California hunting is abysmal this year - I hope it cannot get worse.  I spent a few days on the Western Sierras and found a few coveys, but none were larger than 6 to 8 birds.  Holdovers, hopefully they will breed next year.

But I was very pleased with Maggie.  She had a half dozen nice points, a couple of which were productive - but I whiffed on those of course.  In three days of pretty hard hunting I killed only one bird, and that on a wild flush.  I wanted Maggie to at least get her mouth on a valley quail.  She actually did a great job; the bird hit the ground running; Maggie came to me when I called and immediately started tracking foot scent; she found the bird in some brush about 50 feet away and jumped it as it started to run again.  A very pretty and gentle retrieve, would have been a perfect picture.