Hunting California Quail Without a Dog: First Light to the Cooler
No dog yet? The first morning on California quail on foot: listening for coveys, walking them up, working singles, and finding the bird you hit.
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.
Last-Minute Opener Checklist
Nine days to the California dove opener. The checklist we run before every September 1 — paperwork, shells, pattern, field and backup, water and ice, the dog's heat plan, and the ten-minute regs check that saves the morning.
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.
Heat Safety for Bird Dogs: California Off-Season Conditioning as Temps Rise
California bird dog heat safety as spring temps climb — recognizing hyperthermia, water access, timing runs, and conditioning honestly through the off-season.
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.