To help some of the birds in the area I built a few bird houses, which went to good use.

My long term habitat improvement is going to be improving the Quail habitat. My hope is to raise some Quail chicks along with some Pheasant chicks next spring. If all goes well I'll be purchasing a Surrogator and fulfill my wish. I've bought the feeder.

Update (12-17-08) I've bought the Surrogator and will be able to raise some Quail and Pheasant chicks come the spring of 2009.

Valley quail condo assembly instructions

Directions for constructing your own quail condos

Courtesy of Quail Forever

Once the birds get into the condo it is almost impossible for man, dog or predators to get them out.

Quail condos or thickets should be 10-20 feet in diameter and five to 30 feet tall. Spacing condos 200 feet apart will maximize quail habitat potential.

Condo construction materials

110 feet of 48 inch field fence

15 or more shrubs and trees. Preferred species for Idaho (check with your local departments of natural resources for appropriate species in your area) are Himalayan blackberry, dog rose, Rocky Mountain juniper and lace vine.

Weed barrier fabric sufficient to cover about 120 square feet.

Four to five metal fence posts

Construction

A. Cut field fence into two, 55-foot sections and uncoil, lying the pieces flat on the ground. Overlap the two sections by four inches and wire the pieces together every two or three feet.

B. Re-coil the wire.

C. Dig planting holes for the shrubs and vines in five and eight-foot diameter circles around a center planting hole. Place excavated dirt outside the planting area.

D. Place the weed barrier fabric on the ground and cut out the fabric directly over the planting holes.

E. Plant the shrubs and trees.

F. Move the coil wire to the center of the fabric and carefully uncoil it in a spiral configuration. Wire the terminal end of the coil against the adjacent interior coil to exclude predators. Drive fence posts along the perimeter of the thicket.

G. The thicket will be more stable if you cut the upper wire coil from the top down about two feet at four-foot intervals and overlap the out coils on top of the interior coil.

With proper water and good soil, the thickets will cover the trellis within 2-3 years. Good luck everybody helping bring these great game birds back to our fields and dinner tables!

Material from Quail Forever.
Visit the web site at www.quailforever.org

11/02/09

Valley quail condo assembly instructions