The Hill You Don't Climb: Off-Road Driving Skills for California Hunting Access
Two one-day classes at Hollister Hills changed how we get to birds — and, more often, how we decide not to. Trail spotting, hill aborts, left-foot braking, and treating the rig like it has to bring you home.
Opener Morning Loadout: Vest, Shells, Water, Dog
What actually goes in the truck and the vest for September 1: a case of nonlead, the water math for a 95-degree morning, shade and a seat, hearing protection, ice for the birds, the person who knows where you are — and a pre-dawn checklist you can forward to the friend who always forgets HIP.
Pre-Season Clay Practice for California Upland Hunters: Building the Right Reps Before Opening Day
Planning a summer of clay practice for California upland hunting: the sporting clays, skeet, and 5-stand presentations instructors match to dove openers, quail rises, and chukar shots.
Nonlead Shot for Dove: What Works at 25 Yards
A 25-yard crossing dove is the shot of the California opener. What the pattern board and the published data say about steel 6s and 7s, bismuth 7s and 8s, IC versus modified, and the price of a 15-bird volume day.
Patterning Nonlead Shot before the 2026 California Dove and Quail Openers: A July and August Range Session Plan
A July range-session plan for patterning nonlead shotshells before the 2026 California dove opener — steel, bismuth, and choke selection for mourning dove.
Brush Pants and Chaps for California Chaparral: A NorCal Upland Hunter's Gear Guide
Brush pants vs. chaps for California chaparral: what NorCal upland hunters actually need for buckbrush, chamise, and manzanita on public land coveys.
Nonlead Ammunition for California Upland Hunters: 2026-27 Supply Planning
Nonlead ammunition California upland hunters need for 2026-27 — bismuth, steel, and tungsten shot sizes, supply timing, and the condor-era conservation story.
Five Knives I’m Considering Adding to My Vest This Fall
The upland knife market has quietly gotten serious. Here are five blades — from a folder you'll forget is there to a purpose-built bird knife — worth a look before October.