Hunting Bobwhite Quail in a Pine Forest

The bobwhite quail has been called a "walking hors d'oeuvre". This is because of being particularly liked by dozens of predators including snakes, raccoons, opossums, fox squirrels, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, dogs, cats, hawks, owls, rats, weasels and ants. Even deer have been documented eating quail eggs.

Quail experience enormous pressure from predators from the time the chick hatches - and even before. Only about one-third of quail nests hatch with success. More than half the chicks that do hatch die within two weeks, mostly from predation. Of those quail that do survive until autumn, 80 percent will be dead by the next autumn.