This Old Gun // "A Tale of Two Shotguns" When I was 13, my mother remarried. Not long after, we moved from a small town to outside an even smaller one in rural Oklahoma. To say my world changed is an understatement. I was turned loose in the outdoors and ultimately adopted by the man she had married. My new father introduced me to quail, the land, and how to see the world with a hunter's eye — and perhaps nothing holds those memories more vividly than two of his old shotguns. Click the link in our bio to read more about these old guns and how they shaped a young mans life and career. Photos and story by thatokbiologist This story originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of Quail Forever Journal #quailforever #thehabitatorganization

Quail Fact Friday Did you know that scaled quail, also known as the “blue quail” or “cottontops,” are one of the six quail species native to the United States? Thriving in the arid grasslands of the Southwest and into Central Mexico, scaled quail are built for tough country. Females typically lay 9–16 eggs per clutch (most often 12–14), and their eggs incubate for 21–23 days. Scaled quail also commonly double-brood (producing two nests in a single season). When it comes to food, scaled quail are opportunists. They eat seeds year-round, favoring mesquite, snakeweed, ragweed, sunflower, plus leaves, fruits, and insects. In summer, their diet shifts to green vegetation and bugs, both of which also provide crucial moisture in dry landscapes. Quail Fact Friday is presented by irishsetterboots #quailforever #quailfactfriday #thehabitatorganization

Happy National Forest Products Week! 🌲🪵📃📦 Why on Earth would we celebrate this occasion? It is well known that quail in savannah ecosystems rely on quality forest management. Thinning, prescribed fire, and ground disturbance through tree harvest are critical to keep quail on the ground in forested systems. Commercially thinned forests can promote healthy habitat by allowing sunlight to reach the ground which creates a healthy herbaceous understory community. The timber market in the Southeast contributes to frequent habitat maintenance for quail. When one stand becomes unsuitable habitat (tree canopy closes in as trees grow), another nearby area may become suitable habitat through commercial thinning or clearcutting. If a private landowner wants to grow a quail population, their main obstacle is usually habitat. Active forest management ensures the birds who are already there or nearby persist on the landscape. While this industry creates benefits for quail, it also sustains millions of jobs, builds communities, provides essential materials and reduces wildfire risks. Quail Forever team members are committed to ensuring forest management continues to benefit our favorite birds and rural communities who depend on this crucial industry. 📸 1.ryan.sparks.1 #quailforever #thehabitatorganization

The countdown ends now! It’s opening weekend for pheasants and quail in Nebraska and Iowa! Forecasts are calling for sunny skies and mild temps to kick off pheasant and quail seasons. Whether you’re chasing roosters in CRP or coveys along a hedgerow, conditions are looking good for getting in the field. Tag us in your opening weekend photos – we can’t wait to see those first birds of the year! #quailforever #pheasantsforever #thehabitatorganization