I don't know if quail nesting habitat is particularly different than pheasant habitat, but if it is, that could easily be sufficient to drive the two species in opposite directions, as could competitive battles for key food resources.

Right now in central Iowa and west, early snows flattened a bunch of productive cover making it very difficult for pheasants, so they have concentrated in cattails - which are frozen "early" this year. As a result they are getting pounded hard. Lots of hens but roosters are declining faster than they have in recent years - or at least that is my personal observations.

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BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)
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