--Chad Love

Where did the quail go? That is the question that everyone in quail country, especially Texas, is asking. Even with the recent drought, many Texas quail hunters reported seeing quail early in the year, especially in 2010, when weather was favorable--only to then discover those quail were gone come fall. As in completely gone. Roanoke Island gone.
 
But now researchers with the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch (RPQRR) in Texas may have discovered a potential (and partial) explanation for the bobwhite's troubling disappearance. It's gross, but fascinating.

--Chad Love

by Scott Bestul

If you’ve been following this blog, you may remember that one of our most popular caption-contest photos ever featured a kid hauling a deer on his shoulders as he rode a bike down the street. You gave us a ton of good captions for that one, but of course only one person could win. When I stumbled on this picture a couple of days ago, I though of all you poor folks who came oh-so-close last time but still wound up with nothing.

So here’s your second chance with a deer-on-a-bike photo. Go ahead and have at it; if the judging team (Hurteau and I--plus whomeever we wind up calling to settle our differences) chooses your caption, you’ll win a $100 gift card to buy some swag from our friends at Bass Pro Shops.

--Chad Love

Coyote hunters in North Carolina might soon be able to go nocturnal for 'yotes and feral pigs if a proposal being considered by the state wildlife commission passes.

From this story on charlotteobserver.com:

Coyote-haters, here's the news you've been waiting for. North Carolina wildlife officials are considering expanding the time when coyotes could be hunted. At a time of increasing complaints from urban residents across the Southeast about the increasing coyote population, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing that coyotes -- along with feral pigs -- could be hunted at night. It is not clear how the proposal would affect residents in Charlotte and other urban areas, where the use of firearms and archery equipment is limited by law. Coyote hunting is legal in North Carolina, with no limits, except that it must take place during daytime.