Georgia’s youth quail hunts spark the next generation

Georgia Department of Natural Resources partners with Quail Forever to host youth hunts

Heart beating fast, bird dogs on point and gun raised high. Silence seems to freeze the air right before a covey explodes from the grass, their wings thundering against the cold air, and a young hunter takes their first shot. Maybe their first shot ever. For most kids participating in Georgia’s youth hunts, their first experience with bobwhite quail wasn’t taught from a textbook or even a screen. It was taught in the field.

Through a partnership between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Quail Forever, youth across the state are gaining hands-on experience through Georgia’s youth bobwhite quail hunts, a program housed within the state’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI). The goal is to introduce youth to quail hunting while connecting them to the habitat and conservation work that makes it all possible.

“A lot of kids, even if they’ve hunted before, have never experienced quail hunting,” Dallas Ingram, state quail coordinator for Georgia DNR, said. “It’s harder to get into. These hunts give them a chance to experience it and hopefully carry that interest forward.”

Youth quail hunts have been part of Georgia DNR programming for years, but collaborating with Quail Forever in recent years has helped expand the program significantly. With support from Georgia DNR private lands staff and Quail Forever staff, the youth quail hunts are hosted on private lands by landowners actively working with the program.

Miranda Gulsby, Georgia Quail Forever state coordinator, emphasized the importance of having willing landowners to sacrifice their time to allow Georgia’s youth the opportunity to hunt private land, as opposed to public land 

“These private landowners are managing for quail and are putting in a lot of time and effort to manage their properties,” Gulsby said. “Being able to share that work with these kids is incredibly rewarding for landowners and helps reinforce why habitat management matters. It’s a unique feature we get on private land instead of public.”

The hunts take place on properties with either a huntable wild quail population or pen-raised quail, ensuring participants have a meaningful experience while learning how habitat supports wildlife.

Youth ages 10 to 16 apply through Georgia DNR’s quota system, a lottery-style process available through the Go Outdoors Georgia platform. Once selected, Quail Forever and Georgia DNR staff handle logistics, making the hunts accessible to first-time participants.

“Kids don’t need to bring anything besides their hunter’s education and excitement.” Ethan Howell, Georgia Quail Forever precision agriculture and conservation specialist, said. “We can provide shotguns, ammunition, dogs and guides if needed.”

Education is woven throughout the day. Georgia DNR and Quail Forever biologists talk with the youth participants and chaperones about quail biology, habitat needs and the management practices that sustain bobwhite populations.

“It's important, as we're exposing youth to hunting opportunities, to also educate them on why we hunt and why we manage habitat for these species, and how that ties into hunting,” Gulsby said. “You can't hunt without that being at the core. I think that understanding is very critical for our hunters to have.”

For many participants, these hunts mark their first quail hunt, and sometimes even their first harvest.

“Seeing kids get their first bird is always exciting,” Ingram said. “By the end of the day, they’re asking their parents if they can get a bird dog. That excitement is what we’re trying to spark.”

Gulsby said those experiences are critical and can also shape lifelong connections to the outdoors.

“For us who are currently in the field, we can often point back to an experience in our childhood that was the game changer and led to the desire to pursue a field in conservation, or hunting,” Gulsby said. “For youth, there is a window there where you can make that impression that impacts someone in their life.”

Demand for Georgia youth quail hunts continues to grow, with far more applicants than available spots. Gulsby and Ingram hope to expand the program even more by recruiting additional private landowners willing to host future hunts, hoping the experience itself offers more than just a hunt, but provides a lasting connection to the land and the species that call it home.

For families interested in participating, youth must complete their hunter’s education before applying through the Go Outdoors Georgia quota system, which opens in late summer and is announced in the fall.