Tag Archives: quail
The Next Generation
The information provided at TexNat may be useful to landowners and land managers right now, but what about the landowners and land managers of the future? Texas Brigades is a conservation leadership camp for youth ages 13-17 who are interested in Texas wildlife and wild places. Each camp features one of several different topics – deer, quail, ranching, bass, and coastal fisheries – held in various locations across the state. Space is limited and applications are open now, so please share with youth you know who might be… Read More →
Quail on ice
Earlier this week, a post on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch Facebook page featured a covey of bobwhites huddled up against the cold weather. This leads us to an excellent NatNotes topic: what do wildlife do when it’s cold? Across the rangelands of Texas, some critters are more familiar with cold than others. Most of the bobwhites in south Texas probably haven’t seen this much cold weather in a couple generations, while quail on the High Plains of the Panhandle experience freezing temperatures more regularly. So for… Read More →
All About Water
We’ve experienced some highs and lows and crazy weather in Texas the past few months. But, unfortunately for our rangelands, what we’ve been missing is rain! On Texas rangelands, drought is not an “if” but a “when” and “how long will it last.” So, while we always hope for rain in the forecast, it’s good to prepare for the driest scenario. This year, water will be a regular feature of TexNat posts. We’ll discuss how wildlife use water, how rain affects plant health and diversity, and how all… Read More →
Beep beep! Notes about roadrunners
Hopefully, you already know that the call of greater roadrunners (Geococcyx californianus) isn’t actually “beep beep.” But do you know what roadrunners actually eat? How about where they live? Like many wildlife species, roadrunners are the subject of several “myths.” One of the goals of NatNotes is to provide accurate information about Texas rangelands and wildlife in a brief, easy-to-read manner. So today, let’s do a fact check on roadrunners! Roadrunners have been blamed by some as a factor in the decline of northern bobwhite quail. While it… Read More →
Quail buffet line
What do you think of when you think of a quail buffet? Perhaps you think this is a reference to supplemental feeding, but today’s post is about increasing the amount of forage for quail without supplemental feeding. The buffet line in this post refers to a disked strip of land. Disking promotes the growth of forbs such as western ragweed, partidge pea, and croton, which are all good food sources for northern bobwhite quail. Not only are the forbs themselves eaten by quail, but the insects that eat forbs… Read More →