Prehistoric evidence of bobwhite quail in Pennsylvania dates back as early as the 1400s with the discovery of their bones found in early human settlements. Through the advent of recorded history, early peoples utilized quail as a food source. Early explorers found quail in large numbers upon arrival to the area and described seeing huge flocks within the great valleys of south central and southeastern Pennsylvania, where Native Americans had used fire to open the landscape.

As exploration turned into settlement, vast stretches of forest were cleared for farming and profit, and the quail followed closely behind. By the mid-1800s quail could be found in all 67 counties of the state and had expanded in both their range and number.

As with most habitat-dependent wildlife, it wasn’t to last. Throughout the late 19th century and into the early 20th centuries, farms were abandoned and the Pennsylvania landscape did what it does best when left alone — re-sprouted. This, in combination with several severe winters and over-harvest led to the bobwhite’s range restriction and population decline.

The quail retreated into the south central and southeastern counties with a few staying along the Ohio border. With game laws firmly in place in the early 1900s, quail were found in their strongholds up through the 1960s, even though population densities were still low. During this same time, many federal government-sponsored set-aside programs provided ample habitat within agricultural communities. Unfortunately, these programs disappeared in the early 1970s, and much farmland wildlife habitat was plowed under.

Continued development due to an increasing population within the state also contributed to a permanent loss of habitat. Additionally, between the years 1932 and 1952, more than 400,000 pen-reared quail were released within the commonwealth from both Game Commission farms and private breeders. This influx of pen-reared birds blanketing the remaining wild population was thought to play a role in the continued decline of quail populations. Even in recent years, more than 60,000 pen-reared quail are raised and released in Pennsylvania. Quail surveys conducted by agency biologists through the 1980s into the mid-1990s saw quail populations go from a few to almost zero within their former strongholds.

— Pennsylvania Game Commission