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FEATURE REPORT BY JIM NIEMIEC
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UPLAND GAME:
Midseason hunt options aplenty
BY JIM NIEMIEC / WON Staff WritePublished: Nov 18, 2008
NORTH CAL WATERFOWL HUNTING FEATURE REPORT
MAMMOTH LAKES – With the migration of ducks slow in developing and chukar 
hiding in craggy rock out-croppings high up on the mountain, WON decided to check out a couple of other hunting options earlier this month. The first trip would take this hunting editor up into High Sierra country where a waterfowl hunt on Mono Lake proved to be a rewarding experience and that hunt was followed by an even rougher hunt for mountain quail in the rugged mountains on the backside of Big Bear Lake.
Prior to teaming up with Bruce Wilson, master hunting and fishing guide, who works at Rick’s Sport Center in Mammoth Lakes, WON spent a few days fly fishing the upper Owens River with Howard Arcularius, owner of Arcularius’ on the River. The fall run of brown trout hadn’t started to move out of Crowley yet, but it was nice to see a couple flocks of sage hen fly over the river in Long Valley that will most likely contribute to their numbers come next spring.
This hunter’s main concern when heading out on a bird hunting trip that encompasses a couple of days on the road is, what to do about traveling with my yellow lab Timber. Hopeful of finding a “dog friendly” hotel or condo in Mammoth, WON contacted Marcus Johnson, marketing coordinator for the Westin Monache Resort in Mammoth Lakes.
“Sure Jim, bring your dog to the Westin. We pride ourselves in providing a dog friendly atmosphere and I am sure you will be happy with the amenities that are provided for your gun dog and your stay with us,” said Johnson.
After checking in, a phone call to Wilson firmed up plans for the following morning.
“The ducks and a few geese have been coming into fresh water springs and creeks running into Mono Lake and that should be our best bet for a morning hunt. The Owens River isn’t holding many puddle ducks yet, and there has been a little too much pressure in McGee Bay on Crowley Lake to expect much in the way of good hunting there, at least until after things start to freeze up,” noted Wilson.
Surprisingly there is a lot of public hunting land in Mono and Inyo Counties, much of which is accessed by way of dirt roads provided by the Department of Water and Power. There is about 100 miles of huntable river stretching from the Lower Owens River up to the private stretch of the upper river at the Arcularius Ranch; and the shorelines of Crowley and Mono Lakes and the DU/Forest Service hot springs project off Hwy.167 and Cemetery Road provide hunters with plenty of options when heading up Hwy. 395.
“The key to being successful on hunts in this country is scouting. Whether you are hunting ducks, geese, quail or chukar a hunter really has to get out and glass hard or use the expertise of a guide who knows the terrain and access spots. We will be walking down Lundy Creek, through thick willows to reach a spot on the shore of Mono Lake where the ducks and geese have been coming in to get their drink of fresh water and loaf around a bit,” said Wilson.
The temperature was a chilling 20 degrees where we parked off Cemetery Road, unloaded a sack of decoys and headed off into the darkness to find the running creek.
“Hunters need to be prepared to walk to a good hunting spot. Places that are too close to roads don’t offer up much in the way of hunting, but if you push yourself a little you can be in a spot that is seldom hunted. We’ll press on right down through the willows and crisscross the creek a few times before we get to where I glassed birds yesterday,” said Wilson.
The chill bit through the stillness of early morning as teal worked the spread of decoys just prior to shoot time. Mono Lake is high, not at its highest level, but big enough to provide a wide variety of waterfowl and other birds a place to rest up during their long migration south. This lake has too much alkali to freeze, but the birds cannot drink the water either and that’s why setting up at the mouth of a fresh water creek or year round spring is the way to hunt this huge lake. Our blind was a natural forming white tufa that afforded us great shoreline cover without having to construct or carry in a blind.
It was a blue bird day, but we did manage to harvest a few puddle ducks and then topped off the hunt with a speckled-bellied goose that responded very well to an Iverson Canada goose call coming right into the decoy spread. On the way back to the truck we busted a covey of 30 native valley quail and Timber enjoyed flushing Jack snipe as we made our way back up the creek. But while carrying decoys and wearing chest waders neither of us was interested in chasing these birds around through thick willows and shoulder high sage.
