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National prominence
Mountain quail
Mountain quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 5 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
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Cattail slough against picked corn. Where the roosters sit out a hard wind, and the reason the bird follows small-grain country across the northern plains.
Where it is open, and what the survey says
- CaliforniaOpen5 windowsAwaiting survey — California 2026
Governed by CDFW's combined Quail (California/Gambel's/Mountain) and Chukar Hunting Outlook press release — a new article/URL each year rather than one page overwritten in place; publish date has moved year to year (Oct 19 2024; Sept 19 2025). Not yet published as of a 2026-08-19 fresh check of the tag-archive pages (wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/tag/california-quail-hunting and .../tag/wild-chukar-hunting-in-california); based on the 2024-25 window, expected within the next several weeks.
- NevadaOpens in 57 daysAwaiting survey — Nevada 2026
NDOW's only mountain-quail data-collection effort is a hunter-reporting request for post-season harvest information (locations/numbers, via the Reno HQ) -- retrospective, not a pre-season survey. No dedicated pre-season index or forecast found across two search passes.
- OregonOpens in 11 days2 windowsAwaiting survey — Oregon 2026
Shares ODFW's Forest Grouse and Mountain Quail Parts Collection Summary ('wingbee' report) with dusky, ruffed, and sooty grouse. A fresh search this pass confirmed the same finding as the Tier A pass -- no edition newer than 2021 (published 2022) is publicly located, though the underlying wing-collection program continues annually. Active program, no dated fresher report.
- WashingtonOpens in 29 daysAwaiting survey — Washington 2026
Lower confidence: WDFW's own mountain quail species page states that deriving a population estimate for this small, widely dispersed, remote-habitat population "is not currently practical." A WDFW-funded research project is underway to develop survey methodology (to inform future translocation/habitat management), but this is methodology development, not a recurring monitoring or reporting program -- no population index exists to capture. State-ranked Critically Imperiled.