This year’s roadside quail surveys across Oklahoma showed a statewide population index of observed birds down 38% from 2019.
The survey showed some bright spots in northeast, south-central and north-central Oklahoma. These areas showed an increase from 2019 in the number of birds observed per route. Hunters in these regions should find conditions in most areas slightly improved over what they encountered last year.
In other regions, hunters can expect to find populations slightly down from previous years and more patchy where habitat and weather have been more suitable.
According to data from the Game Brood Survey App created by Oklahoma State University, it appears quail nesting season started in early May. However, there were drought issues that carried on throughout the nesting season and into summer. Patchy rainfall across the northwest created a variable forb and insect crop.
“Areas that were not as severely impacted by drought and where habitat is good should still hold a decent amount of birds. Much like last year, those that put in the miles through good habitat will find birds, depending on how harshly the drought hit that area,”said Tell Judkins, upland game bird biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Quail populations are historically cyclical. Bird numbers often boom for several years, then decline. A more accurate assessment of the health of quail populations is not based on year-to-year comparisons, but on longer-term averages.
“We are working hard on a number of different research projects with Oklahoma State University to learn more about what we can do to see the numbers go up,” Judkins said.