“When the lakes and rivers begin to freeze up solid around the first of December duck and goose hunting can be very good within this flyway. Unfortunately, there is not much in the way of food for them during their short stopover here and that’s what makes it so important to scout. Weather is also a factor that hunters need to acknowledge when setting up along a lakeshore or jump shooting mallards, teal and gadwall along the Upper Owens River. For additional information on hunting this region call Wilson at (760) 258-7615 and if your are heading up into the Mammoth Lakes area with a gun dog or pet, make sure to check out the lodging at Westin Monache Resort (760) 934-2426.
*****Mountain quail – one tough bird to hunt
Hunters were gathered around a warming oak fire at Bitterwater Outfitters Hog Camp when the talk switched over from hunting boar to bird hunting. Most everyone had already shot their hog that morning and the bison were already quartered and hanging in the on-site meat locker so there was plenty of time to exchange hunting stories.
“Jim, I read your column weekly and it appears that you really like to hunt birds in addition to big game. Have you ever hunted the rugged rocky terrain on the back side of Big Bear Lake for quail or chukar,” was the question posed by Mike Romage of Landers.
My answer was short, “Yes, one time during a blizzard. It was tough hunting, few birds flushed wildly and when we got back out of that steep canyon we were nearly frozen with no birds bagged.”
“Come on up and hunt with me in a couple of weeks. I know of a remote canyon that’s holding a few small coveys of mountain quail. I think we can put you on birds. The weather has been cold but dry so the birds are still coming to this little stretch of water in the bottom of a canyon. According to my GPS we will be hunting at an elevation of about 5,500 feet,” said Romage.
The meeting place was off Hwy. 247 and from there it was about a 50 minute 4x4 drive up the mountain, crisscrossing numerous dirt roads in the dark, until we topped out at the head of a canyon just a few miles southeast of the now dry Baldwin Lake.
The sun was just topping the east ridge of the canyon wall and there was some frost on the ground. My thoughts were that we might be too early to push down the canyon, but Romage felt confident that the birds would be coming down off the faces of the mountains to get water by the time we arrived at his favorite spot in the canyon.
With shadows still on the floor of the rocky arroyo a hunter had to look hard to see these highly prized quail moving down a mountain side under the cover of live oaks, junipers, huge boulders and broken quartz.
The first covey we jumped flushed straight up the mountain with this hunter grabbing for rocks and checking on safe footholds as I attempted to catch up to the small covey before it topped the ridge some 500 feet above.
“Go ahead and chase them as far as you want Jim. I have done it a number of times and it’s really not a safe place to be when you are hunting by yourself,” yelled Romage from the bottom of the canyon.
The mountain quail ran from cover to cover and two off balance shots found this shooter heading back down the mountain with sore legs and no bird in hand.
“Don’t worry we’ll get on a covey that will at least allow us to get off a shot or two before they wing out of effective shotgun range,” were the confident words of my hunting partner.
The next bend in the canyon did produce a beautiful cock mountain quail that sported nearly a 3-inch top-notch for Romage, while this shooter winged a bird that disappeared in the maze of a rocky crevice. The sun was getting higher in the sky and Romage felt a few more birds would be coming down to the little watering spot, so we sat it out for 30-minutes and talked hunting.
“This is great hunting country and rugged enough that it keeps a lot of hunters away. We prospect for gold here, ride our ATV’s and hunt at least a couple times a month in these rugged virgin canyons. In addition to mountain quail, there are chukar, deer, bobcats and just a few hundred feet below the Joshua trees and sage hold good numbers of valley quail. It’s a mix of National Forest, BLM land and private property, most of which is open to hunting. Hunters need to make sure that they have a Forest Service Pass when parked and hunting on their land,” said the veteran outdoorsman.
After the rest it was time to walk back out of the canyon, but not before one last bend in the arroyo was checked out. A covey crossed the sandy bottom and dipped behind some rocks allowing for us to move within shotgun range. This hunter was shooting a Remington 20-ga. 870 Wingmaster loaded with Federal Premium #6 copper plated shot. One bird flushed right over my head for a clean miss, but a second shot did drop a bird on the mountain side, which was retrieved by Romage; while he lost another bird that scrambled up the steep rocky cliffs and unfortunately was not retrieved.
It didn’t make any difference that this hunting editor was sworn to secrecy about the location of the spot we hunted, as I probably couldn’t get back to that spot during day light even using a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer map for reference. Thanks to Mike for sharing his quail hunting spot with this hunter, it’s not very often that an avid quail hunter is willing to divulge where he is having success in the field or in this case on the mountain.
