BY Dennis Daniels on Jan. 01, 2011

Productive Poult Protection

Brood Habitat is Key to Better Turkey and Quail Hunting

It’s all about reproduction

Enhancing brood habitat for ground-nesting birds by creating “brood strips” to enhance native plant growth can improve food availability for wild turkey poults and bobwhite quail chicks, and increase survival during the critical first few weeks of life. Good wild turkey and quail populations depend on it, and quality hunting depends on good reproduction. 

We spend countless hours and plenty of money planting food plots and planning improvements to attract wildlife. Unfortunately, many plans miss an essential ingredient to ensure healthy bird populations — quality brood habitat. The better the habitat we provide for poults and chicks, the more adult turkeys and quail will survive. Predators find it tougher to prey on turkey and quail broods when the habitat provides good escape cover. Maintaining more acres of brood habitat widens the area predators have to search, reducing their success at finding those tender morsels. 

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