Just curious if there are any pockets of wild quail left in the piney woods?

Lets define Piney Woods as Texarkana to Sherman in the North, and lets say Beaumont to Katy in the South. I doubt it because the lack of disturbed earth, but I've been wrong before.

I can't speak for the northern portion (but have read there are a lot of groups trying to restore habitat and bring quail back to that area) but I do know there are pockets of birds in the Katy area. I consider that area the Katy prairie, and don't believe it qualifies as piney woods but more the norther tip of the Gulf Coastal Plains...and the area that holds birds is being gobbled up by concrete at a rapid pace these days, especially around I-10...there are still some birds south of there but no public access that I am aware of.

TX_Birddog, you are correct. Katy is definitely considered Prairie. I guess, Conroe would have been a better border. Nonetheless, it seems to me loss of habitat to be the biggest threat.

I live in Tyler and I hunted in Smith, Cherokee, Rusk, Henderson, and Van Zandt counties for years. I haven't seen or heard a quail in this area in at least fifteen years. I talk to a lot of hunters and people living in the country and I haven't found anyone who has seen or heard a bird in that length of time. I sure miss the good old days.

The quail in Walker, Houston, Trinity, San Jacinto, Polk, Tyler, Jasper, Montgomery, and Liberty counties all but disappeared by the early to mid 1980’s. The combination of the conversion of most pastures from native grasses to improved pasture for increased forage production that are too dense for quail to walk through and the use of herbicides to put Ag land in production took most of their their fence line habitat away. There is still isolated pockets of habitat and a very few quail around but not in huntable numbers. Currently the habitat is not present to support a comeback. The few pockets of birds I know about are all on private property. As already stated, there are some private landowners doing habitat restoration work to set the table in hopes of once again having quail on their property. There are still some quail in places on the coastal prairie. I am not aware of any public quail hunting opportunities in east texas.

I'm reading a grouse and woodcock book by a fella in West Virginia. In their area, the bird loss is due in his opinion, to the lack of new growth habitat the birds like. It would take some clear cutting for mature forest and natural reforestation to occur. That period when its thick with small trees is apparently good grouse habitat. But its not pretty, and its hard for the public to get behind removing pretty forest.

It seems to me that until some large scale farming comes back to East Texas, we won't have quail again. Just not the bare earth they like.

three things I like most...bass fishing, sex, quail hunting, not necessarily in that order

Texas A&M are doing some kind of study/release of California/Valley quail in the east. They did this like 2 yrs ago. Does anyone know anything about this?

I've heard and seen a very small number of quail in Panola County the last 3 years.

I'm in Archer county and there's no birds here. Haven't seen or heard any in Lord knows when.

I have not seen a quail here in the Tyler area in 15+ years.

Many years ago when I was a kid we hunted quail in east Texas. There was a healthy population back then. Much of the pature land has been converted from native grass to mostly coastal bermuda for grazing. Can't blame ranchers for maximizing profits. Sadly quail were losers. This and lack of predator control (both furry ones and avian) hasn't helped sustain populations.

There is still small pockets of quail in the Brookshire though Sealy area. If you haven’t had permission to be on those properties for the last 15-20 years, your not going to get it. All the new construction going in after the 99 Grand Parkway, I doubt they will be there much longer. I’ve never really hunted them. Taken a few in good years, but basically just used them for a little dog work.

I know of 2 projects involving quail restoration in piney woods. Actually Gus Engling is on western edge. The other on private property south of Lufkin. I am fortunate enough to get to tour these
properties and take note of progress. i am moving forward with some of the same practices on a coop i put together several years ago and its a long shot but a dream of mine to restore Bobwhite Quail to my area in Anderson county. I did get a Eastern Turkey Restoration allready and habitat restoration is a slow process but will create needed grasses for quail also.

Awesome cos

I only have about 150 acres to play with in Camp county, but I would love to see them reestablished. They have some in Western Arkansas, so don't see any reason we couldn't bring them back if there is a concerted effort to do so.

I hunt southeast of Longview and had a lease in Cass County and I haven't heard a Quail in at least 10 years. We used to have a couple of coveys in our neighborhood but they have been gone a long time also. I do miss hearing them.

Shoot I'd be shocked if you had heard any in the last 30 years. I grew up on White Oak and have family land in Camp County. We as a family have seen a wild quail there since the 70s.

;Yes. They concluded that a release of Valley Quail that would survive was feasible. They estimated that it would take 10 years to establish a huntable population. Valley quail have expanded their range to Arizobna and Montana. The occupy a different nich than bobs, behave like blues but will roost in trees. They have large coveys and broods, It is illegal to release game birds in Texas w/o a TPWD permit. The reg addresses chukars, bobs and pheasants but may apply to a species like Vallely Quail.There us no limit on Valley Quail in Montana because they are considered an undesireable non-native species, even though there are limits on pheasants and huns --both non-north american species.

I looked for an update on the Valley Quail release and it appears that it was a complete failure.

Not the Piney Woods, but the Big Country. However, there may be some very good habitat improvement ideas here, coming from the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation a few miles north of me in Fisher County -- once the quail hunting capital of Texas:

https://mailchi.mp/405b510ebe7a/rpqrf-e-quail-newsletter-april-2023-v15n4?e=ddced739ed

TPWD should start releasing Valley quail in areas that no longer have native bobwhite populations.

Look into Mr.Gordys place in Onalaska, specifically episode 35 of Dr.Dale on quail podcast. He’s started managing for habitat and in a podcast said they’ve had native quail reestablish “without reintroduction” but don’t quote me on that. I know he said they had increased covey counts since working on the habitat. Some more topics on odd subgauge guns and the like, but the best part is him talking about using the place to help rebuild the quail here.