| A unit of Lasting Forests
evolving since March 30, 1999 |
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A Total Forest Management Plan
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The Covey is an alternate farm and open land wildlife management group with interests in bob-white quail but also in songbirds, woodchucks, and small game in general. It operates a membership with newsletter and seeks to demonstrate intensive management of farm game, showing maximum populations. These population levels (with computer models describing natural differences) are then suggested as reasonable alternatives and limits and thus limits to cost-effective expenditures. Such limits are poorly known and those that are available are rarely used.
A set of alternative management strategies is available and these, along with other innovative work, will be tried out on lands of the Rural System. Practices and strategies found successful may then be suggested for other lands.
Similar to The Deer Group, the Raccoon Group, and the Wild Turkey Group, The Covey is a single-species approach to wildlife management. While in favor of multiple-use and ecosystem management on public land, its staff advances the concept that people wanting maximum benefits from a resource must concentrate on that resource and find its upper limits, then gradually and conservatively back off of that limit to meet other objectives for wildlife and other resources. We start with quail, then decide how much it will cost over the long run to achieve other objectives on the same land (and adjacent lands). We may forego fauna or practices but will use the quail resource as a basis for comparisons.
The group publishes books and photographs for profit on quail, maintains a web site, conducts tours and field trips, sponsors special hunts, conducts public lectures on quail-land management, establishes survey routes, and provides expert consultation for land owners. It cooperates where feasible with others interested in quail but offers an alternative that is very research-based and field-oriented.
See other quail notes.
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This Web site is maintained by R. H.
Giles, Jr.
Last revision January 17, 2000.