# Quail on Charlie Elliott WMA



## gunslinger33 (Feb 17, 2015)

I have been running my dog at CEWMA this week. The habitat looks great to support quail. Has anyone found any wild birds on CEWMA? I noticed tonight that they have burned several areas , are there plans to re-establish quail on CEWMA?


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## Beagle Stace (Feb 18, 2015)

Ok, I will be first in barrel to respond to your question. Been hunting Clybel WMA extensively since 1999 shortly after I moved to Atlanta area from Savannah. First few years I ran beagles and would shoot WC also. Switched over to bird dogs about 7 yrs ago. Not much of Clybel that I have not put boots on. There is a few coveys of birds on the WMA but I can promise you that I won't use all my fingers to count them. But I agree with you that the habitat does look great to support the birds. I have talked with the DNR extensively concerning efforts to do more to help with the habitat as I am sure others have too. The problem with Clybel as explained by DNR is that it is such a multi use facility and it is a rather small fragmented island of land in the grand scheme of things. I don't entirely buy into this way of thinking. A lot more could be done to try and maybe convert this property into something similar to DiLane perhaps. The burning that they do is def. a lot better than doing nothing and I am glad they do. It is def. a pretty place to enjoy. It does get a lot of pressure tho. Wish you all the best.


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## The Rodney (Feb 18, 2015)

Walked up on several coveys of quail there,  all by surprise while scouting around.  Also, wild hogs.  Great habitat but I think for the most part the DNR considers wild quail a loosing proposition.  Plenty of yotes and hawks on that WMA as well to contend with.  Never understood why there isn't even an effort for quail there but they do a good job with fisheries and they try to bring in the doves.  Love the place, it has kept me sane for a number of years.


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## BBond (Feb 18, 2015)

Can't manage all places like Di-Lane due to the fact that Di-Lane has its own special budget and personnel to implement that level of intensive management.


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## Beagle Stace (Feb 18, 2015)

I agree on DiLane and the budget. Just would be nice if there was a way to find the means to support Clybel more. DILANE is the perfect model for sure.


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## Coach K (Mar 30, 2015)

Charlie Elliot (Clybel) is sadly one of GA DNR's most glaring examples of upland game bird habitat management failures.  It's so frustrating I can't express my true feelings w/o being offensive.


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## Beagle Stace (Mar 30, 2015)

Coach, I believe you delivered the gospel here for sure. So much more could def. be done and I have long said that the DNR does not need to continue to provide what limited funding they have to support the deer herd. The deer herd seems to manage fine on its own. Excuses always seem to abound for sure. We can only continue to voice our opinions and hope it changes.


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## OILMAN (Mar 31, 2015)

Allow me to respond- I can't speak in great detail about Charlie Elliott WMA, but as for GA DNR giving up on quail, I'd like to provide some additional information on the subject. Quail Forever has partnered with GA DNR to restore quail on PUBLIC lands in GA. The current quail focal areas are as follows- Silver Lake, El Model, Chickasawhatchee, and River Creek WMAs. 
     These areas were selected based upon their potential to support huntable levels of quail. They are in a landscape appropriate for quail, the tracts of land are large enough to make management feasible. The DNR alone is clearing the woods down to 40 basal area, using herbicide to reduce hardwood growth (in the uplands), creating brood habitats, and burning smaller blocks. 
     Quail Forever chapters are raising money to support these projects- even chapters from as far away as Rome and Athens are sending money south to support wild quail management on public lands. Quail Forever's ultimate goal is to grow and raise enough money so that we can begin to focus on additional public areas North of SW GA. 
     If you're a bird hunter and especially, I'd ask that you support QF in this effort. We need to work together to bring back quail- in as many places in Georgia as is possible. Ducks, deer, and turkeys weren't restored by accident. Quail won't be either. But through this partnership, we have a great opportunity to restore quail to our public lands that everyone can enjoy.


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## hogana (Apr 5, 2015)

I also have been told that these WMAs are but a small island in a vast sea of unfriendly quail habitat and that they cannot maintain populations.    But I too can't totally  buy this statement.   There just seem to be  many WMAs all over the state that could support quail.  I have just renewed my Quail Forever membership and hope, as Oilman has mentioned,  that someday there will be assistance from the organization for places like Kurz, Clybel, Oconee, Dawson Forest, and others that have potential and that  I have not visited.


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## Beagle Stace (Apr 7, 2015)

Oilman, I applaud the efforts that QF is taking as an organization on both the national and local level. I believe the organization and its mission is doing the right thing. The support that is being provided to the  SW Ga. projects is great. I have hunted the WMA's that you refer to and they are beautiful places. But I can tell you are not familiar with Clybel WMA and some others that are above mid Ga. As Hogana stated I don't buy into the DNR theory about small island neither. More could be done than currently is. I just hope that strides will continue to be made statewide. I wish QF the best of success and will support this effort.


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