California Upland — week of June 28
Hey from California Upland.
Foxtails are everywhere — pull them off the dog before they go in the truck, not after. Peter watched a valley quail hen ferry six chicks across a fire road above Lake Berryessa on Tuesday. That’s the kind of late-June detail that tells you what October cover will look like: where the broods made it, where they didn’t, where to point a vehicle in early October when the season turns over.
From the field. Matt spent the weekend running through the Brittany breeders he’s talked to over the last eighteen months and finally picked one — working line, fall ‘26 litter, pup home in April or May of ‘27. The first installment of that arc went up Tuesday (link below). If you’ve been on the fence about getting a dog, the breed conversation we keep skipping in print is the one this week’s piece is about.
What we published this week:
→ The Right Bird Dog for California Upland: A Breed Decision Framework — pointing vs. flushing, heat tolerance, foxtail risk, the breeds that actually earn their place in our terrain — and the framework Matt used to land on a Brittany. [link]
→ Foxtail Season for California Bird Dogs: A Handler’s Prevention and First-Aid Plan — the routine, the daily inspection, the warning signs, and the one head-tilt that always means a same-day vet call. Three seasons of running Alan have stripped it down to what stays in the truck. [link]
→ What I Carry for Alan: A California Bird-Dog Kit That Actually Works — cooling vest, water, boots, GPS, first aid — and what Peter stopped carrying. The follow-on to the foxtail piece for everything else in the truck. [link]
What we’re working on:
· Planning a Los Padres National Forest Upland Hunt: Mountain and Valley Quail in One Day — Tuesday. Los Padres is the one piece of CA public land where both quail go in the same morning on an elevation break. · Picking a Puppy from a California Litter — health clearances, what to ask a breeder, what to look for the day you meet the litter. Closes the puppy arc on Thursday. · California’s Coastal Sage Scrub for Valley Quail — a habitat-first read for the Central Coast on Sunday, anchoring Monterey through Santa Barbara.
If a piece lands, hit reply. We read every one.
Out the door, — Matt & Peter
californiaupland.com · @california_upland