LOL.
I had this dream about a week ago — one of those freaky dreams that seem real, where one wakes up still dreaming.
I dreamed I planted the hill below my house with native grasses, and let it grow up unmowed (am convinced this doesn’t need mowing anyway). And it became populated with quail, a few grouse. I dreamed my English setter was in a perpetual pointing position, and I went down there and harvested some of the quail for the table.
I live on top of a huge ridge in Tennessee (high elevation). It is mostly limestone rock and has been logged over many times (although we still have some old trees).
It is not conducive to the native quail and grouse species that inhabited it orginally. And of course, the fescue long overtook any native grasses here.
Summer before last, my neighbor logged his 100 acres, and I was jumping with joy. I figure the successional growth will give me lots of rabbits, quail and other species that thrive in these conditions.
I see a lot of hawks and owls, so I figure there is something on the ground worth eating. It’s a good sign to me, and I really want to plant the native grasses. I have so many deer the grass might not make it past the seedling stage, and I can’t fence it, but I am going to try it. Plus, next year, I’ll help my brother thin out the deer.
I don’t know how you could raise quail in a suburban area. I am just glad I am in the country and nobody is around to tell me what I can/can’t do. I know you can order quail through the mail, and I’d hoard these if I lived in a city.
Order them and eat them, pickle their eggs. I love pickled quail eggs.
“I don’t know how you could raise quail in a suburban area.”
The latest issue of Backwoods Home had an article on just that. It doesn’t look like that article is available online, but here’s the link to the issue:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/current_issue.html
TWRA tried a quail reintroduction but things have changed a lot since the days they used to fly free in Tennessee.
The fescue replacing the native grasses are a big factor but also modern “Clean Farming” had a large effect.
Back in the day farming equipment was not as efficient as today. Tractors cut more corners and plowed further away from tree lines and ditches. This left long strips of prime habitat for quail. Today batwing bushhogs and modern disk sets can turn earth right up to a field edge and the use of herbicides prevents the growth of grasses that used to reseed themselves each spring but at a loss of crops.
LIke Girlangler said, you can order eggs and raise quail. www.mcmurrayhatchery.com is one source. I buy my Chickens form them and can vouch for their reliability and service.
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/quail_eggs.html