New Logo – New Gear A new era of QF gear is available now! Shop the drop and the entire QF store today at the link in our bio. #quailforever #thehabitatorganization

COMIN’ SOON! Nine years running, and here it comes again: Our annual Upland Bird Hunting Super Issue. A classic Eldridge Hardie painting, Desert Blues, leads the way. Come along for blues and bobs “West of the Dryline.” Hunt oldtime North Dakota pheasants with a couple WWII generals. Adventure to Old Mexico for doves. Canoe in for Northwoods ruffed grouse. Fly close to the sun for alpine duskies and ptarmigan. Take a post-hunt soak in a natural hot spring. Tag on for a blue-collar “trifecta” hunt for three species in Mizzou. Celebrate 100 Years of Iowa rooster hunting, plus 2025’s upland Shotgun Showcase, 10 permanent protection stories, and whole lot more. If you’re not ready for the season after devouring this year’s Super Issue, your upland heart is not beating. But you have to be a current member to get it. Renew or join at the 🔗 in our bio by July 2 to get on the list and see our new logos in print for the very first time! With one sky above us, let us live this hunting season to its fullest, and re-commit to the tireless mission for places wild and free and publicly accessible. #quailforever #thehabitatorganization

June Weather Report: What It Means for Quail Despite some good, localized precipitation, much of AZ, NM, and West TX remain locked in drought – tough news for nesting hens and brood survival. Limited green vegetation and low insect production means low survival, especially in the driest zones…but there’s hope on the horizon (see the following slides). Some desert zones in AZ and NM got up to 500% of normal rainfall last month. This sparked a short-term green-up, which may have resulted in adequate breeding conditions in certain areas. Despite the rain, southeast AZ and southwest NM are still dry. Expect isolated pockets of good productivity across the region if the trend continues. Rain eased drought in big chunks of TX, OK, and KS – just in time for nesting season. Brood cover is bouncing back, bugs are booming, and chicks have a better shot at survival this summer. Parts of the Plains such as KS, OK, TX, and southwest AR saw 10-15 inches of rain – that’s up to 400% of normal! In certain areas that much rain could be detrimental to quail, but in drought-stricken areas, it means healthier habitat, more insects, and better odds for successful brooding. Nebraska and Iowa’s drought footprint shrank this month. In NE, severe drought dropped from 35% to 23% of the state. That’s should give nesting hens and young broods a fighting chance. The 8- to 14-day precipitation outlook shows a promising surge of monsoon rain building across the Desert Southwest, right in the heart of peak brooding season for many desert quail populations. Heavy rainfall is expected across large swaths of New Mexico, northeastern Colorado, eastern Kansas, and much of Nebraska and Iowa – all regions where quail are currently nesting or brooding chicks. This could mean improved habitat and more insects or flooded nests and drowned chicks depending on the amount of rain. Stay tuned. The Takeaway: Across much of quail country, drought has likely been tough on nesting hens and young broods so far. However, more rain ahead for the Plains and SW means good news (unless it floods) for nesting cover, chick survival, and late broods. Timely rains could reshape the uplands. #quailforever