Originally Posted by Hammergun
I own a small farm on the Maryland eastern shore. I am managing it for wildlife and am particularly interested in bobwhite quail. Since converting the former farm fields to meadow and encouraging native plants that support quail we have wild birds reproducing on our land. There are more quail on the shore than most people realize but not in numbers that support hunting. The MD DNR seems to be stuck in a time warp as their quail season and limit haven't changed since the 70s. I did ask the local extension agent for some guidance in planting native plants for quail but only received a flyer about generic wildlife planting. Not helpful at all. So I will continue to plod along and try and keep the quail supported. They have it
pretty rough between the predators and the intense farming practices.


Good job on working to improve the habitat. That is the clear starting point that will ultimately make the difference.
I’ve done some native grass plantings and it can make a difference in some spots. I purchased a piece of property that jutted into my farm that had previously been a cattle operation all covered in Bahia and coastal Bermuda grass. It was tough to kill but we did it. Immediately afterwards I planted the area in 4 different grasses and 2 flowering plants It was stunning how quickly the area turned into almost a quail rookery; simply full of birds, especially during the long summer nesting season.
The choice of species I used could be easily duplicated and has been by others. The seeds come from a place in Kentucky.
All of that said, your soil is probably already full of native grass seeds that have been simply waiting on the right conditions to emerge and flourish. A combination of winter discing and spring burning will jumpstart it all for you without you having to buy the first seed.
Good luck!