Dr. Dale on Quail

My guest this month is Dr. Scott Henke with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Henke has been involved with much of the research done on the risks to wildlife from aflatoxins in deer corn over the past 20 years. Join us for a fact-filled discussion on the controversy.

This month’s podcast features a “rags to riches” story about RPQRF Director Russell Gordy of Houston. Russell’s love of shotguns has transported him from the Sears & Roebuck catalog of his youth to the pinnacle of a “gun shop” at Gordy & Sons of Houston—it’s a fascinating odyssey that I know you’ll enjoy. If you’re a connoisseur of fine guns, you’ll appreciate Gordy’s description of his gun collec...

The most “photographed photograph” at RPQRR is one of my four “Betters” sitting atop the high seat in a Lannom Ranch Buggy. This month’s guest is John Lannom who designs and custom-builds the buggies in Ft. Stockton. If you’ve spent much time hunting in the Permian Basin or Trans-Pecos ecoregions, chances are you’ve seen (or hunted from) a Lannom Ranch Buggy. I was introduced to them in 1994 on a...

Pete Delkus has been the Chief Meteorologist at WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas since 2005. He has over two and half decades of meteorology experience which includes extensive work in severe weather, hurricane forecasting, wind analysis and winter storm prediction. Pete has won 16 Emmy Awards for weather anchoring and special show hosting. Delkus holds a Bachelor’s of Science from Southern Illinois Unive...

This month’s guest is Mr. Clay Sisson from Albany, GA. Clay’s name is often quoted in quail management circles via his work with the Albany Quail Project and more recently with Tall Timbers Research Station. I first met Clay at a Quail Unlimited convention in Houston way back in 1989, and have grown to appreciate his contributions to practical, meaningful management strategies for quail-folk. Sinc...

This month’s guest is Mr. Rob Hailey from Abilene. The Hailey Ranch, located about 10 miles north of Abilene is a one-man show, and Rob is the one man! The Hailey Ranch has been a frequent stop for QuailMasters and related programming; his ranch is always a fan-favorite among the many ranches that QuailMasters have the privilege of visiting. Rob uses “ax, plow, cow, and fire” as well as anyone to...

If you're a golfer, a reference to the Augusta National means it just can't get much better. If you're a quail hunter, the same holds true for the Snipes Ranch in Stonewall County. Join us this month as Rick Snipes shares his quail odyssey on a deep sand site near Aspermont. The ingredients for this special property include a foundation on Nobscot soils which was then cultured by Snipes with ecolo...

Quail Research Update from Oklahoma State University Dr. Rollins' guest this month is his colleague Dr. Dwayne Elmore from Oklahoma State University. Join them as they discuss quail happenings north of the Red River. Dr. Elmore is a Professor, Wildlife Extension Specialist, and Bollenbach Chair in Wildlife Biology in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Oklahoma State Unive...

“If I have seen further than others it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.” - Sir Isaac Newton Some giants are metaphorical while others fit the physical expectations. A rare few fulfill both dimensions. Ricky Linex is the latter, a giant in every sense of the word, but a “gentle giant” in every situation. I’ve known Ricky since 1982 when we were classmates at Texas Tech. Over th...

This month’s guest is Mr. Pen DeVries, a native of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). DeVries spent his formative years on a 30,000-acre game reserve in Rhodesia but recently moved to southwestern Oklahoma where he’s managing a ranch for bobwhites. Dr. Rollins met up with him during a private consulting venture and was impressed with his commitment towards our beloved bobwhite. DeVries has adapted to h...

In the court of popular opinion red imported fire ants (RIFA) are a major player in the decline of quail across the southeastern half of Texas. But the scientific community typically hasn’t endorsed the thought. This month’s guest is Dr. Brad Dabbert from Texas Tech University. Dabbert has been involved with much of the RIFA X Bobwhite research over the past 20 years in Texas. He will share his ex...

My guest this month is John McLaughlin, TPWD’s Quail Program coordinator for west Texas. Join us as we discuss TPWD’s role and philosophy on quail management and hunting regulations. We’ll also discuss supplemental feeding—a topic that McLaughlin studied for his Master’s degree at Texas Tech University.

My guest this month is Darcy Turner of Turner Seed Co. in Breckenridge. Darcy holds a B.S. in Agronomy from Texas A&M University. He subsequently returned to the family-owned business in 1982. While Turner Seed markets a variety of seeds for different needs, I suspect they sell more wildlife-targeted species and blends than anyone else. Darcy is my “go to” man when I have a question about food plo...

