Lots of misinformation here.
You cannot release pen raised birds on public land legally period. State or national.
You must have a TPWD private shooting preserve permit.
You must buy your birds from a TPWD approved producer.
All birds you release must have a band on them with your private preserve number on the band.
You must have a TPWD shooting preserve sign at every gate on a public road on your property.

I have a friend that is going through this now. He also thought you just went and bought some chukars and quail and put them out. Not so.

Well, that all sounds very informative and is correct...if you want to shoot quail year-round and with disregard to bag limits. That is what the Shooting Preserve regulations are all about.

When it comes to the LBJ\Caddo National Grasslands, there are hundreds of pen raised quail released at every AKC Hunt Test held at The Grasslands. I can assure you that none of the birds I have handled from these events have been banded.

The Grasslands Bird Dog Training Area is not a Shooting Preserve...The National Grasslands, including the Bird Dog Training Area, is not and cannot be registered as a shooting preserve by TPWD, because the regulations apply only privately owned land. (One of the dog clubs inquired about registering a section of the Grasslands, so they could train, with shooting, year round.) The Hunt Tests occur with the full knowledge and consent of the local superintendent's office (they have the events on their schedule and do the reservations for the group use facility) .

It is only legal to shoot bobwhites in the designated "Bird Dog Training Area" during a registered event (state law), but dog trainers and bird dog clubs routinely release and shoot birds on other sections for dog training, As long as it is during quail season, and bag limits are observed, this seems to be permitted on the grasslands and I have never heard of anyone being fine, or even scolded for it. I personally called the the Grasslands field office a couple of years ago to make sure I understood which areas were included in the Bird Dog Training Area (There are metal signs on each gate that designate the Bird Dog Training Area). I was not told of any restriction for what we wanted to do, other than the NO Killing Quail restriction for the Bird Dog Training Area itself.

There is lots of confusing stuff out there about release/trapping/moving quail in Texas. This is one of the best documents I have seen on the subject........ Releasing and moving upland birds in Texas

In Texas it is legal to purchase live game birds from a breeder to release on private property for various purposes, including for training bird dogs and to attempt to establish a new population. A private bird hunting area license is not required under these circumstances. The moment the birds are released onto the property they are legally considered wild and fall under all the applicable game laws (hunting regs, possession).... there are quite a few permits involved with quail hunting and management activities in Texas. Each has specific terms that need to be followed, so it is always a good idea to reach out to your local biologist or Game Warden to make sure you are complying with the permit. In the end, each serves a unique purpose and helps ensure that all quail species are effectively conserved and managed for present and future Texans.


As always...this info is worth what you paid for it. I recommend you contact your local game warden and the superintendent/resident biologist for any public lands and get your information directly from them.

Texas Parks and Wildlife managed lands are a different story. I have personally discussed releasing pen raised birds with Chip out at Matador. That is a no-no at Matador, regardless of the facility the birds come from, due to the risk of introducing disease/parasites into their native population. My guess is that anywhere with native populations have similar restrictions, but Matador is the only Texas WMA I have inquired about.