Big Creek schedules controlled burn for quail habitat project

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Big Creek Golf and Country Club is following the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s recommendation to re-establish habitat for northern bobwhite quail. A controlled burn was scheduled at the course for Monday morning.

Representatives of Big Creek were recently visited by newly-appointed commissioner and Mountain Home resident Rob Finley, Game and Fish Quail Program Coordinator Marcus Asher and Private Lands Biologist Ben Field. They reportedly recommended conducting burns of open fields on the back nine, away from any residences. Big Creek will be looking to remove unwanted vegetation in an effort to allow native grasses and wildflowers a chance to return.

Existing fields can be made more suitable for bobwhite quail through prescribed burning and planting native vegetation. Asher says suitable habitat “means having areas 50 acres in size or larger that ideally have a vegetation composition of 33% grasses, 33% forbs (broadleaf plants) and 33% shrubby cover.”

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