You don't get the big multi-clutch families you get with the Gambel's and California quail. You'll usually find them in single-family units -- a dozen to two dozen birds at most.

"Most guys have their favorite spots because the birds are generally in the same areas every year," said Mastrup. "They tend to be dispersed, and you don't get the big densities. But there are a few places where they congregate. Those spots tend to be tightly guarded secrets."

The biggest challenge in hunting the high country, he said, is finding the birds before bad weather blows them down to widely scattered locations at lower elevations. "They go up to the high country, nest and raise their young, and leave pretty much about the same time of year -- plus or minus a week, depending on the weather," said Mastrup. "Generally, by October, they're out of there to lower elevations and into manzanita thickets and oak woodlands. They can become very hard to find, except for those who put in the time year after year and figure it out."

One solid clue is the presence of water. Mountain quail and California quail generally need to drink every day. As a result, these birds are never far from water throughout most of their range. This is especially true in the southern reaches of the Sierra, where I've often had good luck hunting arid, seemingly lifeless country by locating small trickles of water in the bottoms of ravines and gullies.

If you see fresh tracks in such spots, even though the soil may appear dry or merely damp, it's often possible to follow the tracks downhill until you find a spot where water surfaces. Chances are, you'll find birds there, too.

CENTRAL COAST
The Central Coast is expected to be thin this year.

"It's not been good," said Mastrup. "There's been very little rainfall -- better than in the deserts, but it's been very dry."

Things tend to be more stable right along the coast, he said, because the immediate coastal area receives more precipitation in the form of fog and drizzle. But the farther inland you go, precipitation is less reliable and bird numbers will be down. In these inland areas, the key to finding coveys is -- as always -- finding water.

Traditional public-land opportunities include parts of the Los Padres National Forest, BLM lands around Stockdale Mountain as well as the Tumey Hills and Griswold Hills areas, the Knoxville Wildlife Area, Cow Mountain Recreation Area, Clear Creek Management Area, Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation and the nearby Camp Roberts -- along with the adjoining Big Sandy Wildlife Area.

SOUTH COAST REGION
Said Mastrup, "It's looking pretty grim for most of Southern California. South of the Tehachapies, it's going to be lean. If there's a hatch at all, I'll be surprised. There will be places where the birds do OK. But overall, it could be a pretty lean year."

We had pretty good population carry-over, and had a decent year last year. But that was more from carry-over from the prior year than anything else. Two years ago, it was really good. But now, he said, it's going to get thin with no new recruitment.

It's not that the DFG is worried about the bird population, just that the quail have become increasingly difficult to hunt. These are adult birds that have survived two hunting seasons.

They get wise. They flush a mile away, and hunters will never see them again.

The bulk of the hunting opportunities in Southern California, apart from the deserts, are for California quail. Mountain quail exist in the higher elevations of the Angeles, San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains as well as a few ranges farther south. In places such as the BLM land bordering the northern and eastern limits of the San Bernardino National Forest, Gambel's quail overlap with California quail.

Wherever hunters venture in the national forest lands of Southern California, they can expect many road closures during the early part of the season, due to extreme fire danger.

As with other parched parts of the state, permanent water sources are likely spots to look for quail this season. Just be certain to obey laws mandating that you refrain from shooting within certain distances of man-made water sources such as guzzlers, which are critical to the survival of brood stock in lean years.

"That's why we have those laws on the books," said Mastrup. "You're not supposed to just be sitting on a water hole waiting to hunt them.

"That's just not right. These birds have to drink, and it's not very sporting to camp on the spot and force them to decide to forego a drink or face an eager German shorthair."

INLAND DESERTS
"In the deserts, it's all about place," said Mastrup. "Two years ago, some of the desert areas had wonderful hatches -- mostly Gambel's quail. And other parts didn't have that boom cycle, so they're carrying fewer birds.