Certainly there are Northern Bobwhite to be found in southeastern Minnesota (and elsewhere in the state), but seeing a covey -- even over a period of several years -- is not necessarily evidence of a self-sustaining population. We have dozens of game farms that annually raise and release countless bobwhite into the local landscape and numerous clubs, farmers, and quail enthusiasts that release hundreds more. Additional birds are liberated many times a year at bird dog trials, shooting preserves, etc. With the quail's core range continuing to contract to south, it is far more likely that released birds are the source of the few reports we occasionally hear about.
Anthony Hertzel [email protected] ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
