Burks

As Texas' bobwhite quail population continues an ominous, decades-long slide that has seen numbers of the iconic upland game bird fall more than 75 percent statewide over the past 30 years and disappear from some areas of the state, wildlife managers, academic researchers, hunters and landowners are ramping up efforts to keep thorough documentation of the decline, identify factors contributing to the problem and learn how to slow down, stop or perhaps reverse the nosedive.

One thing that won't be tried - at least not this year - is more conservative hunting regulations. After earlier this year saying they were considering proposing modest changes in Texas' liberal statewide quail hunting regulations, including partitioning the state into zones with different season lengths and bag limits aimed at increasing survival of adult quail, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff this past week announced the agency would not recommend changing hunting regulations.

Texas will continue allowing a statewide, four-month quail season with a 15-quail daily bag limit. The 2012-13 quail season will run from Oct. 27 to Feb. 24.