2017 Tall Timbers Field Day / Little Hobcaw Plantation

Theron Terhune and Reggie Thackston 

address landowners in the field

Hot and sunny conditions!

Right now the primary focus for quail recovery is on large acreage habitats like found at the 3,680-acre Little Hobcaw Plantation. Field Day attendees were able to learn about the rich hunting heritage of the property that was once owned by Bernard Baruch. This turn key quail hunting property is currently for sale by Southern Pine Plantations company out of Georgia. Tall Timbers Research Station out of Florida is bringing its expertise to bear in the Carolinas, and the Oct. 6 trip gave attendees a chance to see the blueprint for a large-scale quail landscape.

The battle to bring back the whistle of bobwhite quail to woodlands isn’t all about money though, and Tall Timber’s Bill Palmer spoke about new emphasis on the practice of prescribed fire. “We are planning to add 100,000-acres of quail habitat in the Southeast over the next ten years, and will rely on the commitment of private landowners to do so,” said Palmer. “So Tall Timbers is recommitting to the culture of prescribed fire, because it’s a practice that we don’t need to let go, and in fact it is a part of our Southern culture.” Tall Timbers just signed a Memorandum Of Agreement with SCDNR to bolster bobwhite funding.

Hayride transportation for all

The Big House at Little Hobcaw

A large property like Little Hobcaw allows adjacent properties to better manage for quail, in what is called the hub and spoke model. If a smaller property is too isolated from large scale quail woods then quail management is less realistic. But with enough hubs across the S.C. landscape, then meaningful quail recovery becomes more possible. Tall Timber’s Theron Terhune spoke about the importance of creating multiple hub and spoke habitat projects just to keep up with threats from predation or even something as unpredictable as a harsh winter. When it comes to quail populations, the more the better, and that ties directly to habitat acreage.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries from the Tall Timbers Field Day click  2013 - 2011 - 2010 or Independent Quail Workshop 2014

To view past blog entries from the Savannah River Turkey Invitational click 2013 - 2012 - 2011 

To view past blog entries from my New Year's Eve Toast click 2016 - 2015- 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009