My guest this month is Brian Treadwell with Conservation Fire Team of Christoval. Brian is a 5th generation Menard Co Rancher and has won TPWD’s Statewide Lone Star Land Steward award and TSCRA’s Environmental Stewardship award where the Treadwells’ repeat use of prescribed fire was a key factor in being recognized. Brian is a licensed and insured Commercial Burn Manager who has operated Conservat...

My guest this month is Paul Melton, a rancher from Roby. I’ve known Paul since 1995 and have come to regard him as the smartest person I know. You name the subject and he can address it adroitly. He’s also the finest wingshooter with whom I’ve ever hunted. He was instrumental in finding/securing the RPQRR back in 2006 and chairs the ranch’s Advisory Committee. You'll enjoy his philosophies as they...

Consult your crystal ball as we delve into some new directions in quail research. Join Dr. Dale as he interviews one of his former graduate students on "what's new on the research front?" Brad Kubecka is now completing his Ph. D. at the University of Georgia where he has used "barcoding" (a type of DNA fingerprinting) to analyze the diets of bobwhite chicks. Bradi s no stranger to RPQRR; he worked...

What kind of value do you place on your trips afield with good friends and good dogs? Ever wondered how much you spend in pursuit of your passion? In this month's podcast, Dr. Dale visits with his colleague, Dr. Jason Johns, Extension economist for Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service. The good doctors discuss research they did several years ago to compute costs and returns from quail hunting in T...

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we are thankful for opportunities to help wild quail. We utilize every possible option to restore quails to their former ranges, including the science of translocation, which we have been studying since 2013. Now, translocation of wild quail is a hot topic nationally, and increasingly so in Texas. To learn more about translocation, this month’s episode of...

Warm weather and opening weekend increase the odds of encountering a rattlesnake while afield. Nothing can ruin a quail hunt like a trip to the vet clinic with a snakebit bird dog. This month’s episode of our Dr. Dale on Quail podcast features an interview with Dr. Bud E. Alldredge, Jr. DVM of Sweetwater. Given his tenure (51 years of practicing) and his location (Sweetwater, long-time home of the...

With dove season underway, quail hunters are looking ahead on the calendar and wondering: what kind of quail season can we look forward to come November? This month’s episode of our Dr. Dale on Quail podcast answers this question. Join Dr. Dale and Gary Joiner as they discuss Dale’s “quail trap line” of reports from landowners and managers across Texas. Dale also covers our quail hunting forecast...

This month’s episode of our Dr. Dale on Quail Podcast concludes our exploration of Aldo Leopold’s classic treatise, “Game Management.” Join Dr. Dale and Gary Joiner as they discuss Leopold’s final (and less conventional) “tool” for restoring wildlife populations – the gun. Dale and Gary also share a great conversation with Joe Crafton, President and Co-Founder of Quail Coalition, on the impact of...

This month’s episode of our Dr. Dale on Quail Podcast continues our exploration of Aldo Leopold’s classic treatise, “Game Management.” Join Dr. Dale and Gary Joiner as they discuss using cattle as a “tool” to impact plant succession and enhance your quail habitat. Dale and Gary also cover the use of a more traditional tool – the plow – to create quail-friendly landscapes.

As we ease into summer, fingers crossed and prayers for rain and a great quail season, our next three podcast episodes will focus on how we can maximize our quail habitat over the long-term. Dr. Dale and Gary Joiner will dive deep into the teachings of Aldo Leopold through his timeless book, “Game Management,” and discuss its relevance for enhancing quail habitat. In this month’s episode, Dale and...

f you’re out in quail country these days, you should be hearing the sweet sounds of bobwhites looking for love. Those calls are music to quail hunters’ ears, which raises the question: other than the calls of the quails themselves, what are the top tunes for quail? Join Dr. Dale and Gary Joiner as they discuss the “national anthem” for quail, the soundtrack of quail management and why particular s...

These days, we can’t help but think about our health and the dangers presented by the new coronavirus impacting folks in every corner of the planet. We can’t see this threat, but we know it’s out there. Well, our quails can relate. They face numerous threats, including parasites they can’t see, either. This month’s episode of our Dr. Dale on Quail podcast covers what we know about parasites and qu...