[TN-Bird] Trade 'em a big bear or a fat elk for quail
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:51:51 -0500
Back in the 1970's, Tennessee traded "Rockfish" or hybrid striped bass to
Virginia for White-tailed Deer -- a big truck load or two of deer from Virginia
for a hatchery tank truck load of "Rockfish" fingerlings from Tennessee.
I bet Tennessee could trade Black Bear
to almost any state for Bobwhite quail. How many Bobwhites could you
get for a nice, fat Elk ? Trade them a load of Rockfish for a few crates
of quail. States have made some astounding trades you wouldn't normally
think about.
If we got a few dozen Bobwhites for a big old Black Bear, then we should
release them in places like army ammunition plants at Kingsport and Chattanooga
or any big, secured, fenced, areas like military bases and other such sites
where
there would be no "quail" hunting to begin with. Then just leave them alone
and if the population grew over the years, the birds would simply fly to nearby
available habitat outside the compounds and begin to populate on their own.
Once we knew the populations were building up in such protected areas,
we could trap the surplus and move them to decent habitat almost anywhere
in the state. It is no more fantasy to capture and transport quail than
transporting
Ruffed Grouse from East Tennessee to the Cumberland Mountains or such
more western habitat in the state. Granted, grouse genetics would be absolutely
pure and as clean as a whistle. Any state could hood wink you in a heart beat
with domestic quail but I would doubt if any would ever stoop that low. But
state wildlife agencies have stopped far lower than that at some times.
The Bobwhite population in Tennessee was in serious trouble long before
coyotes, deer and turkey populations were established or even in such
great numbers as they are today.
I use to hunt small game for many years. We hunted quail, rabbits, grouse
and doves. I was a professional outdoors editor for a daily metro newspaper
for a number of years before most counties in the state had huntable
wild turkey flocks and deer were almost unknown. TWRA made great hay
by raising flocks and herds in such areas and them moving the surplus to
other counties.
I haven't seen a quail hunter in the field in Northeast Tennessee in maybe 30
years. I am sure there are several. It has been at least that long since I
have seen a rabbit hunter anywhere, even with dogs. Young people don't
hunt small game like we did as youth. They want to put on the camo and
the face paint and use big guns for big game. Obviously, the number of
youth who are coming into the hunting ranks are declining while youth becoming
wildlife observers and birders are increasing. I have no idea which way the
balance is tipped. You would have to allow for youth who go hunting and
birding and have a tremendous passion for both. The same is true for many,
birders on this list who hunt, fish and bird with exceptional passion.
I did run into two young guys this fall who had a Black Bear they had killed.
It took them two days to kill it. They shot it one evening with a bow and
arrow and
couldn't get it out of the woods so they left it there to die overnight. They
came back
the next morning and it was still hanging on to life more than 12 hours after
being shot. It still had the arrow protruding from where the hunter shot it
the day before.
One of the young guys told me about this and said the next morning they walked
up
within about 30 feet and shot it with another arrow and waited for it to die.
Then
they got it out of the woods and drove it to a checking station to show their
neighbors. That is where I saw it and heard one of them tell their story.
This demonstrates a point that many hunters would rather kill a bear any day
rather than a Bobwhite, rabbit, dove, etc. Young hunters are not exempt.
That is why I believe most states would trade you a few good quail for a nice
Black Bear to hunt. We might have more Black Bears in Northeast Tennessee
than we do quail. They are running all over the place. They are in the cities,
tearing down bird feeders, turning over trash cans put out for the municipal
solid waste guys, hanging out in people's yards and causing the police a general
headache. A woman in Shady Valley had one tear down her cellar door to get
at trash bags she had stored inside her basement.
I never heard of a Bobwhite causing anyone any property damage or killing
anyone. But what do I know ?
Let's go birding . . . .
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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