Do you see turkey or quail on your property during certain months of the year but not all? There’s something going on, but what? Sometimes the answer can be complex; other times the solution is simple. For some, early successional management may be the key.
Every year, biologists and land managers spend precious time assessing and managing properties for wildlife. Often, it’s identifying and addressing the limiting factor that is of particular attention or, in other words, identifying the habitat element(s) that may be missing or in short supply. Water, food, cover or, in some cases, space can all contribute to lower wildlife numbers on a property, or none at all. Sometimes the limiting factor is seasonal in nature, which can certainly explain why turkey and quail are present during some months while absent in others.
One community type critical for wild turkey and northern bobwhite quail is something called early successional. Unfortunately, some properties can lack early successional communities, especially those of high quality. Yet, these communities are relatively easy to manage for.
In essence, early successional communities are “weedy” in nature. They are also ephemeral, meaning they only persist for a few years, except in areas where moisture may be limited. Annual plants abound and maneuverability is relatively easy because of the ample bare ground these communities usually provide. Individual plants may be somewhat scattered, but the branching foliage above forms a canopy that hides feeding turkey and quail, especially poults and chicks.
And this herein highlights the importance of early successional communities for turkey and quail. Simply, brooding turkey and quail will travel far and wide to find good early successional communities to raise their hatched young and every yard traveled increases the risk of predation. Even more, young broods that are forced to travel hundreds of yards or survive in poor habitat may not make it at all, as studies have readily shown. And this brings about the question of, “what can be done?” to help.
Thankfully, grasslands, shrublands, savannas, woodlands, and forests are all successional in nature. Even wetlands, agricultural fields, and food plots can be managed as early successional communities for turkey, quail, dove, deer, and other wildlife. Often, a mosaic or patchwork of early successional communities across a property is better to limit the distance that broods must travel. Plus, having multiple, scattered early successional communities allows each to be managed individually and with varied strategies to best provide the conditions brooding turkey and quail may be searching for.
Overall, prescribed burning, mechanical treatments, grazing, and the use of herbicides are options available to land managers wishing for early successional communities. In some cases, agricultural fields or food plots can be managed as brood cover or simply left alone for a year or more to establish weedy communities.
Disturbance is the key, especially to set back the prominence of dense grass or perennial vegetation that dominates without disturbance. Even dense forests with leaf litter and bramble-filled understories can be set back through disturbance for the benefit of turkey and/or quail. Sometimes it’s a combination of strategies that will provide the best results, such as thinning a forest to allow more sunlight to reach the forest floor followed by rotational prescribed burning every 2-5 years thereafter.
For mechanical treatments, light winter disking is a go-to practice to set back the vegetational succession. Multiple passes may be required if the vegetation is tall and dense, but the goal isn’t a deep plowing. Instead, disking to a depth of about 3-5 inches is all that is required. Exposing only about 50% of the soil is fine too, rather than disking 100% of the above-ground material under. Seedbanks are usually full of broadleaf forb seeds (wildflowers). All they are waiting for is a little disturbance, some open ground, and abundant sunlight to flourish.
Grazing, too, can be a great tool. While there are many grazing systems to choose from, patch-burn-grazing has proven to provide a mosaic of successional types, including early successional. Livestock are highly attracted to burned patches and their grazing disturbance will set back the succession for you. Then, you can burn another patch the following year and keep the early succession management going. Remember, early successional communities only last a few years before the perennial vegetation begins to take over. Managing for a patch or more annually will be the key to providing good brood habitat year after year.
Another strategy for establishing early successional communities includes the use of herbicides. Grasslands can be great for nesting birds and for providing good cover for quail, but dense grass can be poor for poults and chicks. Spraying in strips or patches will reduce the grass cover and allow wildflowers to take hold. Keep in mind, though, that this can take multiple growing seasons to materialize. Grass-selective herbicides can be used or, more commonly, non-selective herbicides such as products with glyphosate. June is a great time to spray if warm-season grasses dominate and some early successional vegetation is desired.
Of course, there are other methods available to set back perennial communities, including mowing, which can provide benefits under some instances. And don’t overlook the value of prescribed burning too, whether done during the winter months or during the growing season. Fire is one of the most cost-effective tools to promote and maintain quality habitats for wildlife, especially turkey and quail.
Sometimes it’s best to consult with a wildlife biologist to best assess the habitats that are out there and help identify the limiting factors that may be present. While white-tailed deer are, by in large, generalists and very adaptable, turkey and quail are finicky of sorts. The answers to why turkey and/or quail are present or absent may be complex but looking at the early successional element is a good place to start – and it’s a relatively easy one to manage for too.