Oklahoma Quail Survey Average Falls 51% to 2.22 Birds Per Route After Drought

Oklahoma’s statewide quail survey average fell 51% to 2.22 birds per route in 2026, the state wildlife department said in its Nov. 2 season outlook. Tell Judkins, a wildlife biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), wrote the 2026-27 outlook. Last year’s average was 4.54.

ODWC has run roadside surveys for more than 35 years, covering 81 routes of 20 miles each in August and October. Every county is included except Oklahoma and Tulsa, which are left out because of urbanization. The surveys give an index of bird numbers, not an actual census.

August results looked better, with increases in every region except the southeast. Then came a summer with about double the average number of days above 100 degrees F, and the October surveys showed declines in every region except the northeast.

Drought covered 100% of the state by August and stayed there. Remnants of Hurricane Polo in late September brought some relief. As of mid-October, about 70% of Oklahoma was in severe, extreme or exceptional drought.

By ecoregion, primarily three of the nine drove this year’s statewide average. They were the Southern High Plain, the Cherokee Prairie and the Rolling Red Plain. The Cherokee Prairie in the northeast and the Southern High Plains in the Panhandle were least affected by “exceptional” drought and posted higher October counts.

Brood reports show nesting started in early June with good early nest success. October counts of bobwhites found 88.9% full grown birds. No scaled quail were seen on the October routes, but few routes can see them, so the department said that is not a prediction of scaled quail abundance.

The department’s outlook is that hunters will likely find fair numbers where habitat is most favorable and drought had a lessened effect. Hunting may not quite match the 2016 peak, the department said, but it expects hunters to find birds throughout the state.

ODWC is again collecting quail wings from public land hunters. Hunters are asked to put one wing from each harvested quail, whichever is least damaged, in a provided envelope, fill it out and leave it in the wing survey box. The boxes are at these WMAs:

• Beaver River
• Canton
• Cimarron Hills
• Cimarron Bluffs
• Cooper
• Cross Timbers
• Drummond Flats
• Ellis County
• Fort Supply
• Hulah
• Kaw
• Optima
• Osage
• Packsaddle
• Pushmataha
• Sandhills

Nonresidents have added requirements under rules the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adopted in 2025. They must check in and out of certain public areas through the GoOutdoorsOK app or GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com. Nonresident game bird hunters need a Nonresident Game Bird Permit on any WMA. ODWC also asks out-of-state hunters to check dogs for injuries, open wounds or fly larvae before entering the state, especially when coming from or through New World screwworm zones.

Quail season opens Nov. 14, 2026, and runs to Feb. 15, 2027, with a daily bag limit of 10 quail.