Working Together for Conservation

Sometimes as I am searching through photographs for an image to use in a post I come across one that makes me think of something completely unconnected to the particular picture I am viewing.  This is one of those images.  It was taken on our place last November.  I remember it being one of those perfect Fall days and I decided to take a walk.

It was the kind of day that deer hunters love.  I wasn't hunting, just walking and looking.  When I see this photograph, though, I think of quail hunting.  I miss quail hunting.

When I was growing up I always looked forward to the Fall because it was quail hunting season.  We had a number of places on which we were allowed to hunt.  My father was an avid hunter and very enthusiastic about the sport.  I walked many miles alongside him in pursuit of an exploding covey.

My memories of quail hunting include the slight scent of dust from the dry grasses filling my nostrils.  In my mind I can hear the crunch of frosty forage beneath my feet and the swish of the tall plants against my clothes.  I can smell the light oil on the shotgun and the slightly sulfurous whiff from a spent shot.  Most of all, I remember the feel of the tingling nerves in anticipation of the flushing covey coming up, first in ones and twos, then in a sudden rush that filled the air with buzzing wings as the birds raced away.

The quail populations have suffered a general decline over much of the state.  There are very few coveys left in this area.  To me, the photo above represents ideal habitat that needs quail.

Fortunately, state game biologists and ranchers have been working together to help remaining populations recover from whatever caused the decline.  I have heard many theories, but I'm not certain there is a consensus on the cause(s).  On the positive side, however, is the fact that private land owners have worked closely with universities and with state agencies to aid in the recovery.  That's something the public doesn't hear much about -- the private-academic-governmental cooperation.

It makes you proud of your community when you think about it.  I appreciate those ranchers' willingness to work to conserve this precious resource.