Numbers are way down for myriad reasons: slick farming, commercial and developments, etc.
In the south, I'm convinced that you need to establish a "Hell hole" so to speak.You need for or five acres of cover so nasty that you almost hate to go into it.That makes a good sanctuary ,adjacent to a grass or weed field and/or some grain. Iv'e been piddling with quail cover for a few years. I helped some friends of mine establish some habitat and they have a pretty good seasonal survival rate on their released birds, however, I can ususally tell the difference between released birds and wild ones.
