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 Conservation Fire Team since 2006, providing a commercial prescribed fire service to every ecoregion, statewide. CFT burns 30,000-50,000 acres annually. Conservation Fire Team can be found on Facebook, www.huntrto.com, 800-203-2950.

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 relate to quail hunting and habitat management.

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 here as a student intern and then went onto conduct his Ms research at RPQRR. He is one of the "young guns" in quail research. We hope to see him back in Texas soon where he will head up a new East Texas Quail Restoration Initiative. Also of interest Brad studied the diets of wild turkeys in the Texas panhandle to address a perennial argument: are wild turkeys major predators on bobwhite nests and chicks? The results may surprise you.

Follow this with the standard copy on sponsorship, etc.

Sending 2 pics; use the one of Brad and his 2 dogs IF it's good enough resolution-wise. Fearing it may not be, I'm attaching another of Brad, me and Tracer.

As I understand the process, this goes first to Jonathan, then on to Jeffrey. Just so ik now the baton is passed on in good fashion; plz acknowledge that you receive it accordingly.

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 Texas. (You may not want your spouse to listen to this one!). Dr. Johnson also discusses economics of cattle grazing on Texas rangelands, ammunition you might find useful as you negotiate your next hunting lease.

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 our Dr. Dale on Quail podcast features Becky Ruzicka, a doctoral student at Colorado State University. Becky has been involved with RPQRF since 2011 and recently completed her Ph.D. on translocating wild-trapped scaled ("blue") quail.

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 world’s largest rattlesnake round-up), Dr. Alldredge has treated hundreds of snakebitten dogs. Click the button below to hear what Dr. Alldredge has learned and what to do if you run into a rattler this season.

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 and outlook.

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 hunters on conservation and the incredible work by QC to save wild quail over the last 14 years.

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 Gary focus on two of Leopold’s key “tools” for habitat work: the ax (brush management) and the plow (soil disturbance). Click the button below to learn about the importance of knowing your plants, how to manipulate them and how these tools impact plant succession and help our quail.