The wild turkey is considered by many as the top American game bird trophy. Turkey populations are increasing 

 in many parts of their range owning to improving habitat, better protection, and management based on research 

 findings. These Louisiana turkeys find grass-heads, fruits, tubers, and other late summer foods in open second- 

 growth bottomland. (Photo by J. H. Britt) 



type comprises only 20 percent of the refuge area. 

 Seventy-six percent of the breeding grounds were 

 on mowed areas. Summer-grazed and unmowed 

 winter-grazed areas were used to a lesser extent. 



Sharptail broods roosted in the hills (sandhill 

 range sites). Daylight hours were spent in wet- 

 land meadows where the chicks fed in ea^rly morn- 

 ing and late afternoon. Young sharptails, to 10 

 weeks of age, ate mostly insects. After 12 weeks 

 their diet was essentially that of adults. Clover 

 {Tri folium sp.) was the most important single 

 item. Presence of shar]:)tails (broods and adults) 

 in wetland meadows is believer! to be due to the 

 abimdance of Trifolium and ample shade. Prairie 

 chickens were much less abundant than sharptails 

 on both refuges. 



Nutrient content of foods utilized hy hoh'irhite 

 quaih. — An analysis of 183 quail croi>s by the 

 Louisiana Unit showed seasonal fluctuations in 

 major food items and the importance of given tree, 

 shrub, herbaceous, and grass seed producers to 

 quail in the longleaf forest type. Chemical analy- 

 sis of foods taken by quail during the 1963-64 

 himting season showed variation in the amounts 

 of crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, nitro- 

 gen-free extract, ash, calcium, and phosphorus 

 during different time periods. Most of the sam- 



ples, based on standard proximate analyses, were 

 nutritionally deficient when compared with the 

 maintenance diet recommended for mature birds 

 in winter. 



Mearn-f quail m<tnagemenf. — The Meams' quail, 

 an inhabitant of oak woodlands and desert moun- 

 tain ranges in Arizona, was for many years con- 

 sidered too scarce to be hunted. The Arizona 

 T'nit has completed a study of its habitat require- 

 ments, rate of reproduction, and the effects of 

 grazing on numbers, and it is now conceded that 

 the populations are large and stable enough to 

 permit open seasons in some localities. 



It was found that birds paired in February'. 

 Nesting began in June, but the peak of hatching 

 did not occur until August. Broods observed 

 during the fall and winter averaged 0.3 young. 

 Meams" quail, unlike the other members of the 

 family, feed principally on bulbs, tubers, and 

 acorns and are especially well adapted for digging 

 and scratching to obtain these food items. 



Effects of water development on GambeVs 

 quail. — Research conducted by the Utah Unit 

 showed that Gambel's quail tended to concentrate 

 around available water, even during the period of 

 September to June. There was evidence that 

 quail having readily available water experienced 



38 



