Hey from California Upland.
The first cornerstone is live. The California Valley Quail Hunting Guide went up Tuesday — the pillar piece this site has been missing, the page to send a new California hunter, the page we’ll update every July before opener so it doesn’t go stale. The California Chukar Hunting Guide is close behind; it needs a few more days in the shop, and we’d rather ship it right than ship it on schedule.
From the field. The Coast Range bunchgrass is doing what it does in early July — dropping seed, holding insects in the dead culms, giving valley quail broods exactly the cover-and-protein combination they need to make it to August. Thursday’s optics piece is the one we wish we’d published a year ago: which 10x42 binocular, which spotting scope, which tripod, and where on the body or in the vest each one earns its weight. Chukar country in particular punishes a hunter who walks before they glass.
What we published this week:
→ The California Valley Quail Hunting Guide — the pillar. Habitat, seasonal cycles, scouting, dogs, gear, conservation. The page to bookmark. Read →
→ Glassing Optics for Chukar Country: The Binocular and Spotting-Scope Decisions That Pay for Themselves — the lightweight setup that lets you locate coveys at a mile before you commit to a half-mile climb. Read →
What we’re working on:
· The California Chukar Hunting Guide (cornerstone #2 — Eastern Sierra to the Modoc Plateau, water mapping, escape cover, elevation bands, the dog and the boots and the lungs the country asks for; coming later in July). · Tuesday — California Upland Season Dates 2026-27: Quail, Chukar, and What the CDFW Calendar Actually Says. · Thursday — Heat Safety for Bird Dogs: California Off-Season Conditioning. · Sunday — The California Dove Hunting Guide(cornerstone #3 — and the Sept. 1 dove opener is seven weeks out).
If a piece lands, hit reply.
Out the door, — Matt & Peter
californiaupland.com · @california_upland
Free when you subscribe: the 2026-27 California Upland Season Dates & Limits Cheatsheet — one page: season dates, daily and possession limits, lead-free zones — delivered in the welcome email. Subscribe free →