Hunting the Overlap: Sooty Grouse, Band-Tails, and Quail in the High Sierra in September
Three days hunting sooty grouse near Hope Valley, two empty ones, and a band tailed pigeon Peter shot on the last afternoon.
Reading Recent Burns for Birds: The New Fire Layer on California's Upland Map
We added California's recent wildfire perimeters to our upland species map, colored by burn age — because the one-to-three-year window after a fire is some of the best quail country in the state. Here's why burns matter, and how to read the new layer.
The Four Weeks That Decide October: Quail Prep While Dove Is Still Open
The dove split closes on the 15th and quail is a month out. That gap is the most useful four weeks on the California upland calendar and the easiest to waste. What we are actually doing with ours.
Reading California's Upland Harvest: A County Map of Where the Birds Were Taken in 2023–24
We built a county-by-county map of California's ten huntable upland species from CDFW's 2023–24 harvest survey — where doves, quail, chukar and pheasant were actually taken, what the numbers do and don't tell you, and how to read them for your own scouting.
Scouting Summer Dove Fields in California: Reading Sunflower, Safflower, and Grain Edges Before the September Opener
A summer guide to scouting California dove fields: how sunflower, safflower, and grain stubble pull mourning doves, plus the water and roost lines to map now.
How to Scout Public Land for Upland Birds Without Leaving Your Couch (Then What to Do When You Get There)
Field notes for California upland hunters — chukar, valley quail, pheasant, and the country and dogs that put them in the bag.
Your Upland Stamp at Work: California's $10 Validation Funds Wild Bird Habitat
Your $10 California upland game bird validation funds real habitat restoration. Here's exactly where that money goes and why it matters for quail and pheasant.
