Habitat & Conservation,Hunting & Heritage,Quail Hunting Forecast  |  09/28/2017

Ohio Quail Hunting Forecast 2017


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Ohio’s bobwhites are having a tough go

The weather conditions in Ohio this summer generally were good for quail reproduction, but hunters still shouldn’t expect to see large numbers of the birds in the Buckeye State. The general outlook for bobwhite quail populations is poor, according to Nathan Stricker, wildlife biology supervisor for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
 
“Weather in southern Ohio, where the remainder of our quail population resides, was fairly mild with average to below average temperatures and moderate precipitation,” he says. “Ohio has not done summer brood surveys for bobwhite quail in many years, but recent research conducted on a selection of quail populations in southern Ohio has shown that quail production is fairly poor in the habitats available.”
 
Each year, Ohio conducts a spring whistle call count survey in May and June, but this year’s report hasn’t yet been finalized. He notes, though, that Ohio’s overall quail densities are “extremely low.”
 
“Quail populations have vanished from parts of southeastern Ohio as forest cover has increased and matured,” Stricker says. “Urbanization in southwest Ohio has fragmented quail populations in that part of the state. Quail populations this fall will be sparse and may be difficult to access in some areas.”
 
Hunters will have their best opportunities for finding quail in Adams, Brown and Highland counties, Stricker says. Here is Ohio’s quail hunting zone:
 
“Best chances for success are on small farms where ‘clean’ farming practices are not maintained, but rather a mix of cropland, rough idle/fallow fields, and overgrown shrubby cover is available,” he says.
 
Like the old days.
 

LINK

Ohio Quail Season Details