A cost assessment of intensive wild quail management on private lands in the southeastern United States

Abstract

Private landowners who operate multifunctional landscapes play a critical role in the conservation of native and imperiled species, and the restoration of native ecosystems. In the southeastern United States, both northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and pine savanna ecosystems are imperiled and heavily reliant on conservation efforts by private landowners. Engaging private landowners in the restoration and management of pine savannas and grasslands is essential to the recovery of northern bobwhite, which is also managed as a game species. Since the early 1900s, the cultural tradition of wild bobwhite hunting has motivated landowners to manage their properties to increase bobwhite populations. However, the costs and revenues associated with intensive wild bobwhite management and hunting are imperfectly understood. From May 2021 to February 2022, we conducted semistructured interviews with landowners and land managers of 37 wild bobwhite hunting properties (total of 65,317 ha in bobwhite management) in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina to enumerate the costs and revenues associated with intensive wild bobwhite management. Landowners spent an average of $154/acre/year