Quail hunters should find plenty of birds when the season opens Nov. 1, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's annual roadside count.
Department biologists drove more than 3,300 miles of survey routes in early August, and most of the state's ecoregions showed more bobwhite quail per route than their 15-year averages, the agency said Wednesday. Good habitat and well-timed rain helped both bobwhite and scaled quail raise young this year, even after a hot, dry summer.
"Overall, the numbers were once again in good shape in this year's surveys," said Patrick Schutz, who leads the department's upland game bird program. He said hunters should do especially well in South Texas and the Trans-Pecos, where quail numbers have historically been strongest.
Region by region
- Rolling Plains: Bobwhite counts came in slightly lower than last year, but biologists still expect solid hunting. Public hunting for bobwhites in north Texas is available at the Matador, Gene Howe and Teacup Mountain wildlife management areas. Teacup Mountain is a newer, 11,091-acre area being managed in part for bobwhites.
- South Texas: Biologists averaged 10.17 bobwhites per route, above the 15-year mean of 9.92, and reported several successful hatches. The Chaparral and James E. Daughtrey wildlife management areas offer public hunting.
- Edwards Plateau: Scaled quail sightings jumped the most here, to an average of 29.88 per route from 14 last year. The 15-year mean is 8.38.
- Trans-Pecos: Late spring rain gave scaled quail a nesting boost, and biologists expect good hunting for them at the Black Gap and Elephant Mountain wildlife management areas.
