The early quail season for Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties opened Saturday and the quail population in these counties continues to grow. The wet spring resulted in an excellent hatch and the Mendocino National Forest and Bureau of Land Management lands in Lake and Mendocino counties offer an excellent opportunity for hunters. Actually, these are the only counties that have public land open for hunting.
Lake and Mendocino counties hold two species of quail, California and mountain. Both can be found in abundance throughout the counties but California quail are the most popular. In fact, quail can be seen daily throughout the urban areas of both counties.
The California quail is the official state bird and is widely distributed throughout the state. The male is about 9 1/2 to 11 inches long and is more colorful than the female. He has a black throat circled with a white line and the top of his head is dark brown with a plume of short black curved feathers set at a cocky angle, and a chestnut patch is in the middle of the stomach. His breast is scaled and his flanks are streaked with white. The female is mainly brown and the breast is scaled. The female does have a plume but it is not as showy as the male’s. Quail have an average weight of six to seven ounces.
Like all quail, this species is monogamous in that the male takes only one female for the season and assists in raising the young. They are always found near water and are usually found in the lower foothills.
The average size of a covey of California quail is 10-12 birds and they are considered the noisiest of all the quail. They are constantly chirping and peeping while feeding. If disturbed, they give an alarm call and after being scattered they give an assembly call. Hunters often use this constant chattering to locate the birds.
The other quail native to Lake and Mendocino counties is the mountain quail. Unlike their California quail cousins, mountain quail have much smaller coveys, averaging from six to eight birds, and they are much larger, averaging 8 to 10 ounces. The males and females closely resemble each other and can be identified by the long and slender erect plume feather on their heads.
Mountain quail are found in the higher and more remote areas of the national forest. They stay at these high elevations until snow forces them to migrate to the foothills. Some mountain quail have been known to migrate more than 50 miles. During the migration they usually walk instead of fly.
This habit of running instead of flying makes mountain quail a frustrating quarry for hunters. In fact, it’s rare for a hunter to hunt solely for mountain quail. Most of them are taken by accident by hunters pursuing California quail.
The Mendocino National Forest offers the best chance to bag both species of quail and they can be found in good numbers throughout the forest. Some of the more popular areas are Snow Mountain, Lake Pillsbury, Hull Mountain, Mendocino Pass, Elk and Pine mountains as well as Etsel Ridge.
Quail are usually found near water and along the many spur roads that dot the national forest. One effective hunting method is to drive the dirt roads early in the morning when the quail are often out gathering gravel. Flush the birds off the road and let your dog work the singles (although a dog isn’t necessary to be successful). Remember, you’re not allowed to shoot off or across a public road.
Another technique is to wait for the birds to call. Quail are very vocal in the mornings when they regroup. In fact, a few hunters even use a quail call to locate birds.
The best time to hunt quail is early in the season. By December their coveys are much smaller even if they aren’t hunted. In the wild, less than 25 percent of the quail survive the winter. Disease, lack of food and predation by hawks, eagles and other predators takes a tremendous toll on these birds.
The season runs through Jan. 29 and the daily limit is 10 with a possession limit of 30. In addition to a hunting license you must also have an upland game stamp.
