National prominence
Northern bobwhite quail
Northern bobwhite needs early-successional habitat: weedy fields, thinned pine woods, fallow field borders, and hedgerows, wherever disturbance has reset the ground to brushy young growth. Birds shelter in dense cover and walk out into adjacent open ground to feed.
How to hunt Northern bobwhite quail
Early-successional upland habitat across one of the widest ranges of any upland species: bobwhite hold to fields and cover within about 200 yards of each other, with ideal ground running 30-60 percent bare ground interspersed with cover, forbs, and seed-producing plants. That underlying need shows up differently by region. In the Southeast's plantation belt (south Georgia, north Florida), it's intensively managed longleaf and loblolly pine kept open by prescribed burning, producing some of the highest wild bobwhite densities in the country. In South Texas brush country, it's thorny mesquite, huisache, and prickly pear scrubland, with bird numbers swinging hard with rainfall - wet years bring strong nesting success, dry years suppress populations. In the Midwest, it's field-border and CRP grassland with fencerows and hedgerows.
Short and close, 15 to 30 yards. Flush distance and effective range both increase with hunting pressure and season progression: birds typically fly 100 yards or less when flushed early, but that distance can double or triple as the season goes on, with heavily pressured birds sometimes flushing wild, well outside gun range.
Classic walked-up, dog-essential covey-flush hunting - more centrally dog-dependent than most upland species. Pointing dogs quarter ahead of hunters, freezing on point when a covey is scented, with a second dog trained to back (honor) the first dog's point rather than crowding in. On the flush, the covey erupts explosively in multiple directions at once toward pre-selected escape cover (a draw, fencerow, brush pile, or thicket) rather than flying any real distance in the open. Working the scattered singles afterward is a distinct second phase: a landed single will hunker down until the coast is clear, then call to regroup, holding tight for both dog and gun and producing a second round of closer, more deliberate shooting.
What changes through the season
- Covey-flush dynamics and working singles
The initial covey flush is fast, explosive, and multi-directional - birds erupt toward pre-selected escape cover (a draw, fencerow, brush pile, or thicket) rather than flying any real distance in the open, favoring the open end of this record's choke range (Skeet/Improved Cylinder) and a light, fast-handling gauge for the first shot. Working the scattered singles afterward is a distinct second phase: a landed single holds tight for both dog and gun, producing more deliberate, though still close-range, shooting than the initial chaotic rise.
- Regional habitat variation without a correspondingly wide gear variation
Southeast plantation-belt pine savanna, South Texas brush country, and Midwest CRP/fencerow farm country are structurally distinct habitats, but no region calls for a materially different gauge, shot size, or choke - every region's picture converges on the same short-range, light-gauge, open-choke gear.
- Wild vs. pen-raised/preserve-released birds
A meaningful share of modern bobwhite hunting, concentrated on managed plantations and commercial hunting preserves, uses pen-raised birds released shortly before the hunt rather than exclusively wild-bred populations. Pen-raised/preserve birds tend to hold tighter and flush closer and more predictably than increasingly wild, pressured birds late in a wild-bird season, pushing preserve hunts toward the more open end of this record's choke range by default, while a heavily hunted wild covey late in the season can call for the tighter Modified end and larger shot.
What to load for this hunt
Lead
- Gauge
- 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge
- Shot size
- #7.5, #8Tested
- #8 lead and #7 steel are most lethal on bobwhite at a range of 20-30 yards. #7.5 offers a good balance of pattern density and knockdown power, and #6 is a heavier option some hunters carry for a second barrel or later in the season. Gauge spans 12, 20, and 28, with none clearly superior at this bird's short range - 20 gauge is the best all-around choice for light recoil and fast handling, 28 gauge is favored for all-day carry weight, and 12 gauge is kept mainly for versatility with other species. Choke: Improved Cylinder is the standard pick, Skeet works at the open end for close, thick-cover flushes or preserve-style hunting, and Modified is the practical ceiling - anything tighter is never needed for bobwhite.
