Basic knowledge of the ecology of bobwhite quail, colinus virginianus (L.), on the Salamonie Reservoir Area, Huntington and Wabash Counties, Indiana, was gathered during 1970-1975. The bobwhite is a major gamebird species on the Salamonie Reservoir Area even though the resident populations of this non-migratory bird tend to remain relatively low. Bobwhites have been extensively studied in other parts of their range but little has been done in this marginal habitat region of northeastern Indiana. A basic knowledge of bobwhite ecology in this region is necessary in order to formulate management plans calculated to increase the population level.The whistling cock count technique was used to determine a call index from the average mean calls per stop. This technique correlated significantly with hunter success (P<0.05) but call indices from the highest count day, during the six-year period, correlated most significantly (P<0.001) with hunter success.An average of 50.2 percent cocks to 49.8 percent hens was found during the six-year study in 404 hunter-killed bobwhites and 36 bobwhites collected by me. Bobwhite weights averaged 179 g during the November months, 197 g during the December months, 205 g during the January months, and 185 g during the months of February and March. The mean average weight for the six-year study was 185 g. Age ratio, during the study months, was 3.66 young bobwhites to one adult. Age ratios were stable each November through March but they fluctuated annually during the six-year period with no consistant trend. Four major food items comprised 77.5 percent of volumetric contents found in bobwhite crops: corn, soybeans, wheat, and black locust seeds.Bobwhite population levels fluctuated during the six-year study. The population level appeared to have an inverse relationship with the number of small game hunting efforts on the Salamonie Reservoir Area when the small game hunting efforts numbered above 3,000.Bobwhites fed on black locust seeds during periods of snow cover. The availability of black locust seeds during winter months made this food source an important item for the survival of bobwhites on the Salamonie Reservoir Area.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179786 |
| Date | January 1976 |
| Creators | Priddy, Robert Ray |
| Contributors | Kirkpatrick, Ralph D. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | x, 111 leaves : ill., maps ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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