The Shasta-Trinity National Forest has good numbers of mountain quail and decent populations of California quail, as does the Six Rivers National Forest. Quail numbers are generally lower in the Lassen National Forest, but the Klamath National Forest promises good hunting for those who focus their efforts near recent burn sites or clearcuts.

Other traditional quail hunting areas include the Tehama Wildlife Area; BLM and forest service lands around Surprise Valley; the Cottonwood Creek Wildlife Area near Cottonwood; the Paynes Creek Recreation Area near Red Bluff; the King Range National Conservation Area near Garberville; the Fort Sage Mountains; the Honey Lake, Doyle, Bass Hill, Biscar, Cinder Flats and Horseshoe Ranch wildlife areas; and BLM lands near Susanville and Alturas.

These areas are just for starters. Year after year, the most successful hunters are those who put in an effort to locate concentrations of birds prior to the season opener.

NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA
The so-called Great Basin area of far northeastern California and adjoining lands typically present hunters with a boom-or-bust scenario.

Depending on the amount, timing and severity of winter precipitation, hunting prospects can range from fantastic to terrible.

"The northeastern part of California tends to suffer in winters with a lot of snow," said Mastrup. "The birds do better in warmer winters -- but not necessarily dry ones." This region's quail reproduction depends more on spring and summer rains than on mid-winter precipitation.

Hunters will find plenty of room to roam in search of birds. This northeastern part of the state takes in four national forests and roughly 10 million acres of land, from the Sierra crest to the floor of the Great Basin. There are mountain quail at mid- to high elevations, and California quail from the mid-elevations on down.

If winter arrives early, look for the mountain quail to migrate lower, where their range may overlap with that of California quail. While California quail may range up to 5,000 feet, mountain quail are not numerous below 3,000 feet. Throughout much of the state, the boundary between the two species lies at about 5,000 feet. When conditions are right, hunters targeting this elevation, have the added bonus of potentially harvesting both species in a single outing.

SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS, SIERRA FOOTHILLS
The Sacramento Valley area is a little more stable, and really wet years aren't necessarily that good.

"It should do fine this season," said Mastrup.

Likewise, in lower elevations to the east along the Sierra foothills, hunting should be good.

"The area doesn't get the big booms in production, but it also doesn't get the real big failures," said the expert. "Hunters can expect an average to slightly less-than-average season."

The farther south you go along the Sierra foothills bordering the southern San Joaquin Valley, the more you can expect diminished prospects.

Since these foothills encompass a huge amount of land and habitat types, our space prohibits a listing of all the possibly productive areas to hunt. It's best to concentrate your efforts on finding suitable habitat for the species you're hunting.

For California quail, this means looking for woodland openings, grasslands and savannah habitats where they have reliable access to water. Recent burn areas, where the vegetation is in early successional stages, are prime areas to target.

The birds tend to avoid dense cover, and most often are associated with brushy, weedy or grassy areas that are more open, but with sufficient roosting cover nearby.

By the time hunting season rolls around, birds may venture some distance from their roosts in search of food. But they'll seldom stray more than a couple of dozen yards from some form of cover.

Mountain quail are, as their name implies, birds of the high country. They like steep slopes associated with piñon-juniper, oak woodland, chaparral and mixed evergreen forest habitats. They are equally fond of such areas when they contain patches of brush that a man can't walk through for more than a few feet, if at all.

This association with escape cover often translates into close, quick shooting that mandates the use of fast-handling shotguns and open chokes.

THE SIERRA
When you think of the mountainous spine of California known as the Sierra Nevada, you think about mountain quail, the largest of California's three species of quail -- and, to my way of thinking, the most challenging to hunt.

"Mountain quail populations are more stable overall and less subject to dramatic fluctuations," said Mastrup. "But they are a harder bird to hunt. You've got to be in good physical condition to hunt mountain quail in most of their range. It is not a sport for the weak of heart."