How to catch Quails

Quail are quick-footed and can also fly short distances, making them tricky to capture. Whether you keep quail at home or enjoy wild quail, sooner or later you may need to chase down one of these sneaky birds. The only way to catch a quail is to work slowly to corner the bird and trap it. Then, you can return a lost bird to its home or nest.

Method 1 of 5:

Trapping Wild Quail

1. 
   1
   Get a quail trap or build your own. To make catching quail easy, purchase a basic trap. Funnel cage traps and net traps are humane. They don’t hurt the birds at all. These traps are also pretty simple to replicate on your own with a few basic supplies. For example, try building a basic box trap by installing a closed hinge door on top of a wooden box, then creating a small hole near the bottom. The birds walk into the hole and try to escape towards the light in the door..^[1]

   • Quail traps are available online and at some hunting or farm supply stores.
   • For an easy net trap, try tying bird netting or fish netting to a bendable steel wire or strong posts. Plant the trap in the ground so the quail walk through the net and get tangled in it.^[2]
   • Another simple trap you can try is a PVC pipe trap. For this trap, you need some pipes a little bigger than the quail and a bucket to place beneath them. The quail walk through the pipes and fall into the bucket.^[3]
2. 
   2
   Place the trap in a location where quail gather. Look around for the quail before you set up your trap. They gather in flocks, so they aren’t too hard to spot. They live in wooded areas with lots of grass and brush to hide in. Set your trap up in an open meadow so you can keep an eye on it.^[4]

   • Traps also work for catching escaped pet quail. Simply set the trap up near the quail’s hiding spot. If the quail escapes to nearby woods, set the trap up there.
3. 
   3
   Dig a trench to guide the quail to the trap. Use a shovel to create a trail towards the trap. Make it about 12 in (30 cm) long. It doesn’t have to be deep. As long as it is lower than the ground around the trap, the quail will walk down the trail. Pile the dirt along the edges of the trail so the quail walks towards the trap.^[5]

   • If you aren’t able to dig out the soil, find a different way to create the trail. You may be able to push aside some brush to form a natural trail. Alternatively, try stacking wood or other objects to form a makeshift trail.
   • If you’re using a pipe trap, dig a hole at the opposite end of the pipe. Set a bucket in the hole, then cover it with mesh or netting. Make sure the netting is above the pipe rather than directly over the bucket. That way, the quail fall into the bucket but can’t fly out.
4. 
   4
   Bait the trench and trap with bird seed. Quail eat millet and cracked corn, which are components in most commercial seed mixes. Scatter the seed around the trench, then place a little bit inside of the trap. Spread more seed outside of the trench to draw in more curious quail.^[6]

   • Scattering the seed as far as 20 ft (6.1 m) from the trap helps lure in quail. Spread the seed out so the quail have to walk towards the trap rather than stand in place and snack.
   • Stop by a local pet store or wild bird supply store to get bait, or try mixing your own. Quail enjoy grains like wheat, corn, and sunflower seeds.
   • Quail eat green plants, including lettuce, broccoli, and turnip greens. They also eat insects like ants, beetles, and larva. Scatter the bugs near your trap or put some in a clear container inside the trap to use them as bait.
5. 
   5
   Move the quail into a storage box after it enters the trap. Wait for the quail to make its way to the end of the trench. Eventually, it will walk right into the net, bucket, cage, or whatever else you set up to catch it. Gently lift the quail out of the trap and move it to a storage box until you are ready to release it.^[7]

   • Quail traps are generally very small. Many of them hold 1 to 3 quail at a time. Plan on having a way to empty the trap, especially if you need to catch multiple birds. Check the trap often and keep a carrier cage nearby to transfer the caught quail to.
   • If you’re using a cage trap, leave the quail in the cage unless you plan on setting up the trap again. Otherwise, move the quail to a mesh cage or a small box with air holes cut into it.
   • Quail get stressed when they are left in storage boxes for too long. Storage boxes are meant to be temporary, so move the quail out as soon as you get the chance.