The difference is between range wide declines and local population declines. I spent 10 years as a quail researcher in s ga/n fl/s al on quail plantations. Right now the quail plantations in s ga are experiencing the highest populations ever recorded, 2-3 birds per acre - on the ones practicing good management. Year round feeding, intensive predator control and habitat. Thomasville ga plantations make up 500,000 contiguous acres of good, managed habitat. Yet the state of ga is still experiencing range wide declines.

Ive got places here in al that are "managing habitat" but not practicing predator control and we see populations in the bird per 20-30 acres. On the bigger places here in al that manage well and trap, maybe a bird per acre. However, again, alabama has been experiencing a decline of 2-3% per year for decades - primarily related to habitat declines in both quantity and quality. There are places in alabama that quail are virtually extinct and it is not habitat loss per se but habitat changes that result in good habitat for deer and turkey maybe but not quail.

It may be "chicken and egg" concept since both were happening at the same time but I know quail can exist in viable numbers without predator control, but they will go extinct without the correct habitat.