Seasonal Disturbance Technique for Quail Habitat: Block Disking

Poor quail habitat lacks diverse vegetation and instead contains only thick grasses. This prevents the occurrence of bare ground and native forbs, which provide seed, attract insects and allow for maneuverability to forage within the vegetation. There is no shrubby/brushy escape cover within sight, and the vegetation is about 3-4 inches tall, not allowing for adequate overhead cover to conceal quail from predators and the elements. According to the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, "disturbance, diversity and dedication describe the backbone of any quail management plan. The bobwhite simply cannot exist in good numbers if a well-developed plan that stresses those three words is not implemented. So often individuals think that they can just protect an area for quail and expect the birds to thrive. It wonʼt happen. The best managed wild bobwhite areas today, whether on pine plantations, grazing lands or grain farms have a large portion (typically 1/3 to 2/3 depending on weather & habitat conditions) of the landscape disturbed annually by controlled burning, disking, grazing or cropping."