Georgia
Population: Georgia’s bobwhite population1 has declined by more than 85% since 1966. Hunting: Between 2006 and 2009, hunter numbers remained stable while the estimated quail harvest increased by 30%. The proportion of pen-reared birds in the harvest increased 59% (130,645) while wild quail declined by 79% (27,416) (see the hunting report2). Management: Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s (WRD) quail restoration efforts are primarily focused through the Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI3) and NBCI. Georgia WRD is transitioning to a formal NBCI step-down plan (GA-NBCI4) that targets restoration efforts into spatially explicit focal areas across parts of 69 counties. Quail management highlights include: For 2008-2010, 117 BQI financial incentive private land cooperators enrolled 202 crop fields and 56 pine stands. Cooperators established 225 miles of field borders and with other BQI practices positively impacted more than 14,480 acres on working farms and forests. USDA Farm Bill habitats include 200,000 acres in CRP Longleaf,5 2,222 acres in CP33 Buffers6 and 7,785 acres in CP38 Pine Savanna Restoration (SAFE7). Wild quail translocation permits granted to expedite restoration on 4 private land sites. Research includes ongoing efforts at DiLane Wildlife Management Area to monitor bobwhite population response to supplemental feeding and predator control. State Quail Coordinators: Reggie Thackston, reggie.thackston@dnr.state.ga.us, and James Tomberlin, james.tomberlin@dnr.state.ga.us
Illinois
Population: 2010 statewide bobwhite quail call count index1 was 12% below the 2009 index and 15%, 14% and 39% below the previous 5-, 10- and 32-year averages, respectively. Hunting: For the 2009-10 hunting season1, an estimated 16,948 hunters (down 22.8% from 2008-09) harvested 123,933 quail (down 18.0%). Hunters experienced better daily success (up 13.5% from 2008-09). Management: Increasing quail populations is a major goal in the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan.2 Quail management highlights include the following: There are 54,590 acres of CP33 Buffers and 8,891 quail-friendly acres in CP38 State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE3). The Illinois SAFE4 program has created major quail habitat successes. PhD student Leah Berkman is finishing up her work on quail landscape genetics at SIU. Her data suggest that there is still good gene flow across the landscape. In 2010, IDNR changed its upland bird monitoring scheme to better estimate upland game and native grassland bird numbers and allow biologists to compare our results with other surveys like the North American Breeding Bird Survey and with habitat changes. We conducted 74 upland routes and 10 State Habitat Area point counts in 2011. The Bobwhite in Illinois: Its Past, Present, and Future5 by John Cole and John Roseberry is now available online. State Quail Coordinator: Mike Wefer, mike.wefer@illinois.gov
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