| Window | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Window 1 | 17 OCT – 29 NOV 2026 | 44d |
| Window 2 | 13 DEC – 31 DEC 2026 | 19d |
As publishedOct 17–Nov 29 & Dec 13–Dec 31, 2026 (closed Nov 30–Dec 12 for shotgun deer season); statutorily Zones 11-14 only
Statute (321 CMR 3.02(6)(b)(3)) restricts bobwhite quail hunting specifically to Zones 11-14 (southeastern MA/Cape area); MassWildlife's general season-summary table lists quail as 'Zones 1-14' generically, which conflicts with the statutory zone restriction (flagging for review, but the statute is the more specific/authoritative source). No wild self-sustaining population; MassWildlife stocks only ~4,000 bobwhite quail annually, solely at Myles Standish State Forest (Plymouth) and Francis Crane WMA (Falmouth). Season closed during shotgun deer season (Nov 30-Dec 12, 2026); resumes Dec 13-31. Requires Pheasant/Quail Permit for hunters 15+.
Massachusetts bobwhite quail is a hard regulatory zone, not a density gradient. Massachusetts regulation restricts quail hunting to Zones 11-14 (the southeastern Massachusetts/Cape Cod area) regardless of what the general season-summary table implies, and there is no wild self-sustaining population. MassWildlife stocks only about 4,000 bobwhite quail annually, solely at two named sites, each in a different part of the legal zone: Myles Standish State Forest (Carver, Plymouth County, mainland Zone 11) and specifically the southern parcel of Francis Crane WMA (Falmouth/Bourne, Barnstable County, Cape Cod Zone 12). Split into two regions below by stocking site rather than kept as one Zones-11-14 region, since presence tracks the two release sites exactly, not the full legal zone (which also spans Bristol County and Dukes/Nantucket, where nothing is stocked) -- same reasoning already applied to this state's American woodcock combo.
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
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