CDFW Encourages Quail Hunting Ahead of Statewide Opener

LOST SIERRA – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is encouraging hunters to try quail this fall, with the season for all quail species opening statewide October 17 and continuing through January 31, 2027. In Sierra, Plumas, and Nevada counties, public hunting opportunities range from mountain quail habitat around Sierra Valley to California quail cover in the lower foothills.

In its October 12 announcement, CDFW points to a long season and places to hunt close to home. It also asks hunters to donate a wing from each harvested bird. Biologists use the wings to tell young birds from adults, assess breeding success, and decide where conservation work is needed.

Hunters also help pay for conservation through the upland game bird validation required for most quail hunters. Revenue from validations and stamps supports habitat improvements, population research, and hunting opportunities through the Upland Game Bird Account.

CDFW expects good quail and chukar hunting this season. Its models, updated with 2025 breeding bird survey data, showed mountain quail declining that year while California quail increased slightly. Last season’s wing samples showed that California quail breeding success varied among collection sites, with higher productivity around the Sutter Buttes and on the Sierra Nevada’s east slope.

Where the Birds Live

California quail live in brush, woodland openings, and the edges of grasslands and farms at low and middle elevations, while mountain quail favor brushy forests with grassy openings and steep slopes for shelter. Both rely on cover and need drinking water in dry weather. Mountain quail usually move downhill for winter, following the snowline.

In Sierra County, Antelope Valley Wildlife Area, between Sierraville and Loyalton, is open to quail hunting. CDFW lists mountain quail as common there. Its roughly 5,600 acres range from sagebrush and bitterbrush at lower elevations to Jeffrey pine, juniper, and chaparral on the upper slopes. Reach the Antelope Valley unit from Antelope Valley Road south of Highway 49, or the Merry-Go-Round unit directly from Highway 49 west of Loyalton.

Birders have reported mountain quail around Yuba Pass as well. In a Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance guide published in 2023, Matthew Dodder recalled watching one perch on a sunlit stump along Chapman’s Saddle Road, about a mile west of the pass. His guide describes birding routes for June and July.

In Plumas County, mountain quail are common at Crocker Meadows Wildlife Area, about three miles north of Beckwourth, according to CDFW. The area allows quail hunting and has about 1,700 acres of sagebrush and bitterbrush, pockets of oak and pine, and two seasonal streams. Beckwourth Genesee Road leads north from town to the north and south units.

Spenceville Wildlife Area straddles the Nevada–Yuba county line near Smartsville. Its roughly 11,900 acres of oak and gray pine woodland include creeks, ponds, and riparian habitat. CDFW advises looking for California quail, also called valley quail, near water and blackberries. The posted area around the Spenceville Mine is closed to entry, and all-terrain and off-highway vehicles are prohibited.

All three are Type C wildlife areas, so hunters can enter without buying a separate hunting pass. A valid California hunting license is still required to hunt there, and each property’s rules apply.

The department’s 2002 Guide to Hunting Quail in California offers forest scouting ideas, including Pliocene Ridge north of Alleghany and Gold Valley southwest of Gold Lake in the Tahoe National Forest. Its Plumas National Forest suggestions include Crocker Mountain east of Lake Davis and Mount Ingalls northwest of the lake.

Before following those older leads, check current maps, road access, and hunting restrictions with the managing ranger district. The Plumas National Forest permits hunting during state-designated seasons and advises checking with local rangers about closed areas.

Dates, Limits, and Wing Donations

Under CDFW’s 2026–27 seasons and limits, hunters may take 10 quail a day in any species combination and possess 30. Sierra and Plumas counties fall within Zone Q1, where mountain quail hunting began September 12; the early zone also covers the portion of Nevada County east of the national forests’ western boundary.

Hunters need a valid California hunting license and, unless using a junior license, an upland game bird validation. Nonlead ammunition is required when hunting with a firearm.

Hunters donating wings can find collection sites on CDFW’s collection-barrel map, which lists Spenceville among the locations.