Performance, profiles, and opinions of quail and rabbit hunters on two middle Tennessee wildlife management areas

The effects of hunting on northern bobwhite (Colinus virginanus) populations were studied on Laurel Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Lawrence County, Tennessee and Percy Priest WMA, Rutherford County, Tennessee during the 1990-91 and 1991-92 small game seasons. Contact forms and a 15-page questionnaire were distributed to quail and rabbit hunters using the 2 areas to obtain information on hunter success, demographics, opinions, and satisfaction levels. Estimated pre-hunt quail densities during the 1991-92 small game season were 0.52 quail/ha on a selected portion of Laurel Hill and 1.19 quail/ha on a similar area on Percy Priest. Post-hunt quail densities were 0.11 quail/ha on Laurel Hill and 0.19 quail/ha on Percy Priest. During the 2 seasons. Laurel Hill quail hunters bagged an average of 1.7 quail/day and 1.4 quail/day, compared to 0.80 quail/day and 0.66 quail/day reported by Percy Priest quail hunters. Rabbit hunters bagged an average of 3.5 rabbits/day and 2.9 rabbits/day on Laurel Hill and 1.6 rabbits/day and 2.3 rabbits/day on Percy Priest during the 2 seasons. Hunters that used the 2 WMAs were on average male, middle-aged, had completed high school, worked in administrative or blue collar jobs, lived in small towns or suburbs, and had a combined family income of over $30,000 per year. Percy Priest hunters reported that litter, vandalism, parking and a lack of wildlife officer patrols were problems on the WMA. All hunter groups reported that low numbers of rabbits or quail were a problem on the WMAs. Most of the hunters were satisfied with existing hunting regulations on the WMAs. Rabbit hunters were more satisfied with their hunting visits than were quail hunters. About half of the quail hunters were unsatisfied with their visits compared to only about one fifth of the rabbit hunters.