- Choke
- Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified
Non-toxic
| Steel | Bismuth | Tungsten-matrix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shot size | #7, #8Tested #7-8, with #7 the single most lethal size within that range. Choke stays Improved Cylinder to Modified, essentially the same as the lead baseline - no opening step is needed at this bird's short range. | #7, #7.5Estimate #7-7.5, a modest step up from lead reflecting bismuth's density; #7 bismuth is generally considered comparable to #8-8.5 lead for this bird. Improved Cylinder to Modified, matching lead and steel. | #7.5, #8Estimate #7.5-8, matching the lead baseline; tungsten-matrix's density is close enough to lead that no meaningful size or choke adjustment is needed. Skeet to Modified, same as lead. |
| Choke | Improved Cylinder, Modified | Improved Cylinder, Modified | Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified |
Where it is open, and what the survey says
- AlabamaOpens in 33 days07 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027ADCNR's own January 2026 population-status article, via the state's Upland Game Bird Coordinator, describes bobwhite quail as "stable" statewide where adequate habitat exists heading into the 2026-27 season — a narrative call, not a numeric survey; Alabama runs no statewide quantitative quail census. That stability sits against a roughly 80% decline in the state's quail population since the post-WWII era, a long-run historical backdrop rather than a 2026-specific concern. Boggy Hollow WMA and Choccolocco WMA's Bobwhite Quail Emphasis Area remain the state's named, actively-managed strongholds, both open to limited quail hunting.No named 2026 driver — the source is a general habitat-quality statement, not tied to this year's weather or a survey result.
- ArizonaOpen01 JUL 2026 – 30 JUN 2027No outlook this cycle — Arizona 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- ArkansasOpens in 27 days01 NOV 2026 – 07 FEB 2027AGFC's newly published 2025 Quail Program Monitoring Report, reflecting last year's spring/summer survey cycle, the most recent completed data available, and the current edition (superseding the prior 2024 report), puts adult- and chick-per-observer indices at or near all-time highs since record-keeping began in 2002. Site-level counts back that up without being uniformly rosy: spring whistling was up at 5 of 31 survey sites, flat at 7, and down at 8, mostly nominal pullbacks after a strong 2024 except at Camp Robinson WMA, the one site reading as a genuine multi-year decline. Fall covey counts were stable at 11 of 14 sites, up at 2 (Fort Chaffee, Little Bayou), and down at just 1 (Sylamore, read as normal year-to-year variation). Sylamore, Stone Prairie, and Little Bayou now sit above AGFC's own density threshold for opening or liberalizing hunting access, and several WMAs added or expanded quail hunting for the first time in 2025 without hurting those populations.A genuine multi-decade statewide population high, per AGFC's current 2025 Quail Program Monitoring Report, the most recent completed survey cycle available.
- ColoradoOpens in 40 daysVaries by hunter/zone/method — see detailProvisional: CPW's own Eastern Plains Pheasant and Quail Forecast isn't out yet and is expected in November. Ahead of it, Quail Forever's 2026 forecast, drawing on CPW's own small game manager and survey routes, calls bobwhite numbers across much of eastern Colorado "the best they have been in years." Most of CPW's 2026 whistle-count routes ran above average, some averaged 40 calls per station or better, and a few set marks unmatched in 40 years of surveys (route-level figures weren't released). Numbers climbed again along the South Platte corridor upstream of Sterling, in the Arkansas River drainage east of John Martin Reservoir, and in Baca County, where bobwhites have held strong for more than a decade. The catch is production, not breeding birds. A dry spring limited carryover nesting cover in the northeast, while the southeast had enough subsoil moisture for "good numbers of bobwhite broods." Quail Forever's own bottom line: a good season in the southeast, a solid one in the northeast, and a spotty South Platte, where a mid-July storm showed early signs of losses among adults and chicks. The Sharpe Fire burned woody cover on the Comanche National Grassland near Campo, so route a Comanche trip around the burn scar. Access, more than birds, is the limit this year: Walk-In Access properties, most of which can't be grazed, likely carry some of the best remaining cover. All three quail zones open Nov 14, 2026.A near-snowless winter and some of the strongest whistle counts in 40 years of CPW surveys, tempered by a dry spring that held back production, especially in the northeast. A southeast-led year rather than a uniform one.
