Chukar Hatch????

Califelkslayer · Jul 11, 2007

Curious if anyones been out in the N. Nevada or NE Kali desert to judge the chukar hatch. Dry year with lots of carryover. Thats been a frustrating mix in years past. I know its early but with only one tag this year, I'll be setting the tent out there somewhere for the first 12 days of the Nevada season and scurry back to Kali for the opener. Takes alot of chukar to make up for no elk tag.

ckcNVchapter152 · Aug 10, 2007

I've been out quite a bit latley and haven't seen as many birds as I have seen at this time in recent years, but then again I haven't been up to the hot spots either. I've either been to high up in the aspen country deer hunting or to low scouting for antelope.I hope they did good though because we're pretty spoiled from the last couple of years.

Califelkslayer · Aug 12, 2007

Yeah, the good ole days of chukar hunting were the last couple. Got a new dog to go along with my old one this year and the first 16 days of the season off. i was hoping for better news.

nickman · Aug 25, 2007

Really poor hatch in the Eastern Sierra.....chukar and quail.

Mountain quail were devasted by the 36,000 acre fire we had in July.

Not nearly going to be the same as last 2 years when my crippled, old, fat ass, was able to limit out several times.

Califelkslayer · Aug 26, 2007

Don, what part of the eastern Sierra are you referring to? I know the quail hatch isn't great but have seen good chukar years when the quail were down. ALWAYS HOPEFUL!!

falloutwest · Sep 1, 2007

Some of the counts just came out for southern Idaho. They are way down. From what I 've seen, there aren't as many birds this year. Oh well, I will still be hiking my butt off looking for them in few week's time.

Califelkslayer · Sep 2, 2007

Fallout, i'm with you. Either go to a gym, pay $$$, hike on a treadmill and get nowhere or go chase the dog around, dodging rattlesnakes, slipping on icy lava rock and getting the rig stuck in the mud. No brainer, I'll be chasing chukar when not biggame hunting.

in2chukar · Sep 4, 2007

Bad News....Chukar count near record lows is what the paper said this morning.

Looks like this year will be even worse than last year.

Califelkslayer · Sep 4, 2007

Which paper??? Reno Gazette? Not what i wanted to hear. Friend sat on a water hole Sat for dove season and 3 12-15 bird coveys came in. Antelope hunters told me they saw and heard lots of birds. I hear the further East in Nevada you get, the better the moisture was.

Either gonna set my camp up outside Denio or Battle Mountain. Maybe a week in each area. Hunter

in2chukar · Sep 5, 2007

Idaho paper.

huntindude · Sep 6, 2007

Did they say anything about farther north on the Snake? I can't imagine why numbers are down so bad after an open winter and dry spring. I've never seen as many quail as there are this year here in central Oregon.

huntindude · Sep 7, 2007

I called ODFW in Baker and they said the chuckar count was half of last year, so we're looking at about half of normal bird numbers in northern Oregon. this sucks, but on the bright side hunter numbers will be down also if they can't be in the birds all the time.

freedivr2 · Sep 9, 2007

The professional bird dog trainer and breeder that we just purchased our GSP pup from is an avid Chukar hunter and lives in Phelan, Calif. He's out training in the desert daily, and has not seen any quail chicks. He said that he spoke with the local biologist and they haven't seen any chukar chicks this year. The hatch last year wasn't that good either, meaning the birds this year are at least 1 year old, with many older (and wiser) than that. Should be a fun year shootin more wary birds. Just don't put too big a hole in those coveys when you find em, so they'll have a chance to breed next spring (assuming we have a normal wet winter).

Califelkslayer · Sep 9, 2007

Not sure where Phelan is but in NE Kali we had a wet spring in 06, lots of chukar too. My spots in Nevada were dynamite too. Last 2 years has been easy.

Quail around my house had one good hatch in late july. Hoping to see the second hatch any day. 2 years ago on the opener, I had to pass on some immature birds in 2 different coveys and that was the 3rd Sat in Oct. Those birds weren't even born by Sept 10th that year. (forever optimistic)

Second huntindude, less hunters when it gets tough.

chasendeer · Sep 10, 2007

I was sage grouse hunting X5A in California this weekend. I did not see any chukars during the hunt. I spoke with the bio for Lassen County, he said the hatch was down due to a dry spring.
Jay

Gator · Sep 16, 2007

High Desert around the Hesperia, Phelan area in So Ca, the hatch is way down, didn't see to many during the dove season last year we would see 30-40 birds a day this year we saw like 5 total.

TimberHunter · Dec 3, 2007

i talked to the biologist over here in ely and he said that no one is likely to find any chukar or very little this year because all of the adults had died for some reason, they are still trying to figure that problem out.

~818j Amature Rider~
I get enough exercise pushing my luck.

Godsten · Dec 3, 2007

the issue was nothing to due with adults, it is the hatch of new chicks which failed, and that doesn't mean you wont find birds it just means they will be harder to locate and approach. i am not trying to knock you timberhunter, but you gotta check your facts even ndow had a bulletin up about this before the season began.

TimberHunter · Dec 7, 2007

i am just repeating what i heard from the wildlife biologist. he said that most of the adult birds did not make it through last year so there is not as many eggs to be hatched, and that we are MOST LIKELY NOT to see any birds. he did not say we WONT see any birds he said we are MOST LIKELY NOT. anyway, yeah that is just what he said. not trying to get all uptight about it or anything but i did check my facts again with the biologist.

~818j Amature Rider~
I get enough exercise pushing my luck.

Godsten · Dec 7, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Dec-07-07 AT 06:17PM (MST)[p]says young birds being gone the issue not old birds dying off http://www.ndow.org/about/news/pr/091007_chukar_health.shtm there was little snow last winter and a dry spring so chukar weren't healthy enough to raise much of a brood, old birds didn't die in great numbers.

TimberHunter · Dec 7, 2007

LAST EDITED ON Dec-07-07 AT 06:23PM (MST)[p]CALM DOWN!!! i was just putting in what i heard my self!!! some people just cant stand to have anyone else's input on things on this sight!! and Yeah Nevada Got over 3 1/2 feet of snow in just three months last year!

~818j Amature Rider~
I get enough exercise pushing my luck.