doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: California quail prospects?

Mike -

I divide my time between Kenya and Berkeley. I first lived in Berkeley briefly in 1969, just in time for Peoples Park and the "Third World Liberation Strike", whatever the hell that was; great fun if you didn’t mind being driven out of class by the tear gas. Moved back in 1975 for grad school, and still have a house there. Nice place to eat out but deathly dull compared to the sixties; my only excitement is occasionally telling an earnest Berkeleyan about my lust for guns (its a lot more acceptable to confess to a lust for little boys).

Camp Roberts is indeed open to hunting: http://www.calguard.ca.gov/CpRbts/Pages/HuntFish.aspx. Fabulous country but probably overhunted; as I said one summer it was seething with quail, and a few months later there were none to be seen.

Fort Hunter Liggett is also open to hunters by reservation, and may be better – lots of open country and again full of quail. There is even a nice frumpy cheap old hotel right on the post.

Other than those I don’t know of public places to hunt in western California, and hence have done very little quail hunting. Do you still have friends with ranches in the Willits area?? Am told that Shasta Valley up north is good for quail and pheasant; also possibly the Tehama Wildlife Area. I suspect that public land is better in the desert, but lots of people here can tell you about that. I occasionally go into the Bug Sur country with a gun but it is very steep and thick; hunting bandtails on the Ridge Road is huge fun so long as you don’t want to hit anything.

When I grew up in CA there were quail in every backyard, but the housecats have wiped them out in most places; far worse than snakes. I love snakes, too, hence my excitement in the Carrizo a few Aprils ago with my little girls – never seen anything like it. Here in highland Kenya I don’t see a snake once a month (and then just an adorable Blakesby’s green snake on my deck), but bump into buffalo and elephant almost daily. Much more fun than Berkeley.

I've hunted around Camp Roberts and in Fort Hunter Liggett several times back in the late 70's. I vaguely recall hunting mountain quail in that area. It was in the forest, the quail were flying between the trees, with the shooting very challenging and my shooting skills were just developing. I must have been using that A5 with the modified choke, since that was the only shotgun I would have had at the time. I needed a cylinder choked gun with spreader wads for that work.

My family farmed and ranched in California for many years. Uncle Kenny had a farm North of Atascadero and a cattle ranch South of Carmel in the Coastal range. Uncle Clive had a big place west of Chowchilla. My Dad had some rice ground around Colusa.All of those places, in those days, held game. Pheasants quail and waterfowl in the valley places, deer and lots of quail and pigeons on Kenny's ranch.It is sad to hear and see what has happened to that country. We hunted Hunter Liggett regularly, with permission. Progress? Any how, even here in NW Kansas, our quail have been hard hit, due to a very bad winter freeze in 2006-7. We saw NO quail last season around our place. Lots of Pheasants and the Chickens seem to be doing well. Try Baja California, if you can wade thru the paperwork. We have had lots of quail at Mulege for years...

LGF, I don't have any contacts in Northern CA that will let anyone but family hunt (including me). Most of the ranches that I knew are covered with vines now, or have become regional or state parks (not necessarily a bad thing in either case, but no hunting). When I lived in Berkeley, I didn't give a tinker's damn who knew I was a gun nut/killer of God's smaller kids. It was a pretty crazy, and tolerant, place at the time--who knew WHAT was "politically correct"? I guess they have figured that out in the meantime..... I was always amused by people who urged "picking up the gun" for political change. Having been raised on both my grandfathers' stories about the events in Mexico from 1910 onward, I was a little sceptical about the virtues of violent "revolution", especially for liberals, intellectuals, and rich hippies! Thanks for the tips on Camp Roberts and Hunter Liggett; I'll follow up.

Chuck, I remember mountain quail in the Santa Lucias west of Hunter Liggett. Only one I ever bagged there was with a Ruger Bearcat when I mistakenly fitted my food supply to my shoulders rather than my stomach on a backpacking trek in the 1960s..tasted good even caveman style,tho! (Hope the statute of limitations on that has run out....) I have actually hunted a few in Lassen County. Main problem was getting them to flush in the heavy manzanita. I'm gonna start my next quail scout in the Los Padres NF just south of Highway 58 and work south along the west side of the mountains as best I can, then in to the Cuyama (where you hunt, no?). I'll let you know what I find on public land; don't have any "ins" with landowners there.

Last Dollar, I was hunting down by Liberal the week before that ice storm hit. Got a few bobs along with the pheasants, just saw one chicken (high and supersonic). Sorry the quail situation is bad there--nice folks, wierd beautiful country.

Mike,
Yes I hunt along 33 near Ventacopa. I've always wondered how it might be over near the intersection of the 33/166. There's a road called Cerro Noroeste Rd a few miles back toward Maricopa that looks like it runs up between some private land but eventually I think it goes into the Nat. For.. Might be worth a drive. I hunt right east of where Google Earth has a label "Burges Canyon". I always hear shooting above (east) me. Maybe that Quatal Canyon Rd a few miles and then off to the south of it would be good. That'd be right above the plot I hunt and it looks like NF land.

Thanks, Chuck! As you know, this kind of "inside information" is hard to come by!

I could be talked into a jaunt up there, if you need a guide.

I have hunted 33 near Ventacopa for 10 years. I have been on that road you speak of near the 166/33. I have come in through the top side of the canyon just above the dump. I have pulled quail out of all these areas in the past. Last year I was out on opening day and I say one covey. They were down by the houses off the NF near where the grape orchards are. The guzzler was dry and the land looked pretty poor. I don't hold too much faith that there will be and real huntable numbers this year. We are have extreme heat and dry weather for spring.

I see some quail near my house (Yorba Linda) but not near the numbers like 2 years ago. I am thinking of joining a quail lease on private land this year. I feel pretty discouraged from what I have scouted on the 395 and 33/166 so far. I plan on checking out the Kernville area next.

Chuck, I wasn't planning on another scout until the chicks get to flying size (September????) but would like to take you up on the offer of a guide. Why don't you PM me when you think it makes sense to go look or email me at armstgeo@hvcc.edu (my old work email)? Then we can work out the mechanics (Lager or ale? Mexican or road food? Two wheels or four?). I'm retired, so weekends are OK, too.

Brian, sorry to hear the results of your searches. I see and hear quail on some of the Irvine Ranch Conservancy land that I work on (Limestone Canyon/Sinks area, Quail Hill--no duh!) but unfortunately all that part of OC is "NO HUNTING".....Don't know Kernville--you think "farther north and up in elevation=wetter" is the ticket? I'll let you know what I find out about Camp Roberts/Hunter Liggett.

Hello Mike,

Just saw your post about the local quail. They were introduced in 1870 and have done
very well. Here you can find some info (in spanish):
Chilean birds
Go to "Nombres" on the left and scroll down to "Codorniz (016)".

JC