- ConnecticutOpens in 12 days17 OCT – 31 OCT 2026No outlook this cycle — Connecticut 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- DelawareOpens in 49 days23 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027Only pen-raised, released birds may legally be taken in Delaware, but there's a real wild-population story behind the numbers: DNREC's Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area restoration — prescribed fire and invasive-species removal, begun 2009 — has grown the local wild quail population from "dozens" of birds roughly 15 years ago to an estimated 800 today. DNREC is now extending the same habitat work along the Delaware Bayshore corridor (New Castle to south of Milford), has documented a newly detected small population at Marshy Hope Wildlife Area (east of Bridgeville), and is eyeing a Sussex County site for a similar comeback. This is a single restoration-area narrative, not a statewide census or a numeric hunter-facing forecast — no DNREC-published pre-season outlook document exists for Delaware bobwhite quail.Sustained habitat restoration (prescribed fire, invasive-species removal) at Cedar Swamp WMA over roughly 15 years, not a single-season weather or survey event.
- FloridaOpens in 40 days14 NOV 2026 – 07 MAR 2027No outlook this cycle — Florida 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- GeorgiaOpens in 40 days14 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027No outlook this cycle — Georgia 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- IdahoOpen15 SEP 2026 – 31 JAN 2027Idaho's northern bobwhite quail season runs September 15, 2026 through January 31, 2027, with a daily bag of 10 shared in aggregate with California quail and 30 in possession. Bobwhite are rare in Idaho, limited to a population introduced to the Boise Valley in the 1880s. IDFG's statewide forecast, published September 4, 2026, doesn't break quail out by species region by region, but the Southwest region, which covers the Boise Valley, reports quail in good numbers this year, though broods are on the small side.Good adult quail numbers in the Boise Valley area this year, tempered by smaller broods.
- IllinoisOpens in 33 daysVaries by hunter/zone/method — see detailProvisional: IDNR's own Upland Hunting Forecast for 2026-27 hasn't published yet. Illinois quail populations have expanded over the last two years, and the state's own biologist expects another good year in 2026. The watersheds feeding the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in west-central Illinois are shaping up as the best hunting this season.Two consecutive years of population growth, per the state's own biologist, with no specific weather mechanism named.
- IndianaOpens in 27 daysVaries by hunter/zone/method — see detailIndiana's bobwhite population is reported as stable heading into 2026, per Pointing Dog Journal's annual cross-state hunting forecast. IDNR runs a real, county-level spring whistle-count survey, but it isn't independently published; this aggregator is the only public channel for it. Unlike the 2025 edition, which named specific counties (Pulaski, Vigo, Daviess) with numeric detail, this year's mention carries no county-level data, a general read rather than a precise one, but nothing points to a notably better or worse year than usual.No specific driver given behind the 'stable' read — a general population statement, not tied to a named survey figure or weather event.
- IowaOpens in 26 days31 OCT 2026 – 31 JAN 2027Iowa's bobwhite quail season runs Oct 31, 2026-Jan 31, 2027, bag 8 daily/16 possession, blaze orange required. The DNR's August Roadside Survey published its 2026 results September 1: quail came in down 21% statewide from 2025, though still right at the 10-year average, since 2025 itself was an outlier year (+123%, the best count since 2018) driven by an exceptionally mild winter that didn't repeat this year.A real year-over-year decline off 2025's unusually strong count, landing back at Iowa's normal 10-year baseline rather than signaling a new downward trend.
- KansasOpens in 33 days07 NOV 2026 – 31 JAN 20272 windowsProvisional: KDWP's own Upland Bird Forecast hasn't published yet. In the meantime, KDWP's upland game bird program coordinator, quoted in Quail Forever's 2026 forecast, says spring surveys for quail were "really good this year after high production last year and mild winters resulting in good carryover" (no figures released), and that the agency is "cautiously optimistic" while noting "a lot of uncertainty about fall populations." Quail Forever's own read is that numbers should come in consistent with last year or higher. The summer cut both ways: a dry early spring, then heavy, frequent rain from mid-May through June that arrived just as broods were hatching, then stretches of triple-digit heat on younger and re-nest broods. Central Kansas has been the recent hotspot and should be again, though the Salina area took some of the year's heaviest rain and may see higher chick losses. Western Kansas stayed dry longer, which could mean reduced numbers in places. Field reports range from average around Clay Center to slightly up in Mitchell and Jewell counties, good around Osborne, and more birds around Lecompton. Expect thick cover: habitat is in excellent shape across much of the state. Youth and disability season Nov 7-8, 2026; regular season Nov 14, 2026-Jan 31, 2027.Strong spring breeding counts off a mild winter and a productive 2025, offset by poorly timed June rains and late-summer heat on young broods. Steady to slightly better, not a clear jump, pending KDWP's own figures.
