Bobwhite quail are one of the most commonly managed for (and least acquired) wildlife game species in the Southeast. Many people attempt to manage for quail trying one or two techniques like planting crops, controlling predators, feeding, releasing pen-raised quail, etc, but still are unsatisfied with the results. It is not that these techniques do not work, but that something is often missing.

The most common problem is that the habitat required by quail is often the least neglected. Quail require an abundant supply of grassy habitat in the form of broomstraw (broomsage), Indian grass or something similar along field edges, woodlands or open fields. Native pasture grasses like bahaia and bermuda are unacceptable to quail. With that being said, what plantings benefit quail if you have large areas of good quail habitat?

The most common plantings for summer activities are grain crops like millets, sorghum (milo), Egyptian wheat and corn. Some legumes are also suitable like any of the various beans (soy, cowpea, field peas, etc.). Millets like browntop, Japanese, dove proso, and pearl are often planted for a summer seed source for adult and young birds as well as providing a place for young broods to find insects close to the ground.

These seeds decay rather fast when they fall to the ground. Most any dove field plants provide good food and cover for quail as well. Native plants like Partridge pea, ragweed, and native warm season grasses (NWSG) are commonly used.
Grain sorghum and Egyptian wheat are planted for a fall food supply as well as tall cover to protect birds while they are feeding. The structure of these plants stands up well to winter weather and Egyptian wheat grows 6 – 8" tall, lodging (breaking _ way up) later in the winter providing even better cover as weather gets worse. Both of these types of seeds weather well and provide good food until they are gone.

Corn is an excellent winter carbohydrate for quail and corn fields or edges where the stalks are left standing also provide good winter cover while quail are feeding there. Corn mixed with climbing legumes is also a good option. Sunflowers have similar structure in a field system and provide a good seed readily used by quail.

Perennial plants like Lespedezas and Partridge peas are also excellent quail plants and provide year-round cover and food. Shrub lespedezas like thunburgii and bicolor provide a good winter seed and grow in 6" tall thickets that provide good fall and winter cover. Smaller lespedeza like kobe also provide shorter cover and good food sources. Partridge pea is a good late winter seed that weathers well and has a thick 4 – 5’ cover character. It also is a good bug producer and can be maintained by burning or disking. The addition of common or giant Ragweed provides one of the best seed and insect producers available.

Winter plantings for deer are also readily used by quail if they are located in quail habitat. Wheat, oats, and Rye are all used by quail both for winter greens, seeds when they mature and for summer bugging grounds if they are not too thick. Clovers like crimson and Uchee arrowleaf are a positive addition to winter green fields both for deer, turkeys and quail. Clovers are an excellent winter green for birds and also attract summer insects.

Various native summer grasses are becoming more popular for quail plantings and provide excellent habitat for year-round cover as well as the best nesting habitat. These grasses can be complicated to establish but are easy and cheap to maintain. Grasses like big and little bluestem (broomstraw), Indian grass, Switchgrass, Gama grass, etc are all excellent choices.

Need some help managing for quail on your property? The Land Stewardship Assistance program - a partnership between the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama TREASURE Forest Association, The Longleaf Alliance, and the U.S. Forest Service – provides free wildlife management assistance to landowners across Alabama. For more information on the land stewardship assistance program contact the Alabama Wildlife Federation at 800-822-9453.
The Alabama Wildlife Federation, established by sportsmen in 1935, is the state’s oldest and largest citizen’s conservation organization.

The mission of the AWF, a 501(c)3 non-profit group supported by membership dues and donations, is to promote conservation and wise use of Alabama’s wildlife and related natural resources. To learn more about the AWF, including membership details, programs and projects, contact the AWF at 1-800-822-WILD or stop by online at www.alabamawildlife.org.

Ted DeVos is Vice-president of the Alabama Wildlife Federation and co-owner of Bach and DeVos Forestry and Wildlife Services in Montgomery, Alabama. Ted is a wildlife biologist and forester and specializes in quail and other wildlife management.