Your side of the fence, fall 2012, v.12 no.3

              1 Your Side of the Your Side of the Fen Fceen •c Sep •r Finagll 2012
Fall 2012 A Publication of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Volume 12, Number 3 Your Side of the fence
Prior to
the mid-
November
quail hunting
season opener,
sportsmen
are busy with
time-honored
preparations.
Pointers and setters get out for
conditioning and newly accessed
lands are scouted. One’s hunting
season outlook is typically based
on the number of birds seen
during these scouting trips,
but the number of coveys often
remains unknown. To get a better
idea of the quail population on
your property or favorite hunting
spot, consider adding DIY (do it
yourself) covey counts to your pre-season
ritual this fall.
Good Morning or “Koi-lee”
Coveys call in early morning; most
likely to let neighboring coveys
know where they will be located
for the day. This “wake-up” call can
be heard 30 minutes before sunrise
until dawn. The clear “koi-lee”
whistle is brief — averaging 30
seconds — and the daily greeting
is given by a majority of the coveys
within a few minutes. Calling is
seasonal; beginning in September
and continuing into November
with a noticeable peak in mid-
October. Clear mornings with low
Gear up for Quail Season: DIY fall covey counts
By Jena Donnell, Quail Habitat Biologist
winds are the best time to hear
calls. Passing cold fronts that bring
high cloud cover, wind, and lower
barometric pressure often lead to a
decrease in calling.
Counting Quail
The survey is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Step One: Establish listening
stations at least 1,100 yards from
each other. This ensures coveys are
not counted more than once, since
most calls are not audible beyond
550 yards. Mark these listening
stations on your property map so
you survey the same area year after
year.
Step Two: Arrive at your listening
station 45 minutes before sunrise
and listen for each covey’s morning
greeting until sunrise. Mark the
approximate location of the covey
on your map, along with the time
of the call. Often, multiple birds
will call from the same covey
while facing different directions.
This can give the impression of
multiple coveys, so be conservative
in the number of individual coveys
you record. Once the survey is
complete, you might attempt to
walk up to the coveys to verify
multiple coveys, gauge distances
and obtain a count of individual
birds. Only one listening station
can be surveyed per morning
because the calling session is
so short. If other hunters are
conducting surveys during the
same time on adjacent points,