- KentuckyOpens in 27 daysVaries by hunter/zone/method — see detailProvisional: KDFWR's Rural Mail Carrier Survey, the state's governing quail index, is complete but still being analyzed, with results expected in early fall, and no 2026 call-count figures are out yet either. Until then, Quail Forever's 2026 forecast describes the population as having "generally held steady," with bird encounters "somewhat reduced from last year." That is an anecdotal field read, not a count. The winter was relatively mild; a spring and early-summer drought mattered more, and observations improved in late July and August once rain arrived. KDFWR's own small game biologist says habitat on the public areas that have historically held quail is "as good as they've been," while good private-land habitat stays limited to well-managed pockets. Peabody WMA, "Kentucky's quail focal area," is the top public pick, with Clay WMA, reclaimed strip-mine land, and the Boone Forest Lands near Pineville also worth a look. Eastern Zone: Nov 1-13, 2026 and Nov 16, 2026-Jan 31, 2027. Western Zone: Nov 16, 2026-Feb 10, 2027.No measured 2026 driver yet: a spring drought followed by summer rain, on public quail ground the state's biologist calls in as good shape as it's been. Steady, possibly slightly fewer birds, pending the mail carrier survey.
- LouisianaOpens in 47 days21 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027Awaiting survey — Louisiana 2026
- MaineOpen26 SEP – 31 DEC 2026No outlook this cycle — Maine 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- MarylandOpens in 33 days07 NOV 2026 – 15 JAN 2027No outlook this cycle — Maryland 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- MassachusettsOpens in 12 days17 OCT – 31 DEC 20262 windowsNo outlook this cycle — Massachusetts 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- MichiganOpens in 15 days20 OCT – 14 NOV 2026Awaiting survey — Michigan 2026
MI DNR's only bobwhite instrument is the long-running Pheasant/Quail Cooperators survey (since 1999): hunter-reported flush counts submitted during the season itself, rather than a discrete pre-season forecast document.
- MississippiOpens in 52 days26 NOV 2026 – 07 MAR 2027Awaiting survey — Mississippi 2026
- MissouriOpens in 19 days24 OCT 2026 – 15 JAN 20272 windowsProvisional: MDC's own Quail and Pheasant Roadside Survey for 2026 hasn't published yet (it typically posts in October). Missouri's quail numbers are up compared to last year, and the state's own biologist points to a mild winter as the reason why. Summer rainfall ran about average in the northern part of the state, while southern Missouri saw heavier rain events, so the northern regions are the better bet for hunters this season.A mild winter improved bird survival and carryover, per the state's own biologist, with a north/south split in summer rainfall favoring the northern part of the state.
- NebraskaOpens in 26 days31 OCT 2026 – 31 JAN 2027Nebraska's quail season (regulated jointly with pheasant and partridge, must be shot while in flight) runs Oct. 31, 2026-Jan. 31, 2027, 6 daily/24 possession, with a youth-only weekend Oct. 24-25. NGPC's own 2026-27 Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook points to a strong year: a mild winter meant good survival and more birds carried into this year's breeding population, statewide whistle counts came in up vs. 2025 and above both the 5- and 10-year averages, and all management units except Northeast and East-central saw increases. Brood reports were frequent with larger broods, and continued male calling through summer points to renesting attempts. Statewide, the July Rural Mail Carrier Survey came in up 134% vs. 2025 (+13% vs. the 5-year average, +50% vs. the 20-year average). Southeast, East-central, and Republican management regions carry the state's highest quail densities and should see average to above-average populations. One caveat straight from NGPC's own outlook: two regions posted especially steep July RMCS swings, West Platte at +521% and Northeast at +387%, but both sit on the state's own abundance ranks 4 and 6 (of 6), and NGPC's outlook states directly that for low-ranked regions, large percent changes may not translate into noticeable changes in hunting conditions. East Central (rank 1) and Republican (rank 2) remain the more meaningful geography for where quail numbers are actually best this fall.Statewide bobwhite whistle counts and July Rural Mail Carrier Survey (+134% vs. 2025) both up and above long-term averages, with gains in most management units, per NGPC's own 2026-27 Upland Outlook.