WESTERN OUTDOORS NEWS
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NORTH CAL WATERFOWL HUNTING FEATURE REPORT MAMMOTH LAKES – With the migration of ducks slow in developing and chukar hiding in craggy rock out-croppings high up on the mountain, WON decided to check out a couple of other hunting options earlier this month. The first trip would take this hunting editor up into High Sierra country where a waterfowl hunt on Mono Lake proved to be a rewarding experience and that hunt was followed by an even rougher hunt for mountain quail in the rugged mountains on the backside of Big Bear Lake.Prior to teaming up with Bruce Wilson, master hunting and fishing guide, who works at Rick’s Sport Center in Mammoth Lakes, WON spent a few days fly fishing the upper Owens River with Howard Arcularius, owner of Arcularius’ on the River. The fall run of brown trout hadn’t started to move out of Crowley yet, but it was nice to see a couple flocks of sage hen fly over the river in Long Valley that will most likely contribute to their numbers come next spring. This hunter’s main concern when heading out on a bird hunting trip that encompasses a couple of days on the road is, what to do about traveling with my yellow lab Timber. Hopeful of finding a “dog friendly” hotel or condo in Mammoth, WON contacted Marcus Johnson, marketing coordinator for the Westin Monache Resort in Mammoth Lakes. “Sure Jim, bring your dog to the Westin. We pride ourselves in providing a dog friendly atmosphere and I am sure you will be happy with the amenities that are provided for your gun dog and your stay with us,” said Johnson. After checking in, a phone call to Wilson firmed up plans for the following morning. “The ducks and a few geese have been coming into fresh water springs and creeks running into Mono Lake and that should be our best bet for a morning hunt. The Owens River isn’t holding many puddle ducks yet, and there has been a little too much pressure in McGee Bay on Crowley Lake to expect much in the way of good hunting there, at least until after things start to freeze up,” noted Wilson. Surprisingly there is a lot of public hunting land in Mono and Inyo Counties, much of which is accessed by way of dirt roads provided by the Department of Water and Power. There is about 100 miles of huntable river stretching from the Lower Owens River up to the private stretch of the upper river at the Arcularius Ranch; and the shorelines of Crowley and Mono Lakes and the DU/Forest Service hot springs project off Hwy.167 and Cemetery Road provide hunters with plenty of options when heading up Hwy. 395. “The key to being successful on hunts in this country is scouting. Whether you are hunting ducks, geese, quail or chukar a hunter really has to get out and glass hard or use the expertise of a guide who knows the terrain and access spots. We will be walking down Lundy Creek, through thick willows to reach a spot on the shore of Mono Lake where the ducks and geese have been coming in to get their drink of fresh water and loaf around a bit,” said Wilson. The temperature was a chilling 20 degrees where we parked off Cemetery Road, unloaded a sack of decoys and headed off into the darkness to find the running creek. “Hunters need to be prepared to walk to a good hunting spot. Places that are too close to roads don’t offer up much in the way of hunting, but if you push yourself a little you can be in a spot that is seldom hunted. We’ll press on right down through the willows and crisscross the creek a few times before we get to where I glassed birds yesterday,” said Wilson. The chill bit through the stillness of early morning as teal worked the spread of decoys just prior to shoot time. Mono Lake is high, not at its highest level, but big enough to provide a wide variety of waterfowl and other birds a place to rest up during their long migration south. This lake has too much alkali to freeze, but the birds cannot drink the water either and that’s why setting up at the mouth of a fresh water creek or year round spring is the way to hunt this huge lake. Our blind was a natural forming white tufa that afforded us great shoreline cover without having to construct or carry in a blind. It was a blue bird day, but we did manage to harvest a few puddle ducks and then topped off the hunt with a speckled-bellied goose that responded very well to an Iverson Canada goose call coming right into the decoy spread. On the way back to the truck we busted a covey of 30 native valley quail and Timber enjoyed flushing Jack snipe as we made our way back up the creek. But while carrying decoys and wearing chest waders neither of us was interested in chasing these birds around through thick willows and shoulder high sage. “When the lakes and rivers begin to freeze up solid around the first of December duck and goose hunting can be very good within this flyway. Unfortunately, there is not much in the way of food for them during their short stopover here and that’s what makes it so important to scout. Weather is also a factor that hunters need to acknowledge when setting up along a lakeshore or jump shooting mallards, teal