Oklahoma Quail Hunting Report « Quail Forever Blogs

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Oklahoma Quail Hunting Report

The author and his setter pup, “Ozzy,” battled tough conditions for this pair of Oklahoma bobwhites.

With Oklahoma’s quail season entering its final 30-day stretch, most Sooner State hunters have had a hard time of it thus far. Continued drought and a distinct lack of moisture have combined to limit hunter success. ”The reports that I’ve been getting are that, while a few guys are finding scattered pockets of birds here and there, overall we’re seeing limited numbers of birds,” says Doug Schoeling, upland game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “Bird numbers are down this year, and we’re in the second year of a drought. We just haven’t had very good conditions for hunting.”

Schoeling says that he’s heard some scattered reports of hunters finding a few birds, especially in areas that have received some timely moisture this season. “That seems to have really helped the dog work some,” says Schoeling. “Although bird numbers are certainly lower than normal, I really think that poor scenting conditions for dogs has played a big part in the overall lack of success.” Schoeling says timely rains during nesting season may have helped the northwestern part of the state have a few more birds. “I’ve heard some reports of guys finding a few birds up there.” Overall, Schoeling says, the western part of the state is going to be far better for bird numbers than the central and eastern parts. “If you’re looking for birds, the western part of the state is going to be much better than the eastern region.”

Chad Love writes for Quail Forever from Woodward, Oklahoma. He is a lifelong quail hunter and “bird dog guy” who also writes for Field & Stream, including the magazine’s “Man’s Best Friend” gundog blog.