However, Haldeman said that this year doesn't look like it will be a good one for re-nesting. In some of the drier regions, he said, second clutches might also be a problem because insect production appears to be limited.

QU chapter volunteers headed up into quail country to work on habitat projects encompassing thousands of acres. Along with their structural work on guzzlers, QU members and hunters hauled in to these remote spots more than 35,000 gallons of water to recharge water sites used by upland game birds.

"Hatch conditions for mountain quail varied from good along most of the Sierra foothills to poor in the high desert regions," said Haldeman.

Regarding mountain quail in the high-desert region, research has been limited, but QU feels optimistic that they fared well there.

Information about the outlook for the Sierras is more promising, said Haldeman -- especially along the western slopes of the High Sierra and very good up in the Northern California counties.

Northeastern California should be a great destination to head for California valley quail. Hunters in the region between Susanville and New Pine Creek on the California-Oregon state line enjoyed an excellent season last fall. Plenty of snow blanketed the valley and Warner Mountains to produce a good supply of water to support a bumper crop of quail.

"We had some awesome quail hunts last year," said Bob Suacci, owner of the Honker Inn Lodge on the shore of Goose Lake in Modoc County.

Suacci said there were coveys that numbered well into the 50s, and when they bunched up for the winter, the coveys were even bigger.

Along Goose Lake, there was a lot of snow on the ground until late April, but there was still plenty of thorn brush and tules to provide quail with places to get out of the snow.

"I would think that this year will offer up very good valley quail hunting, as there was a very strong carry-over of adult birds," Suacci said.

"It's not too unrealistic to expect the quail to get off a second hatch in this area this summer, which will put even more quail on the ground come opening day in October."

Some of the properties that Suacci hunts are leased ranches with grain and alfalfa crops. Other hunting areas are open sage fields, tule patches and hedgerows.

Quail hunting should also be very good on the BLM land surrounding Alturas. This area is hunted mostly by locals who stick pretty much to 4x4 roads. But hunters who work the rolling lower elevations covered in juniper and sage should find good numbers of quail around springs, creeks, stock tanks and un-posted public property where cattle have been put out to graze.

Just make sure you close all gates securely when entering or leaving BLM land.

Tom Blankinship heads up the DFG's Upland Game Bird Program. He feels pretty confident that all over the state, quail hunting will be a lot better than it was last year.

"There is a good amount of snow in the high country, but the valleys have been on the dry side," he said. "I'd expect that we should have a better than average hatch of valley quail.

Blankinship predicted that mountain quail should continue to do well.

Some of the best quail country in the state in years past was in the Shandon-Parkfield region, where Blankinship said there was a vast amount of residual moisture after spring rains. The coastal foothills and valleys had the right mix of habitat, protective ground cover and ample food sources that produce a very huntable quail population, he said.