Quail Recall

[grecothrown]

I am considering making a quail recall pen (Johnny House) to use. I am wondering my level of success for recall on my property. I have a 40 acre CRP field across the street from my house. I have 5 wooded acres which the quail pen would be built on. It is across the road from the CRP field and the pen would be placed at the front of the woods. In order for the birds to get to or from the CRP field they would cross a seldom used country blacktop road. The distance from the pen to the edge of the CRP field would be about 50 yards. My 2 questions: would the quail recall if I used them in the CRP field to train? would the quail recall if I let them out on a regular basis once the house is established?...... In a nut shell, how far would a quail travel to recall?

[rinker]

I think your set up will work. The birds will cross the road. Once they start recalling, they should come in from a couple of hundred yards with no problem. There is one issue, the birds will be exposed as they cross the road. Hawks and other predators can pick them off with greater ease as they cross the road. I would still do it, just know that your hawk losses will be greater.

[mrgordonscott]

For your fist couple of releases I'd only do a small group until they get used to coming back. I have found that birds are suspicious of pens with only a few birds in them. As they begin to make your pen home (and hopefully breed) you can increase your release size.