- New HampshireOpen01 OCT – 31 DEC 2026No outlook this cycle — New Hampshire 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- New JerseyNo season foundNo outlook this cycle — New Jersey 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- New MexicoOpens in 41 days15 NOV 2026 – 15 FEB 2027Awaiting survey — New Mexico 2026
Governing source is NMDGF's “Fall Roadside Survey” (combined scaled/Gambel's/bobwhite/Montezuma quail), described by NMDGF's own Turkey and Upland Game Biologist Casey Cardinal as being in “preliminary stages of implementation” as of 2022 reporting. A Cardinal quote describing quail as having “rebounded extremely well” with “outstanding production” comes from a November 23, 2016 source article (wildlife.dgf.nm.gov, “Southeast New Mexico is your best bet for quail”) describing the 2016-17 season, not 2026. No 2026 NMDGF quail forecast has been published. 2026 statewide drought conditions (D2 Severe Drought by late April, earliest snowmelt on record) suggest a weaker year by the same precipitation-driven logic Cardinal referenced, though that is inference rather than a published finding.
- New YorkOpenVaries by hunter/zone/method — see detailNo outlook this cycle — New York 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- North CarolinaOpens in 47 days21 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027Awaiting survey — North Carolina 2026
- OhioOpens in 32 days06 NOV – 29 NOV 2026Ohio's statewide spring whistle count, run by the Ohio Division of Wildlife from mid-May through June, came in 40% lower than 2025, according to the Division's own biologist quoted in Quail Forever's 2026 forecast. Part of that drop is a give-back: 2025's counts were among the highest of the past five years. The cause was a late-January storm that dropped 6 to 18 inches of snow across most of the state, with an ice layer of an inch or more on top of the snow in parts of southern Ohio quail range and a deep freeze lasting more than a week. Birds did come through where cover was good. Coveys are still spread across all 16 southern counties open this fall, and Quail Forever's acoustic recorders picked up quail in all 12 southern counties where they were deployed, but numbers remain low and hunters should expect to walk farther between flushes than last season. Access is the bigger planning question: quail hunting is open only on private land in Adams, Athens, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Jackson, Meigs, Montgomery, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Warren counties. Public ground is limited to Tri-Valley Wildlife Area in Muskingum County, outside those 16 counties, and controlled hunts at Crown City Wildlife Area, whose application period has closed. Ohio's walk-in program, OLHAP, covers about 200 properties across 51 counties with free permits. Season runs Nov. 6 to 29, 2026, with a 2-bird daily and possession limit.A harsh late-January storm of snow, ice, and a week-long deep freeze, which cut Ohio's 2026 spring whistle counts 40% from a strong 2025, per the Division of Wildlife's own biologist.
- OklahomaOpens in 40 days14 NOV 2026 – 15 FEB 2027Provisional: ODWC's 2026 roadside quail survey figures are not out yet, so every number here is from 2025. Oklahoma comes into this season off a strong run. ODWC's October 2025 roadside survey put the statewide count at 4.54 quail per route, just under the long-term average of 4.75 and 70% above the 10-year average of 2.67. ODWC's own upland game biologist, quoted in Quail Forever's 2026 forecast, calls 2025 roughly a 68% increase over 2024 and the fifth straight year the statewide index has risen. The Northwest, Northcentral, and Southeast regions all finished above their long-term averages for the first time in 8, 8, and 18 years. The Southeast's turnaround stands out, to 4.63 quail per route against a 10-year average of 1.73, after extremely low counts from 2021 through 2024. The Northwest has consistently posted the higher counts since 2017. For 2026, that same biologist reports good early nest success from around the state, including drought-affected areas, and a local Quail Forever chapter said nesting "appeared to be OK" judging by the young birds and mixed-age coveys being seen. The counterweight is drought: weeks of 100-plus heat and little rain, worst in the western half of the state, which overlaps the Northwest's best quail country. Scaled quail add a Panhandle option under a combined 10-bird daily bag (20 in possession after the first day). Season runs Nov. 14, 2026 to Feb. 15, 2027.A fifth straight year of rising bobwhite counts through 2025 and good early nesting reports in 2026, per ODWC's own upland game biologist, tempered by a hot, dry summer across the western half of the state.
