About the Cover…
TWO BOBS
Northern Bobwhite and Bobcat
Photos: Mike Davis
Mike Davis
Remember hearing that distinctive “Bob-White” whistle?
When I hear that beautiful sound, I recall long past days of sitting on the porch and whistling the notes in reply.
Those memories rushed back as I observed the lone Northern Bobwhite that wandered into the proximity of my dove hunting hide. While documenting the event with my camera, I watched this elusive bird as he moved across my field of view. Where were the others?
Bobwhites were common in my boyhood years. Where have all the bobwhite quail gone?
“Do you remember when we had quail...where now we have concrete?” Texas Parks and Wildlife Quail Initiative
Although culprits such as roadrunners, raccoons, cattle egrets, skunks, hawks, weather, and especially fire ants are often blamed for the demise of quail, the fundamental reason for declining quail numbers is loss of habitat. For more than a century, the lands that quail historically occupied in Texas have been drastically altered by human actions, such as fire suppression, changing farming practices, timber and rangeland management practices, and human population growth.
Land management efforts geared to preserving and creating quail habitat are increasingly being supported by landowners.
For an overview of the problem of our vanishing quail, go to this TPWD website. And then watch a video about an exemplary private cooperative initiative to restore habitat here.
And here’s another Bob! The bobcat pictured approached my photo blind earlier this summer. The cat was very stealthy as he glided through the brush. Exciting to see such a beautiful animal!
With the preservation and restoration of Texas wild habitat, may we and our children see more of these two beautiful Bobs!