Texas quail hunting season begins on October 28. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ( TPWD ) surveys, a combination of cooler temperatures and spring rains at the beginning of nesting season have increased the number of bobwhite and scaled falcons in the field.
According to John Mclaughlin, the head of the TPWD Upland Game Bird Program,” we are still far from where we would like to be, and this summer’s drought caused us to anger expectations.” However, quail populations are probably at their highest point since 2018 – 19 and are poised to increase in 2024 if the winter and spring conditions are favorable once more.
Despite the heat of the summer, bobwhite figures were higher than anticipated as birds took advantage of opportunities for early-season breeding. The most encouraging population survey results from the previous five years were recorded by TPWD biologists thanks to the weather break during that critical period.
According to Mclaughlin,” Birds were numerous and frequently dispersed in South Texas and the Gulf Coast Prairies, indicating that the wet-dry period we experienced this year was advantageous along the beach and more upriver.”
Additionally, great quantities were seen in the Texas Panhandle.
There should be good opportunities to put dogs on the ground and like a search with family and friends this year, according to Mclaughlin,” while bobwhite populations are also recovering in these regions and drought has threatened progress in the short-term.”
Farther north, the Trans-Pecos continues to be Texas’s regular bearer for scaled quail populations. Animals picked up where they left off and got to work this year after a successful breeding season in 2022.
According to Mclaughlin,” much like with bobwhites, reports of first hatches were caused by a mixture of cool temperatures and spring rainfall.” ” Throughout the spring and into the summer, large broods were observed.” Birds were able to prey and lay birds on the ground as wildlife conditions improved. This year’s summer heat, which engulfed much of the condition through July and August, was the only major speed bump for adjusted chickens.
The winter perspective favors an ongoing El Nino period, which may provide average temperatures and above-average rainfall, while Texas struggles to recover from the recent drought. If the conditions remain, both may translate into positive hunting conditions in the near future and suitable conditions for quail populations moving into the upcoming spring.
On the TPWD’s chickens website, you can find more details about the populations of ducks in Texas. Contact a local TPWD wildlife biologist for county-specific viewpoints.
The Annual Public Hunting Permit is required for hunters using Texas people searching lands. To examine rules that might use to particular areas, open land hunters should consult the Public Hunting Lands Map Booklet. Electronic on-site register at a people hunting area can be done using the My Texas Hunt Harvest application.