and gadwall along the Upper Owens River. For additional information on hunting this region call Wilson at (760) 258-7615 and if your are heading up into the Mammoth Lakes area with a gun dog or pet, make sure to check out the lodging at Westin Monache Resort (760) 934-2426. *****Mountain quail – one tough bird to hunt Hunters were gathered around a warming oak fire at Bitterwater Outfitters Hog Camp when the talk switched over from hunting boar to bird hunting. Most everyone had already shot their hog that morning and the bison were already quartered and hanging in the on-site meat locker so there was plenty of time to exchange hunting stories. “Jim, I read your column weekly and it appears that you really like to hunt birds in addition to big game. Have you ever hunted the rugged rocky terrain on the back side of Big Bear Lake for quail or chukar,” was the question posed by Mike Romage of Landers. My answer was short, “Yes, one time during a blizzard. It was tough hunting, few birds flushed wildly and when we got back out of that steep canyon we were nearly frozen with no birds bagged.” “Come on up and hunt with me in a couple of weeks. I know of a remote canyon that’s holding a few small coveys of mountain quail. I think we can put you on birds. The weather has been cold but dry so the birds are still coming to this little stretch of water in the bottom of a canyon. According to my GPS we will be hunting at an elevation of about 5,500 feet,” said Romage. The meeting place was off Hwy. 247 and from there it was about a 50 minute 4x4 drive up the mountain, crisscrossing numerous dirt roads in the dark, until we topped out at the head of a canyon just a few miles southeast of the now dry Baldwin Lake. The sun was just topping the east ridge of the canyon wall and there was some frost on the ground. My thoughts were that we might be too early to push down the canyon, but Romage felt confident that the birds would be coming down off the faces of the mountains to get water by the time we arrived at his favorite spot in the canyon. With shadows still on the floor of the rocky arroyo a hunter had to look hard to see these highly prized quail moving down a mountain side under the cover of live oaks, junipers, huge boulders and broken quartz. The first covey we jumped flushed straight up the mountain with this hunter grabbing for rocks and checking on safe footholds as I attempted to catch up to the small covey before it topped the ridge some 500 feet above. “Go ahead and chase them as far as you want Jim. I have done it a number of times and it’s really not a safe place to be when you are hunting by yourself,” yelled Romage from the bottom of the canyon. The mountain quail ran from cover to cover and two off balance shots found this shooter heading back down the mountain with sore legs and no bird in hand. “Don’t worry we’ll get on a covey that will at least allow us to get off a shot or two before they wing out of effective shotgun range,” were the confident words of my hunting partner. The next bend in the canyon did produce a beautiful cock mountain quail that sported nearly a 3-inch top-notch for Romage, while this shooter winged a bird that disappeared in the maze of a rocky crevice. The sun was getting higher in the sky and Romage felt a few more birds would be coming down to the little watering spot, so we sat it out for 30-minutes and talked hunting. “This is great hunting country and rugged enough that it keeps a lot of hunters away. We prospect for gold here, ride our ATV’s and hunt at least a couple times a month in these rugged virgin canyons. In addition to mountain quail, there are chukar, deer, bobcats and just a few hundred feet below the Joshua trees and sage hold good numbers of valley quail. It’s a mix of National Forest, BLM land and private property, most of which is open to hunting. Hunters need to make sure that they have a Forest Service Pass when parked and hunting on their land,” said the veteran outdoorsman. After the rest it was time to walk back out of the canyon, but not before one last bend in the arroyo was checked out. A covey crossed the sandy bottom and dipped behind some rocks allowing for us to move within shotgun range. This hunter was shooting a Remington 20-ga. 870 Wingmaster loaded with Federal Premium #6 copper plated shot. One bird flushed right over my head for a clean miss, but a second shot did drop a bird on the mountain side, which was retrieved by Romage; while he lost another bird that scrambled up the steep rocky cliffs and unfortunately was not retrieved. It didn’t make any difference that this hunting editor was sworn to secrecy about the location of the spot we hunted, as I probably couldn’t get back to that spot during day light even using a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer map for reference. Thanks to Mike for sharing his quail hunting spot with this hunter, it’s not very often that an avid quail hunter is willing to divulge where he is having success in the field or in this case on the mountain. WESTERN OUTDOORS NEWS |
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