California Upland — week of July 5
Hey from California Upland.
The bunchgrass on the Inner Coast Range is gold now — purple needlegrass turning the slopes the color they hold until November. Matt walked a section of Cache Creek country on Thursday looking for July brood structure: hen runs along the spring seeps, dusting bowls under the buckbrush, the kind of cover that tells you which draws will hold birds when the season actually opens. May rain did its job in patches; the country knows what to do with it.
From the field. Tomorrow is Tuesday, July 7 — the day our first cornerstone goes live. The California Valley Quail Hunting Guide is the pillar piece this site has been missing: where the bird lives, how the year shapes coveys, how to scout for them, the dogs that work them, the gear that earns the price, the conservation work that keeps the coveys on public land. We’ll refresh it every July before opener. If valley quail is one of your birds, this is the page to bookmark.
What we published this week:
→ Planning a Los Padres National Forest Upland Hunt: Mountain and Valley Quail in One Day — Los Padres is the one piece of California public land where you can take both quail in the same morning if you walk an elevation break. Where, when, and the access roads worth driving. [link]
→ Picking a Puppy from a California Litter: Questions to Ask Before You Pay — health clearances (OFA, PennHIP), what to ask a breeder before you send money, what to actually look for the day you meet the litter. Part two of Matt’s puppy arc. [link]
→ California’s Coastal Sage Scrub for Valley Quail: The South Coast Range from Monterey to Santa Barbara — coastal sage scrub is the most overlooked huntable habitat in the state. 250 miles of the same plant community holding valley quail along it. A habitat-and-planning read for anyone who treats the Central Coast as a beach drive. [link]
What we’re working on:
· Tuesday — The California Valley Quail Hunting Guide (cornerstone, the long one). · Thursday — Glassing Optics for Chukar Country: The Binocular and Spotting-Scope Decisions That Pay for Themselves. · Sunday — The California Chukar Hunting Guide (cornerstone #2 — chukar country from the Modoc to the Owens).
If a piece lands, hit reply.
Out the door, — Matt & Peter
californiaupland.com · @california_upland