Story by Bill L. Olson

Texas Parks and Wildlife Upland Gamebird Program Leader Patrick Schutz and his team provided this year’s assessment of bobwhite and scaled quail populations in Texas.  Regional specifics have been provided as well as 15-year historical data for both species.

Since this information was compiled, climatic conditions continued to change as summer gave way to early fall.  Anecdotal observations from field staff, landowners and other quail enthusiasts also commented following early fall rains in September both bobs and blues had paired up trying to have another nesting and recruitment effort.

Schutz report provided the following:

Northern Bobwhite Quail

Overview

“Varying habitat conditions and weather patterns throughout the state resulted in fluctuating bobwhite populations by ecoregion. However, most ecoregions had an above average number of bobwhites seen per route when compared to the 15-year mean. South Texas experienced extremely dry conditions in the winter, but improved habitat conditions and rainfall resulted in multiple nesting attempts and good quail numbers continue to be reported by biologists in this region. Early spring through summer drought conditions in the Rolling Plains appeared to delay some nesting efforts and curb nest success. Fortunately, much needed mid-summer rains eased those conditions, and the regional trend ultimately showed only a slight decline in quail numbers compared to recent years. Highlighting regional improvements, biologists are reporting good bobwhite observations in Childress, Hall, Kleberg, Shackelford, and Terry counties. Extended late summer high temperatures and dry conditions have created some cause for concern. However, we still anticipate fair to good hunting opportunities going into the 2026-27 season.

“˜As a reminder, our surveys are only designed to provide a representation of bobwhite populations at the regional level and local conditions may vary considerably.”

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