By Marisa Lee-Sasser,
AWF Communications Director
For many people the time between the end of deer season and the beginning of turkey season can seem endless. What is there to do besides catch up on chores around the house? Well, if you haven't tried quail hunting at some of the great quail hunting facilities here in Alabama you are missing the boat. Quail hunting is a great way to spend quality time with friends and family while enjoying the great outdoors.

Not sure where to go? - The Alabama Quail Trail can help. The Trail was launched in October of 2002 with 15 hunting preserves scattered throughout the state. Only a few short months later, the number of preserves has grown to 31 and Alabama Wildlife Federation officials believe those numbers will continue to grow.

The Trail's 31 sites offer opportunities for the experienced, as well as the novice quail hunter. Most sites offer a variety of hunting opportunities. Transportation varies from mule drawn wagons, horseback, all terrain vehicles, or walking. The majority of sites offer guided hunts and provide experienced dogs to flush out the birds. Avid hunters can generally run their own dogs as well.

Hunting trips generally include some nice "extras" as well, such as sporting clays to help improve one's aim before hunting or a taste of home cooked southern cuisine at the end of the day. Nearly all sites on the Trail offer some sort of lodging. Those that don't have on-site lodging, generally have arrangements with nearby hotels or bed and breakfast facilities. Prices of hunting trips vary based on amenities of the preserves.

How did the Alabama Quail Trail begin? - It was driven by the desire to improve the long-term outlook for quail and quail habitat. Wildlife biologists in Alabama initiated discussions with the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF), private individuals, quail hunters and other conservation organizations about focusing our efforts in quail improvement. Through these discussions the Alabama Quail Trail was formed.

The purpose of the Trail is to focus the interest and resources in quail hunting, quail research and quail conservation in a manner that increases the expenditure in Alabama of recreational dollars associated with quail and quail hunting, improves quail habitat and ultimately improves quail numbers.

This is a statewide conservation and hunting initiative that is aimed at bringing to Alabama the recreational dollars spent on quail hunting while increasing quail habitat across the landscape and ultimately improving quail numbers. Much like the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has brought outstanding positive exposure to our state, AWF expects the Alabama Quail Trail to do the same.

Alabama's hunting facilities are just one part of the Alabama Quail Trail. Equal emphasis is placed on the Trail's other two platforms-conservation and research.

Two research projects going on now are looking at public and private examples of quail habitat development and nesting cover, brood rearing habitat, escape cover and the successful results of quail population restoration activities. The findings of these and other projects will be shared with private landowners, businesses and other interests in an effort to revive what was once a thriving wild bobwhite quail population in Alabama.

Going even further, the Alabama Quail Trail seeks to facilitate increased technical assistance to private landowners in hopes of generating voluntary private land management that, in turn, will produce critical nesting, brood rearing and escape cover habitats. These efforts are vital to creating and maintaining a thriving quail population.

For more information about the Alabama Quail Trail, log on to www.alabamaquailtrail.org or call 1-800-ALABAMA.