Clemson Extension Forestry and Wildlife

Quail In a Quandary

Male northern bobwhite quail. Photo Credit: TJ Savereno, Clemson Extension.

With a lot of recent interest in bringing back the northern bobwhite quail, conversations with landowners often turn to reflections on bygone days. They recall working fields with bird dogs alongside their fathers and/or grandfathers and flushing numerous coveys within a few hours. Others reflect on simply hearing the whistling of cocks in the spring […]

Edge Feathering for Wildlife Benefit

Plant Succession from a fallow crop to a mature forest. Image adapted from University of Missouri Extensionhttps://extension.missouri.edu/mp907?p=2

Spring has sprung, and many are ready to get out on their property to continue their forest and wildlife management. One often overlooked aspect of wildlife management is the edge. The edge is the zone where two or more different habitat types intersect. Enhancing and expanding this area using a technique called ‘edge feathering’ can […]

Improving Flora Diversity for Wildlife

Field border planted with native warm season flower mix adjacent to young longleaf pine stand at Clemson’s Sandhill Research and Education Center. Photo Credit: W. Cory Heaton.

The concept of maximizing flora diversity is nothing new. While it may have slipped by unperceived as we beat our way through the daily grind of managing lands, our management practices were promoting diversity in many ways. Whether we were burning old fields, conducting thinnings, protecting wetlands, controlling non-native species, daylighting roads, etc., we were, […]

Beyond the Buck: The Newest Chapter in Wildlife Planting

Wildlife planting is one of the most commonly applied management activities throughout the Southern United States. The primary focus of these plantings has been to provide game species with additional or supplemental high-quality forage. Food plots have continued to grow in popularity and practice among modern game managers. Food plots have typically focused on cool-season […]

Winter Activities for the Bobwhite Manager

The cold gloomy days of winter have arrived once again. Winter can be tough for any species of wildlife, but this is especially true for bobwhites. This is the time of year when one can really evaluate the success of their management program. Did we make enough cover to protect the birds from the elements? […]