32 2017 Annual Report
N E B R A S K A ' S Q U A I L P O P U L A T I O N
C O N T I N U E S T O B O O M
Bobwhite quail have continued to increase throughout Nebraska
in recent years, providing excellent mixed-bag opportunities for
upland hunters. During the 2016-17 season, hunters bagged
an estimated 113,000 quail in Nebraska, a 23 percent increase
compared to the previous season and 44 percent above the 10-
year average. According to the 2016-17 Hunter Success Survey,
bobwhites were harvested in 86 of Nebraska's 93 counties,
indicating that populations have recently expanded into many
areas outside of their primary range. Summer 2017 quail surveys
showed additional increases and harvest is expected to increase
again in 2018. According to the 2017 July Rural Mail Carrier
Survey, quail populations were 29 percent higher than 2016
and 81 percent above the fi ve-year average. Similarly, bobwhite
whistle counts increased by 14 percent compared to 2016, and
increases were observed in nearly all regions of the state. Several
factors have contributed to Nebraska's rising bobwhite quail
population. First, much of the primary quail range experienced
another relatively mild winter and other severe weather events
were isolated. In recent years, bobwhites also have benefi ted
from the improved habitat conditions resulting from the drought
of 2012-13. The drought weakened native grasses and promoted
more broad-leafed plants and bare ground within our existing
grasslands, providing ideal nesting and brood-rearing habitat for
bobwhite quail. Despite continued land-use change and habitat
fragmentation, bobwhite populations have remained very strong in
areas of Nebraska where their key habitat elements remain.
A
MALE
BOBWHITE
QUAIL
AT
YANKEE
HILL
WILDLIFE
MANAGEMENT
AREA.
FALL
COLORS
AT
INDIAN
CAVE
STATE
PARK,
WITH
THE
MISSOURI
RIVER
IN
THE
BACKGROUND.
