A historic “Quail Appreciation Day” will be held at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in Fisher County on Friday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch is located 19 miles east of Snyder, or 10 miles west of Roby, on US Hwy. 180.
Dr. Dale Rollins, director of outreach at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, said the field day marks the 100th such event conducted since 1998. Rollins developed the “quail appreciation” theme while working as an extension wildlife specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
“The term ‘appreciation’ is used in several contexts, including ‘to value or admire highly, to judge with heightened awareness, and to be cautiously or sensitively aware of,” Rollins said. “All of these are germane to managing quail and their habitat.”
The six-hour workshop will cover everything from quail anatomy and biology to habitat management practices that benefit the species, and also tout the economic impact of quail hunting to rural economies.
Speakers will include Dr. Rollins; Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy, executive director of the RPQRF; Dr. Dan Foley, RPQRF land consultant; Dana Wright, RPQRF program coordinator; and Mitchell Riggs, RPQRF ranch manager.
Topics will include quail biology, research updates, and habitat management practices to benefit bobwhite and scaled (blue) quail. A lunch will be provided at the ranch followed by a tour of the Research Ranch to look at quail management practices.
The Research Ranch has used multiple tools to create excellent habitat for quail that benefit a diversity of other wildlife species. “It’s truly a unique property,” Rollins noted. “I cannot think of a more appropriate location to host the centennial QUAD than the Research Ranch.”
The day’s programming begins with registration on Friday, May 17, at 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be catered at the ranch at noon and the ranch tour will start at 1:00 p.m. The program concludes at 3:30 p.m.
Participants are asked to pre-register for the event. Cost is $20 if you pre-register by May 10; $30 thereafter and at the door. Please pre-register online at: https:// secure.qgiv.com/for/100thquailappreciationday or by contacting Dana Wright at dwright@quailresearch. org call (806) 346-7409. For more information about the organization, visit www.quailresearch.org Co-sponsors for the program include Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Southern Rolling Plains Prescribed Burn Association, and Corteva.
