Mountain Quail Find a New Home near Glenns Ferry

Mountain quail are getting a second chance with the help of a graduate student from Idaho State University and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. In mid-April 52 of the native game birds were released on private land in King Hill Creek north of Glenns Ferry. Thirty of them were fitted with radio collars that will allow graduate student Ron Troy to monitor their movements over the summer. "It is an exciting project," said Randy Smith, Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Manager for the Magic Valley Region. "What we are hoping for is this study will give us an idea on what happened to them and what we can do to ensure their future." Mountain quail, the only native quail in Idaho, could once be found in many parts of the state. In 1984, populations began to decline and the department closed the hunting season. Because of their low population in the state, the mountain quail released in the King Hill drainage were captured in California and Oregon where populations are more stable. "What I'm hoping to learn is what habitat they are using at different times of year and what preys on them," Troy said. "Hopefully we can learn something from them in order to help them."