Great News for Ohio Bobwhites

Bobwhite Quail might be native to much of the country, but they haven't had an easy time lately. The problem is almost 100% habitat related. But there might me help from what many might consider an unlikely benefactor for small animals: roadways. There are several programs underway that should benefit Bobwhites and other upland animals with minimal impact.

Buckeye Sportsman Podcast Roadways Projects ODNR Pheasant Biologist Mark Wiley talks Pheasant hunting and Attorney Jack Moser discusses legal issues facing Ohio Outdoorsmen.
Listen:  http://buckeyesportsman.net/2015/12/dec-19-2016/ 


OHIO TAKES ACTION FOR BOBWHITE QUAIL WITH FIRST QUAIL FOCUS AREA IN HIGHLAND COUNTY Bobwhite quail—a native species, as well as a current species of concern in Ohio—have a brighter future in the state after a successful landowner meeting established Ohio’s first-ever quail focus area. Forty-two landowners attended the meeting, voting to name the 9,930-acre, 10-year focus area the Fallsville Quail Heritage Area. Quail habitat restoration will be the focus of the area, which is located in Highland County, just north of Hillsboro.
Read more: https://quailforever.org/Newsroom-(1)/2015-April/Ohio-Takes-Action-for-Bobwhite-Quail-with-First-Qu.aspx

Slow Motion Shorthair

Somehow managed to catch two chipmunks at the same time in a live trap. Jurgen was really interested in that ...

New Rural Action

Pick your site: coal pile or deer carcass? If you want to catch wildlife on video in a reclaimed area, it seems both can be a good draw. With some work.

From this article in the Columbus Dispatch:

"With a pH level of 4.5 when the cleanup started two decades ago, 'Monday Creek was comparable to vinegar,' Schlater said.

Aquatic wildlife has increased since then, from four fish species to 35 species today, including seven types of darters, and large-mouth, small-mouth and spotted bass. 'This shows that water quality is improving significantly,' Schlater said."

Timberdoodle Dancing

Peeenntt 

Nature's mysteries are all around us, and many don't know it. Consider the American Woodcock. It is widely distributed in the Midwest, but because it is often active at night and migratory, most have never seen one. However, late February through March in Ohio are the perfect time. This is when the males perform their courtship dance at dusk. Find an open area with successional brush and marshy or soft ground. Listen for a distinctive "peeentt" sound (you can hear it in the video below). Then watch for the bird to take flight, circling and climbing until it corkscrews back to earth.

 It's also, if you're interested, a great time to scout for these birds for the fall seasons. And a great excuse to get outside. You can even follow their migration live via satellite tags.

So Fetch!

Part of a GSP's repertoire has to be retrieving - and retrieving from water. And it is hardwired into them. In a thoughtless, bone-headed dog owner move, I casually threw a stick into a flooded river when Jurgen was a pup. He went after it full force, which wasn't my intent, but the current and water depth was more than he bargained for.

Since that time, he hadn't swam. He did get back in the water, but as for getting his beyond wading, he wasn't having any of it. And that's kind of big deal for a dog that's supposed to retrieve ducks like it's second nature. I didn't want him to get laughed at by people and Labradors. Something had to be done.

As luck would have it, we were going out of town and didn't have anybody to watch him overnight. So I called the breeder, Tate Stratton and he said that he had room and could keep him. When we got there, I sort of mentioned that he didn't like to swim. He said "I think we can get him swimming." And the result was Jurgen completed his first live-bird retrieve and water retrieve in the same day.

Hunting Dog Breeds

Hunting without a dog sucks. In my opinion, any way. Dogs bring enthusiasm and vibe to the event that never lets up. That's why, as much as I enjoyed the challenge of bowhunting, I don't go because I can't involve a dog. On my very first hunt ever at 12 years old I watched amazed as a German shorthair - from another hunting party - swept the field before us. My father was a bowhunter and for us in the uplands as a kid, we took turns being the "dog." It was pretty evident when they left the field that the real deal had not left much to be found by us.

At that time, a real hunting dog seemed out of reach. I had Siberian Husky that was hell on groundhogs, but the February she put up 7 pheasants on a random walk woke me up. I took a dog every time I could, regardless of breed. A terrier mix. What our Southern Ohio neighbors called squirrel dogs but looked like no recognizable breed. No matter what breed if any, they have better noses and perspectives that humans will never understand.

When I found out that my roommate in college had Brittany Spaniels, owning a legitimate bird dog seemed more real. Then my friend moved to Missouri and got his first GSP, Fowl Weather Abby and it seemed possible. And actually happened with Sundance West Eva Diva, and now Jürgen vom Stillwater I have had well-bred GSP for sometime now, but I'm glad that this list from Field and Stream includes what some would call non-traditional hunting breeds. 

Any dog makes almost any hunt better in my opinion.

Grass Connectors and Roadways

We need more native grasses in Ohio. It's that simple.

Virtually everything that lives here depends on and needs those plants at some point during the year. During my commute, one of the very obvious things I've noticed is what appears to me be unnecessary mowing - a big why? Why do we mow so much land along our roadways? If nothing else, go ahead and mow from the road to the ditch, but from the ditch to the fence establish warm-season grasses. Nobody walks or plays ball there, or will they ever. And all kinds of wildlife would benefit from the better habitat.

I couldn't come up with a valid objection in my head, so I looked for more informed opinions. I wrote a letter to the ODNR asking if they had a program working with ODOT to somehow minimize mowing and allow for warm-season grasses to grow. I received a very cordial return phone call from John Kaiser at the ODNR Division 5 office. He let me in on some of his current roadside grass project, which were very close to what I had been thinking. And he let me know what I could do personally: write a letter to ODOT. Letters can be persuasive and get attention. So that's what I'm doing and encouraging others to do.

Here is my letter to ODOT.

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Shawn Anverse
Ohio Department of Transportation
Transportation Administrator
1630 W. First Street
Springfield, OH 45504

Dear Mr. Anverse,

I would like to propose that we find a solution other than attempting to mow everything on the roadsides and make space for native grasses and forbs. Native plants benefit all kinds of wildlife in addition to reducing costs in the long run. I know that Indiana and Minnesota have plans involving roadsides and grasses. I'd like to think that Ohio is leading the way on this area but it doesn't seem to be the case.

I'm aware that there is a pilot program in Darke county, but believe that we should move swiftly to enact some sort of program statewide. I propose that we begin by continuing to mow from the road to the ditch but return the area from the ditch to the fence to native plants.

This would create vast natural corridors for wildlife and plants and enable the mowing to attend to mowed sections more often and improve their appearance.

I am willing to help, discuss, communicate, whatever it takes to make this happen. Please let me know how I can be of assistance.

Sincerely,

Devin B. Meister