Anyone been in the area south of Abilene and Coleman that can give us a quail hatch update?
Thanks

It's a good question. It has been on my mind. I've known nests to get flooded out.

Hell of a hatch out here! Them little chit's are running every where, momma Blue ran across the road yesterday morning and had 15 to 16 little ones with her. This bunch was about 3 to 3 1/2 inches tall.

Sweet! Did yall catch a lot of rain Hwy Man?

Had a great hatch in south texas, more little ones than ive seen in a while

Yes we have, pastures are the greenest I've seen in year's.

Good hatch in Nolan/Fisher and they're growing quick. Busted a momma yesterday and babies flushed with her.

I went to my lease in Kent County Monday, and saw baby birds, pairs, and heard birds calling. Wind blowing 30mph, 90+ degrees. Lots of weeds, sunflowers, and insects. Looking real good so far even though conditions to hear and see birds was pretty poor. You cannot see a bird unless it is in the middle of road or flushes from your vehicle. I still need 4 to fill 18500 acre lease, all huntable all quail season.

South of you near Brady we are seeing the most that we have seen in years. We have laid off of hunting for 5 years now, looks to be paying off.

Flushed more in Nolan this morning. Had to be 2 clutches. 2 to 3 adults and 20+ little sparrow sized chicks. What's average clutch size? That was the most I've seen at once maybe ever.

I was in the Wellington, Quail, Aberdeen area three weeks ago. We watched 12 pairs running the roads in a little more than three hours. I heard more whistles than I've heard in a long time.

I was at deer lease bear Blackwell this weekend and saw lots of quail. Including seeng a mom&pop with at prolly 20 chicks in tow. Never seen that many chicks.

Then I went just NW of Menard to look at ranch to purchase and saw lots of quail with large brood of chicks while walking the property

This year I've seen more quail and chicks than I've seen in the past 20 years. Including last year, which was pretty good too!

Quail are doing great at our place in Santa Anna. Birds calling all over the place & seeing some broods. Tough to see any though with all the grass. We were driving around Gouldbuusk & heard quail in several places there when we stopped to look around.

This should put to rest, but it won't, what is needed for good quail numbers...water.

Coolie,
I agree with you that nothing moves the needle on successful quail hatches like moisture does here in Texas. My question is what happened to the quail in the SE United States that were just as plentiful as Texas not over 30 years ago? Why have they not come back on their own? The Tall Timbers Organization has done great things in restoring wild quail down there but nothing would have happened without that project. And that part of the country had plenty of rain in most years.

We actually have more quail on the dryer years,,or at least find more.

NorthTX it was habitat. I lived there from 1991 to 2005 which was about the end of he farming for crops and the height of the farming for trees. Over the last 40years the small farms all but disappeared and everyone started growing trees for the construction boom. There are areas where the timber has been thinned and birds are doing well but most of that is on private plantations where they farm for quail and the cost is staggering. It's a real shame but a lot of great bird country may never come back. I found birds some years in cutovers but they were rough hunting. We are lucky to have much the same cover we had 50 years ago and with the right rain we still have birds.

My guess would be a remnant to start over with. Once they are gone, they're gone. Zero plus rain equals zero. The quail hunting here in Ellis county used to be great. I knew where over 70 coveys were. I haven't seen a wild quail around here in 25 years.

That will be the kicker this year. I'm thinking we will have the best numbers we've seen in years, but finding them in this jungle the pastures have turned into might be difficult.

Here, seeing plenty of pairs(going down my gravel road on some days I see 3 pair) but no chicks, none up to now. Beginning to worry cause at this same time last year was seeing plenty of little ones.

Not in the area the OP is asking about but I got a report from the ranch we guided some hunters on last year near Noodle, TX. Report was that birds were everywhere. Haven't talked to anyone that has been to our lease in Oklahoma yet. All I know is they had alot of rain and everything is very green.

That's why we have birddogs. They'll do the finding.
I watched three pairs yesterday dusting but never saw a chick. Lots of whistling going on from male birds in the surrounding area, so the chicks may be out there and the gypsy hen has taken up a new suitor.

I understand how it works. What I meant was some of the places around Fisher are getting to where you'll have to wade through head high brush looking for the dogs.

It can get so thick that the dogs have a hard time getting thru it. I've hunted a couple of places like that. It is exasperating when the dogs will not get off the road or trail you are following, and I thought a couple of times that they were just worn out, but no, change locations to where it wasn't so thick and yes!they began hunting again.

Flush them with the truck.