry industry shifted and early successional habitat that was beneficial to grouse was reduced. Now hunters go to MI where forestry management are conducive to grouse.
 
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Habitat and predators… all great talking points. But, I believe there are still areas today in Ohio with a sufficient amount of quality habitat, and yet no birds. Habitat is great, but I believe you also have to start with a minimum population of these upland birds for them to sustain themselves. They aren’t just going to magically come back if you improve the habitat.

I’ve pheasant hunted in northern Iowa several times. Their habitat isn’t all that much different than what we have here in Ohio. Yet they have a lot of pheasants, and we don’t.

I firmly believe that if we started a reintroduction program for wild pheasants, just like we’ve done for deer, turkeys, river otters, Allegheny wood rats, and countless other species, we could have an improved and sustainable hunting population. Just look at all the CRP and Lake Erie CREP acreage that’s been created in NW and NC Ohio in the last 10 years. Pen-raised, released pheasants are living more than a year on many of these properties, adjacent to club properties and controlled hunt properties. You can’t tell me a wild bird wouldn’t also thrive if these stupid pen-raised birds are sometimes making a go of it.

Habitat improvement, yes we desparately need it. But in my opinion we ALSO have to give these birds a jumpstart if there’s going to be any serious hope.
 
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jagermeister said:
Habitat and predators… all great talking points. But, I believe there are still areas today in Ohio with a sufficient amount of quality habitat, and yet no birds. Habitat is great, but I believe you also have to start with a minimum population of these upland birds for them to sustain themselves. They aren’t just going to magically come back if you improve the habitat.

I’ve pheasant hunted in northern Iowa several times. Their habitat isn’t all that much different than what we have here in Ohio. Yet they have a lot of pheasants, and we don’t.

I firmly believe that if we started a reintroduction program for wild pheasants, just like we’ve done for deer, turkeys, river otters, Allegheny wood rats, and countless other species, we could have an improved and sustainable hunting population. Just look at all the CRP and Lake Erie CREP acreage that’s been created in NW and NC Ohio in the last 10 years. Pen-raised, released pheasants are living more than a year on many of these properties, adjacent to club properties and controlled hunt properties. You can’t tell me a wild bird wouldn’t also thrive if these stupid pen-raised birds are sometimes making a go of it.

Habitat improvement, yes we desparately need it. But in my opinion we ALSO have to give these birds a jumpstart if there’s going to be any serious hope.
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This is what I'm thinking. Since wild turkeys were released in my not so wonderful habitat area almost 20 years ago now there has been a huntable population since they were released, and still are around the area with some decent numbers. I've never heard of any release programs for wild quail or pheasants. Where do we sign up to pay for wild bird releases or the low human contact pin raised birds at least to try to get them going? landowners with some very nice habitat would pay for bird releases. It's kind of odd no big releases have happened especially a long the lake and many areas in nwohio. When all the talk/money and programs is for habitat in a lot of areas why aren't birds being released with these foundations banking a shitload of money from these fundraisers annually? Just missing a key component of the birds themselves.
 
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md1 said:
This is what I'm thinking. Since wild turkeys were released in my not so wonderful habitat area almost 20 years ago now there has been a huntable population since they were released, and still are around the area with some decent numbers.
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Your statement validates that the wild turkeys were released into a sustainable turkey habitat. Habitat is the operative word! Habitat = accessible and protected breeding/brooding, over-wintering, and feeding cover.

Wild turkeys were reintroduced in Ohio beginning in the '50s after being "wiped out around 1904..." Read, wiped out by biped, quadruped, and winged predators, with a side of changing habitat. This statement validates that Ohio's wild turkey population's habitat was changing from healthy to horrible, to the point where it could no longer sustain the birds. The major change was the increase in bipedal predators (human population expansion) without effective controls on consumption (hunting regs). It took more than 40 years of trapping and releasing wild turkeys to get populations "...in all 88 counties."

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-le...ws/ohios-2025-wild-turkey-poult-index-results

md1 said:
I've never heard of any release programs for wild quail or pheasants.
Click to expand...
Read all about it!

 
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Blackcat86 said:
Your statement validates that the wild turkeys were released into a sustainable turkey habitat. Habitat is the operative word! Habitat = accessible and protected breeding/brooding, over-wintering, and feeding cover.

Wild turkeys were reintroduced in Ohio beginning in the '50s after being "wiped out around 1904..." Read, wiped out by biped, quadruped, and winged predators, with a side of changing habitat. This statement validates that Ohio's wild turkey population's habitat was changing from healthy to horrible, to the point where it could no longer sustain the birds. The major change was the increase in bipedal predators (human population expansion) without effective controls on consumption (hunting regs). It took more than 40 years of trapping and releasing wild turkeys to get populations "...in all 88 counties."

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-le...ws/ohios-2025-wild-turkey-poult-index-results


Read all about it!

Click to expand...
These are not wild birds that are being released. These are put-and-take, pen-raised birds. These are basically released for immediate consumption, not to bolster or create wild populations. It’s not the same. Habitat is great… we definitely need more of it. But why is Pheasants Forever not pounding on anyone’s door, demanding that we start a wild pheasant or quail reintroduction program?
 
jagermeister said:
These are not wild birds that are being released. These are put-and-take, pen-raised birds. These are basically released for immediate consumption, not to bolster or create wild populations. It’s not the same. Habitat is great… we definitely need more of it. But why is Pheasants Forever not pounding on anyone’s door, demanding that we start a wild pheasant or quail reintroduction program?
Click to expand...
Because that would close the doors for them. Like a doctor fixing the problem...nope, they will treat symptoms so the they can keep you coming back.
 
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