SCDNR News Release

#05-230 October 31, 2005

State Small Game Hunting Surveys Rank Top Counties For Quail, Rabbit

Survey results for the 2004-05 hunting season show Lee, Orangeburg, Horry, Sumter and Marlboro counties were the top five counties for quail, while the top five counties for rabbits jumped per hour were Lee, Saluda, Greenwood, Orangeburg and Edgefield, according to biologists with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Small Game Project.

Through intensive field observations, South Carolina quail and rabbit hunters maintained detailed records of their hunting excursions throughout the year and provided the data to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Small Game Project for analysis. Hunting data compiled included the number of quail coveys flushed, covey size, number of rabbits jumped, the dates and counties where hunts occurred, and the amount of time expended in pursuit of these species. The S.C. State Council of Quail Unlimited assists with funding for the supplies necessary to conduct the surveys.

To receive copies of the Quail Hunter Survey report or the Rabbit Hunter Survey report or to have your name added to the list of potential cooperators, contact the DNR Small Game Project in Columbia at (803) 734-3609.

Statewide survey results indicate a slight increase in the number of quail coveys flushed per hour and an increase the number of rabbits jumped per hour when compared with the previous year. The quail covey flush rate was 0.54 coveys/hour during the 2004-05 season, up from 0.53 coveys/hour the previous year. Quail hunters in the top five counties reported flushing an average of 0.94 to 0.74 coveys per hour. The rabbit-jumping rate increased slightly from 1.48 to 1.57 rabbits/hour during the 2004-05 season.

The Northern Coastal Plain, defined as a seven-county area from the Charleston-Georgetown county line north to the North Carolina line and inland to Dillon, Florence, and Clarendon counties, claimed the highest rates of quail finds. Piedmont quail hunters had significantly less success than those hunting in other regions of the state, said Billy Dukes, DNR Small Game Project supervisor.

The Rabbit Hunter Survey has shown stable populations and hunting success during the past four years. A majority of rabbit hunting (78 percent) by survey cooperators occurred in the Piedmont. The Lowcountry exhibited the highest rate of rabbits jumped per hour (2.01), among regions with a minimum of 25 hunts, said Judy Barnes, wildlife biologist with the DNR Small Game Project.

Written comments from hunters in the surveys provided some excellent field observations, particularly on food items of quail. The preferred foods reported for quail were soybeans, lespedeza and partridge pea. Other food items such as green vegetation, native weed seed and acorns were also reported.

“To ensure continued accuracy and usefulness of future small game surveys, the Small Game Project would like to increase the number of hunters participating this coming season,” Dukes said. Avid quail and rabbit hunters across the state who are willing to assist by taking careful notes on their hunts should write to DNR Small Game Project, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202 or call (803) 734-3609 in Columbia. Indicate whether you are interested in participating in the Quail Hunter Survey, the Rabbit Hunter Survey, or both. Survey materials will be mailed to cooperators in mid-November, just prior to the opening of statewide quail and rabbit seasons.

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