# Early release for quail



## jgibby (Sep 18, 2010)

Have any of you guys tried an early release for quail on your property or lease. I was wondering how well it would it would work on our family farm. we have around 170 acres, around half  of that is reasonable quail habitat. The property does have a few agricultural fields and will usually hold a few coveys. We do not have any food plots for quail now , but that could be done. I have been considering getting a dog, but want to make sure I would have enough birds to justify it. Thanks for any advice.


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## rapid fire (Sep 18, 2010)

If you are wanting enough birds to justify owning a bird dog in Georgia, you either have lots of money or you will be disapointed.  I think most of us have the dogs b/c we just love the dogs.


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## jgibby (Sep 18, 2010)

I'm with you on the dogs, I have always loved to watch a good dog work. My concern is being able to get a dog on enough birds, to make him a good hunting  dog, not me going out to shoot a mess of quail.


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## Beagle Stace (Sep 18, 2010)

If you want to get your dog on enough wild birds in Ga. you better plan on hunting the Ga. mud quail which is better known as the woodcock. Just not enough wild quail on public land. 

You will have to spend alot of money on your private land and after so long, you will get tired of just hunting there. I am sure you could do pretty well holding several coveys on your property. Not trying to discourage you but just realize what you are up against and be realistic in your expectations.

I totally agree with Rapid Fire in that most of us have a bird dog because we just love the dogs and not the heft of our game bags esp. from public land. I keep myself from getting too discouraged by running a few rabbits with my beagles in between bird hunts.


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## coveyrise90 (Sep 18, 2010)

A successful early release program could be conducted on your property if you have the right habitat. Forget about the food plots and do supplemental feeding instead. Your money will be better spent.  

Just remember, that early release coveys are like wild coveys in that they need the same things (good winter cover, feed, etc). So if you get the habitat right, you can hold birds.


If you can, post some photos of your property. 


Adam


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## easbell (Sep 19, 2010)

If you already have a couple of coveys on 170 acres you are ahead of the game. Most early release birds are just food for hawks IMO. I know of one person that has released very young birds and has had fair success with it.  We have tried it with poor results. I do not consider it worth the money.


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## Sam H (Sep 19, 2010)

jgibby said:


> Have any of you guys tried an early release for quail on your property or lease. I was wondering how well it would it would work on our family farm. we have around 170 acres, around half  of that is reasonable quail habitat. The property does have a few agricultural fields and will usually hold a few coveys. We do not have any food plots for quail now , but that could be done. I have been considering getting a dog, but want to make sure I would have enough birds to justify it. Thanks for any advice.



As the guys said here....Get a dog because you love the dog and just love to watch them work......NOT because you have birds to justify one...a "good bird dog" is ALOT of hard work (unless you can have already trained..$$$)

Two things.....First,If you want to do an early release program to increase your "wild bird" population....you have to manage your habitat,do supplemental feeding(and manage that),do predator control,DO NOT hunt your early release birds for a minimum of six weeks...and then when you do hunt them...DO NOT put alot of hunting pressure on them...as you can drive them from the property or worse kill them off...you have to give them a chance to reproduce...it's a long process from year to year...And ...BTW...EXPECT a 30%-50% loss of your early release birds and thats if you do things right!

Second...If you want to use your land for pen raised bird shooting(put and take birds)....Its ALOT easier to manage,just setting up/managing your property habitat to be as natural as possible for good quail habitat,shooting lanes,etc....which can be alot of fun and gives you the opprotunity to take alot of birds, if that is what you want,is ALOT more economical,with quicker results...IMHO

Sam


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## coveyrise90 (Sep 19, 2010)

It basically comes down to one thing... how much money are you willing to spend? If habitat is a problem, then your costs only go up because now you have to improve habitat, release birds, etc. If good habitat is already in place, then the price of birds and feed will be your biggest costs. As Sam said, get ready to lose birds. It greatly varies from place to place... just depends on the quality of the cover and the amount of predators. Early releases works when you do them right. I have seen it myself and I have friends who have conducted them with great success. It just take $$$$ to do it right. 

And its the next best thing to true wild bird hunting!!!

Adam


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## StevePickard (Sep 19, 2010)

Adam and Sam are giving you some good advise.  I'm a wildlife manager and forester by trade and I've done extensive work in the past few years with early release.  I currently do work with the quail biologist who invented the Covey Base Camp as well as a manager managing 1500 acres exclusively for early release that has been doing early release for decades.  I personally have an area just 25 acres that I have very successfully developed as an early release area just for training my Brittays.  The first key to a successful early release is developing habitat.  In my 25 acres, I was lucky enough to have a 10 year old laid out field that had everything I needed for habitat. Blackberry briers thickets, plum thickets, scattered field pines that were cut down and made in to brush piles, broom sedge, etc.  I have released in this area 4 coveys for the past 3 years and with sound quail habitat management, this areas keeps improving.  While working my dogs, I  can expect to get from 1 to 8 finds per hour, from either coveys or singles.  I can get my Brittanys in plenty of birds and I'm teaching them to hunt for the birds in cover, and best of all its like hunting wild birds...you never know exactly where the birds will be so the dogs and handler have to hunt for the birds. Develop your habitat first, (and this may take several years)then do an early release.  In the meantime,while the habitat is developing, you can always do put and take for dog work. 
Steve


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