1. Game Management
  2. Quail in Texas
  3. Bobwhite Quail Forecast
  4. Historical Forecast Data

TPWD Quail Roadside Survey Historical Data
1978 to 2023

Perspective

Statewide surveys were initiated in 1978 to monitor quail populations. This index uses randomly selected, 20-mile roadside survey lines to determine annual quail population trends by ecological region. This long-term data incorporates decades of changes along each of the 167 existing roadside routes in Texas. The mean number of quail observed per route is recorded each year by region. The long term mean for each region is included at the bottom of the table.

Northern Bobwhite Quail Long-Term Historical Data

Number of Northern Bobwhite Quail per Area per Year from 1978 to 2022.
Year Cross Timbers Edwards Plateau Gulf Prairies High Plains Rolling Plains South Texas Plains
1978 16.72 6.92 15.83 3.64 19.36 14.69
1979 20.63 12.70 19.50 0.36 19.00 47.00
1980 24.56 8.15 13.17 0.73 21.93 16.50
1981 25.28 15.04 13.25 1.36 34.72 26.38
1982 24.28 15.78 12.00 0.73 32.63 39.17
1983 33.16 5.93 12.00 0.90 30.32 13.97
1984 15.03 4.30 14.92 0.73 8.32 12.00
1985 11.26 3.74 8.58 9.45 15.98 18.62
1986 17.35 4.00 15.17 3.00 34.44 32.52
1987 38.26 8.26 11.17 4.73 49.25 48.07
1988 15.85 6.27 17.89 no data 23.10 19.57
1989 13.11 4.00 8.89 no data 13.65 11.41
1990 11.87 4.53 9.25 no data 13.35 12.03
1991 19.58 11.63 18.88 no data 23.20 24.81
1992 18.00 10.63 13.13 no data 40.00 52.48
1993 26.89 14.88 9.00 5.43 41.02 33.74
1994 11.49 6.13 11.14 4.63 15.35 14.68
1995 10.26 3.00 8.71 0.88 12.33 10.74
1996 6.03 4.44 9.57 1.22 8.07 7.42
1997 10.06 8.19 4.33 3.00 24.86 12.44
1998 8.34 5.13 11.00 2.22 18.74 18.58
1999 9.60 5.06 12.89 4.33 11.66 22.65
2000 2.91 1.25 4.89 6.44 16.66 10.77
2001 5.63 4.19 5.22 1.67 12.07 15.26
2002 7.83 0.31 6.78 0.56 15.86 6.68
2003 6.71 8.63 7.11 8.33 24.11 13.13
2004 2.65 7.13 7.75 2.56 23.20 19.29
2005 3.97 3.50 3.56 16.67 37.37 8.87
2006 2.57 0.87 4.00 5.71 13.98 3.10
2007 2.74 1.07 3.56 6.22 21.05 7.03
2008 3.32 0.57 9.67 1.63 18.53 6.58
2009 1.11 0.75 5.67 3.44 6.64 4.87
2010 0.74 1.94 4.56 2.43 8.02 8.42
2011 2.06 1.06 19.44 1.78 5.32 8.03
2012 0.23 5.13 8.00 0.11 3.48 7.74
2013 0.60 1.13 9.70* 0.78 2.80 6.13
2014 1.34 4.81 19.90 5.89 7.52 13.77
2015 1.06 6.44 14.90 15.00 38.84 24.55
2016 6.14 11.67 4.60 33.22 52.52 13.97
2017 4.03 4.17 7.30 9.22 23.16 10.16
2018 0.17 0.83 1.30 9.22 3.66 5.06
2019 0.40 0.94 2.33 4.11 5.34 13.77
2020 1.83 0.72 3.00 2.56 3.25 3.77
2021 0.51 1.00 4.40 2.33 1.50 3.10
2022 0.23 0.11 2.50 0.78 0.86 5.26
2023 0.20 1.00 9.60 3.44 3.43 9.59
Long-Term Mean 9.71 5.17 9.57 4.67 18.71 16.05

Scaled Quail Long-Term Historical Data

Number of Scaled Quail per Area per Year from 1978 to 2021.
Year Edwards Plateau High Plains Rolling Plains South Texas Plains Trans-Pecos
1978 4.88 2.06 13.09 4.00 20.37
1979 10.75 5.24 9.16 13.72 51.37
1980 2.50 1.33 2.73 5.17 11.28
1981 7.25 4.17 9.44 6.00 44.47
1982 11.00 4.75 19.50 7.50 27.28
1983 13.38 0.55 5.06 6.44 15.74
1984 5.50 1.33 7.09 1.61 12.05
1985 19.75 2.58 6.22 7.83 25.42
1986 13.00 2.25 7.26 11.06 19.74
1987 11.25 1.25 7.55 22.06 27.89
1988 12.50 no data 3.04 2.00 13.13
1989 8.75 no data 2.50 1.20 7.63
1990 2.00 no data 0.87 4.33 3.19
1991 8.25 no data 0.88 16.56 7.24
1992 2.88 no data 2.64 19.95 27.50
1993 3.75 0.00 0.39 14.70 8.89
1994 0.75 0.00 0.00 7.00 4.06
1995 0.00 6.50 0.44 5.25 3.94
1996 0.00 2.09 0.88 2.00 5.56
1997 1.25 1.36 0.06 3.35 14.59
1998 5.88 0.27 0.31 13.90 9.06
1999 3.88 1.18 1.21 18.10 20.76
2000 1.88 1.27 0.30 10.60 13.47
2001 1.13 0.36 2.91 32.45 17.67
2002 9.63 0.09 3.15 3.95 10.24
2003 12.88 5.09 2.64 9.00 17.35
2004 8.25 0.00 1.24 3.05 25.41
2005 24.38 1.91 3.78 1.55 34.18
2006 14.43 6.29 3.70 0.80 18.93
2007 6.38 0.64 1.48 0.10 28.00
2008 5.83 0.00 0.41 1.10 6.53
2009 0.25 0.64 0.00 0.25 15.81
2010 2.88 0.00 0.82 0.90 6.56
2011 1.25 1.09 0.00 1.15 6.31
2012 5.63 0.82 0.09 1.45 7.38
2013 0.25 0.27 0.06 1.40 9.13
2014 2.25 0.09 0.55 1.15 7.13
2015 5.13 18.00 3.18 1.30 53.79
2016 18.38 8.64 4.18 2.55 46.80
2017 24.75 6.82 3.58 1.65 16.60
2018 3.50 1.36 0.21 0.10 10.93
2019 1.50 2.73 0.27 0.63 25.47
2020 0.88 0.55 0.06 1.15 14.13
2021 7.13 0.27 1.45 0.50 4.33
2022 1.50 1.09 0.42 0.25 13.06
2023 4.50 1.82 0.06 0.16 20.65
Long-Term Mean 6.82 2.36 2.93 5.89 17.63