SEMINARS
Information on the 2025 seminar series is below
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Just for Upland Bird Hunters
Information
The Western Birds seminar program is about teaching hunters in Southern California WHERE to go on public lands for upland birds - doves, quail, and chukar. Most seminars are broken down into three parts: 1) Resources: Mostly about public land resources, how to use them, and where it's legal to hunt; 2) Four Keys: Focus is on the importance of water for gamebirds in Southern California and how to find water sources; 3) Where: We provide detailed where-to-go information, and all fee seminars include the special dove issue of the Western Birds newsletter.
1. RESOURCES MAPS AND MORE MAPS
Public Land Maps, US Geological Survey Maps, Mapping Software, and GPS Units and how to use them for your hunting
The seminars provide detailed information on the different types of maps -- printed, digital, and Internet -- that you need to use to become a more successful bird hunter. We talk about how to use maps for both hunting and scouting and making sure you are legally hunting on public lands. We also cover ordinance information so you don't run afoul of city or county law enforcement officials. We also tell you where you can get all this information.
2. THE 4 KEYS WATER, WATER, WATER is No. 1. Guzzlers, springs, and stock tanks provide important water to Southern California's gamebirds and knowing their locations is a key to hunting success in this region
Knowing the water sources is by far the single most important factor in successful quail, chukar, and dove hunting in the southern half of the state. Our seminars explain how to find springs, stock tanks, and guzzlers. We talk about how close the various species of gamebirds must stay to water and how to focus your efforts to become a more successful bird hunter. We also give you the other three keys to being a successful bird hunter in this region.
3. WHERE TO GO Last, the seminars give a broad overview of the best hunting areas in the Southern California region for quail, chukar, and doves. And then we give you the specifics!
We have no problem telling you exactly where we hunted last week because there are more good places to hunt game birds in this region than there are bird hunters left in the state. So we cover what we believe are the four best areas in the region in broad terms -- the Mojave National Preserve, the Red Mountain region, the West Mojave, and the Carrizo Plain. But then we talk about specifics within these areas -- including specific canyons and water sources in those canyon. We know your secret spot and 15 places nearby you probably don't know about.
2025 SEMINARS ARE SCHEDULED
Seven sessions are live, plus we are having our first-ever, live, on-line remote seminar
The 2025 seminars have all been scheduled and will be held from late July through August. We also have our first-ever, live, on-line seminar allowing for access from anywhere.
You can also attend the remote seminar live if you'd prefer and live in the Temecula area. It will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, August 20 at the Small Business Development Center, 43200 Business Park Drive, Temecula.
The PDF registration form for this seminar is available on this page.
All of the other seminars will be in-person event at locations across Southern California. We have three weekend seminars at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises in Eastvale and one Sunday seminar at the Oxnard Turner's Outdoorsman. We also have three mid-week evening sessions at various Turner's Outdoorsman stores.
Seminars will be 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours. The mid-week Turner's seminars are limited by store hours, but we will try to cover all the same material as we cover in the more leisurely weekend and on-line seminars.
All those who sign up will receive a study-guide/outline in advance, but we still recommend everyone bring a notebook or recorder.
All seminars are $75 per immediate family, space permitting. Teens and spouses are always welcome, but the seminar can get a little long for younger children. Your call.
All paid seminar attendees will receive a raffle ticket for a Legacy Sports International Pointer over-and-under shotgun. There will also be smaller raffles at each event for Kent non-lead shotgun ammo, a $25 Turner's Outdoorsman gift card, and other items. You will also receive the two fall hunting forecast issues of our Western Birds newsletter -- the dove forecast the end of August and the upland bird forecast just before the quail and chukar opener.
If you decided to subscribe to our Western Birds newsletter (the $225 option on the registration forms) you only pay the newsletter price -- making the seminar, bonus issues, and raffles free.
The "new subscriber" price for a subscription is $225. It includes the next six issues as they are published, along with your choice of four back issues. Depending on which issues you choose, you can get 200 or more guzzler locations in the best hunting regions of Southern California.
The following is a complete list of 2025 seminars by date
Dates/Times/Locations are as follows:
o 9 a.m.-Noon, Saturday, July 26 at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises, Eastvale.
o 9 a.m.-Noon, Saturday, Aug. 2 at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises, Eastvale.
o 1 p.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 10 at the Oxnard Turner's Outdoorsman, Oxnard.
o 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 12 at the West Covina Turner's Outdoorsman, West Covina.
o 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14 at the Palm Desert Turner's Outdoorsman.
o 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the Small Business Development Center, 43200 Business Park Drive, Temecula. In-Person or Remote access available.
o 9 a.m.-Noon, Sunday, Aug. 24 at Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises, Eastvale.
o 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 26 at the Fountain Valley Turner's Outdoorsman, Fountain Valley.
Again, registration forms for all the seminars are available on this page.
If you have any questions, you can call Jim Matthews at 909-887-3444 or call or text his mobile at 909-553-0408 or send an e-mail to him at odwriter@verizon.net.
Click on the image below to get a registration form for the on-line (or in-person) seminar held in Temecula at the Small Business Development Center. Details on form.
In-Person Seminars
Click on the images below to get a registration form for the seminars held at Raahauge's or Turner's Outdoorsman
These are all fillable PDF forms that can be returned via e-mail or mailed via the USPS
Everyone who attends one of seminars in 2025 will be entered into a drawing for a Pointer over-and-under shotgun thanks to the seminar series sponsor, Legacy Sports International. For more information on the Pointer and other Legacy products, clink here or on the photo.
