Rainfall is a strong driver of quail populations on southwestern rangelands and can account for a large portion (~70–95%) of the variability in regional quail production and abundance. Landowners have attempted to moderate these boom‐and‐bust fluctuations via management; however, presently it is unknown whether management can increase or stabilize quail populations in semiarid environments or whether rainfall remains as influential at small spatial extents. Our objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of management at mitigating the effects of rainfall on northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations on semiarid rangelands and to quantify the influence of rainfall on bobwhite density at smaller spatial extents.