- PennsylvaniaOpen01 SEP 2026 – 31 MAR 20272 windowsNo outlook this cycle — Pennsylvania 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- Rhode IslandOpens in 12 days17 OCT 2026 – 28 FEB 2027No outlook this cycle — Rhode Island 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- South CarolinaOpens in 49 days23 NOV 2026 – 01 MAR 2027Awaiting survey — South Carolina 2026
- South DakotaOpens in 12 days17 OCT 2026 – 31 JAN 2027No outlook this cycle — South Dakota 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- TennesseeOpens in 33 days07 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027Provisional: TWRA hasn't published a 2026 quail survey result. The agency's own small game coordinator points to field reports only, with no number or comparison to last year behind them, so treat this as a picture of where Tennessee's birds stand rather than a measured change in either direction. Bobwhites "have been in decline across Tennessee for decades," and this season is one of localized opportunity, not statewide abundance. Weather was mixed: a severe ice storm in parts of Middle and West Tennessee may have hurt overwinter survival, and a wet summer usually means poor brood survival, but the coordinator says "field reports indicate otherwise, with numerous broods sighted across the state where habitat is intentionally managed." West Tennessee, with more CRP and generally better numbers on private land, holds the state's largest populations, while Middle Tennessee is more hit or miss. Bridgestone-Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA near Sparta (a draw hunt) and Fort Campbell near Clarksville are the named controlled-access public options. Heavy late-summer rain means thicker-than-normal cover this fall.No measured change for 2026: a low, long-declining population, with a possible ice-storm hit to overwinter survival set against good brood reports on managed ground, per TWRA's own small game coordinator.
- TexasOpens in 27 days01 NOV 2026 – 28 FEB 2027Provisional: TPWD's own Roadside Quail Survey for 2026 hasn't published yet (typically mid-October). The state's own upland game bird program leader reports bobwhite populations at their highest levels since the boom years of 2015-17. South Texas accounted for 56% of last year's harvest, and TPWD's 2025 survey found 12.70 quail per route, above the 15-year average, with the same strength expected again in 2026. South Texas saw an extremely dry winter, but multiple rain events since have left habitat conditions looking great.The strongest bobwhite numbers since 2015-17, per TPWD's own program leader, with South Texas habitat recovering well after a dry winter.
- VermontNo season foundNo outlook this cycle — Vermont 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- VirginiaOpens in 33 days07 NOV 2026 – 31 JAN 2027Provisional: Quail Forever's 2026 forecast reports that DWR's spring and summer surveys showed a slight increase in birds compared with 2025, with no figure given, and that quail appear to have come through last winter's icy conditions relatively well. The forecast's overall read is numbers similar to or slightly better than last year. That makes this a steady year inside a long-running decline, not a turnaround. The open question is this summer's historic drought, which DWR's own small game program leader cautions could affect reproduction and food availability, so expect real differences from one property to the next depending on habitat quality. The best hunting is in the east and south of the state: east of U.S. Route 29 and south of I-64, plus the upper and middle peninsulas. Most DWR wildlife management areas east of the Blue Ridge hold at least some quail, and Fort Pickett can offer fair to good hunting for those willing to scout it. Public land west of the Blue Ridge, and Flippo-Gentry WMA, are closed to quail hunting.A slight survey increase over 2025 after birds came through an icy winter well, with this summer's historic drought a risk to hatch and fall food, per DWR's surveys as reported in Quail Forever's 2026 forecast.
- WashingtonOpenVaries by hunter/zone/method — see detailNo outlook this cycle — Washington 2026
No formal population survey program exists for this species in this state.
- West VirginiaOpens in 33 days07 NOV 2026 – 02 JAN 2027Awaiting survey — West Virginia 2026
A multi-year translocation/restoration project (begun 2020 at Tomblin WMA using Texas-sourced, radio-collar-monitored birds, since expanded to five additional WMAs and one state forest, ~12,000 of a stated 20,000-bird goal released as of the most recent figures found) is active and ongoing, with a stated 10-30% regeneration-rate goal -- a program-progress effort, not a wild-population census or hunter-facing pre-season forecast. Tomblin WMA itself is closed to bobwhite hunting while the restoration continues. Active monitoring confirmed, no discrete dated 2026 report found.
- WisconsinOpens in 12 days17 OCT – 09 DEC 2026Awaiting survey — Wisconsin 2026
WI DNR runs a real, if infrequent, Regional Bobwhite Quail and Cottontail Rabbit Survey (whistling-male call counts) -- editions confirmed found for 2015, 2019, and 2021 (2019: 0.003 whistling males/stop, down from 0.008 in 2017, a significant decline). A search on 2026-08-19 found no edition newer than 2021 -- active program, but no confirmed 2025 or 2026 report located.
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