Additional quail habitat to be restored on Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area

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One of the state’s best public quail hunting destinations could get even better thanks to a generous donation from the Central Oklahoma 89er Chapter of Quail Forever.

At their December meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission accepted a donation of $4,000 from the non-profit organization. The donation will be matched with $4,000 of Wildlife Restoration funds and will help restore native grasslands on the Packsaddle WMA.

“There is a 500-acre area on Packsaddle that was planted by the previous owner years ago in Old World bluestem. Unfortunately, this is a non-native grass that makes for very poor quail habitat, and it is also difficult to control. This donation will allow us to disc the soil and re-plant native grasses more beneficial to wildlife,” said Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Quail Forever, a non-profit organization dedicated to quail conservation and education, was started in the summer of 2005 by its parent organization, Pheasants Forever. Quail Forever is focused on successful local chapter development, localized habitat initiatives, and national public policy leadership and advocacy.

“One of the great things about Quail Forever is that all the money that is raised here through our banquets stays here. This project at Packsaddle is a great example of the types of on-the-ground habitat projects we hope to help with more in the future,” said James Dietsch, president of the 89er Chapter of Quail Forever.

Sara Lyda, regional biologist for Quail Forever, said the young organization has a growing and diverse membership. “We certainly have many dedicated quail hunters as members, but we also have a number of landowners, ag producers and general bird enthusiasts,” Lyda said.

“Quail are a species that most everyone can identify with, and they are often an excellent indicator of the overall quality of the habitat. When we restore habitat for quail, we restore habitat for all grassland birds and a host of other wildlife species.”

To learn more about Quail Forever, log on centralokquailforever.com or call Sara Lyda at (405) 612-6889.

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