CA Valley Quail Hunt

[Badger Matt]

I was fortunate enough to have a Napa Valley shotgunner befriend me and offer to introduce me to local clays shooting and bird hunting in the area. We spent the last two Saturdays chasing California Valley Quail on public land and did pretty well. Here are a couple photos of a nice mature cockbird taken by me with my AyA No.2, passed down by my father.

This one's off to a local taxidermist as a memento of my time on California.

 

[JWhitmore44]

Nice, beautiful bird.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Nice, beautiful bird.

Hi,

And being a nice fat one, should make a gorgeous mount!

Nice pix, Matt!

Rick C

 

[nn]

I enjoyed running into those Quail when I was rabbit hunting on Whidbey Island.

 

[Turbobuddha]

Nice bird!

 

[Mike Armstrong]

I haven't gone out yet, but it looks like we are going to have an excellent quail season in southern and central CA, thanks to the rain. Starting Thursday next week I've got two days of hunting quail and chukars in Ventura and Kern Counties to open MY season!

I was raised on a cattle ranch in Sonoma County (over the Mayacamas Mtns. from Napa, now a regional park) and hunted quail every year with my Winchester single shot .410. I take it out once every year just for auld lang syne, but usually use my Red Label 28 the rest of the time.

All quail are beautiful, but CA "valley quail" (really called California Quail, the state bird) and Mountain Quail are among the prettiest. That AyA is a beauty, too. I have a similar (but boxlock) 16 guage AyA No. 4.

My son's Marine unit in Afghanistan has a pet quail. No pix yet, but I'm bugging him for them! They also have a scroungy alley cat; hope they keep them apart.....

Matt, I'm glad you found some hunters and shooters in CA; we're not an endangered species yet, but have to keep lookin' out for one another in the face of some serious prejudices. If you don't yet visit www.calguns.net, have a look. We'd welcome your participation.

 

[Badger Matt]

Thanks for the kind words folks.

Mike - I'll actually be down in your neck of the woods over the Thanskgiving holidays. My daughter and her husband are both students at UC Irvine and the missus and I will be staying with them. Any suggestions for "can't miss" places for a double-gunner? I plan to hit Ivory Beads, for one.

 

[Mike Armstrong]

Matt, I'll think on it and get back to you by PM. If you're interested in a hike near UCI, I can get onto the Irvine Ranch Conservancy land behind the campus (I'm sure your daughter knows it--Bommer Canyon, Quail Hill, Crystal Cove, etc.). No hunting, but nice hikes, plenty of wildlife, etc.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Nice bird AND shotgun! Jack O'Connor was known to shoot his high grade AyA now and then rather than his beloved M-21 Winnies... :wink: 8)