Forecast: After a down season in 2013, Washington’s quail hunting forecast looks to be better than usual after a nesting season that was favorable for birds, reports Brian Calkins, small game section manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). In 2013, hunters managed to harvest 72,699 quail, most of which were California quail.
“Biologists reported seeing large amounts of quail broods this year during routine work in the field,” said Calkins. “At this point in time, we only have concerns about a wild fire in Okanogan County, one the largest fires in state history. It is difficult to predict the long term effects, but habitat may limit quail populations or distribution for the next several years in this area.”
Over the past two years, WDFW has focused a great deal of emphasis on increasing access to private lands for upland bird hunting in the southeastern part of the state - about 100,000 acres have been enrolled in the state’s hunting access program. This effort has focused on pheasants, but those sites with good riparian cover may offer good quail opportunities as well. Much of this acreage is managed under Washington’s online Hunt by Reservation Only System, which is growing in popularity and had over 100 sites available last season.
Season Dates: Varies by region, see link below
Daily Bag Limit: Varies by region, see link below
Possession Limit: Varies by region, see link below
Field Notes: Top counties for Washington quail hunting include Yakima, Grant, Chelan and Okanogan. Local forecasts and tips on hunting areas within individual districts can be found on
WDFW’s Hunting Prospects website.
Helpful Links: