About California Upland
Matt and Peter both grew up hunting birds as kids, then spent a couple of decades letting careers and other hobbies take over. The bug hit again toward the end of Covid---a couple of dove trips turned into a couple of quail shoots, and that was it, we were hooked. These days most weekends mean scouting birds, shooting clays, chasing quail, and training dogs.
We started this site because the national upland press treats California as an afterthought. Project Upland, Covey Rise, Pheasants Forever all do good work, but none of them are dialed in on the state with the most upland-bird hunters in the West, the deepest geographic complexity, and the fastest-changing habitat---from the Sacramento Valley dove opener to Owens Valley chukar canyons to Trinity Alps mountain quail country. Nobody was writing about it the way it deserved.
We're both based in the Bay Area, and we both cover the full state — the publication's thesis is that California upland country deserves writers who go everywhere in it, not just one corner of it.
Who we are
Matt Gehrmann is a NorCal native who grew up hunting the Central Valley for pheasant, quail, and dove with friends, and is based in the Bay Area now. Matt needs a dog and is leaning toward a Brittany Spaniel, which is the next chapter — and typically shoots a Browning Citori 12-gauge.
Peter Burnham grew up in rural Nevada but mostly learned to hunt with an uncle in Chico, CA over doves and ducks. He lived in Southern California for a stretch, and is based in the Bay Area now. He hunts behind Alan, a ridiculous four-year-old English cocker, and usually shoots a Beretta 686 in 20-gauge.
How to reach us
Write us at hello@californiaupland.com and one of us will get back to you. We're on Instagram at @california_upland where we post field shots, scouting notes, and bird-and-dog photos during the season.
If you want the weekly digest and the season-dates-and-limits PDF, signup to our substack below. It's free; we don't sell the list.
— Matt Gehrmann & Peter Burnham California Upland