chukar population: looks damn good this fall.

[Naches Sportsman]

Well, its been about 2 months since the season closed and I haven't seen or heard a single chukar. I think I must have shot them all . There is no point in hunting this year. It is going to be a terrible year


10 more days to go!!!

[Lee Root]

 No, I  shot the last one on the planet...7 months will pass quickly, I hope!!! 

[merkelman]

Hmmmm. I guess I will take up underwater basket weaving then

[fethrduster]

What's a chukar?

[Bmcox86]

I thought they only lived in Pakistan

[Lee Root]

Boys, there is hope.  The birds that I shot the end of the season had more fat reserves on them than I have ever seen on late season chukars.  Bodes well for the nesting season. Now for some more rain in March and April to get the cheat grass to grow, then lots of insects  to hatch, and NO RAIN in early June...at least not the three day constant downpour that kills chicks. Then mild summer days until chicks can fend for themselves.

For those of you who do not yet have an affliction for hunting chukars...stick with planted Pheasants, hunt ducks, or watch football.  At least you will go to your graves sane....

 

[Birdguy]

Saw one unlucky chukar today laying on the side of Hwy 97 just north of S. Pine creek. Hopefully there are a lot more running around.

[sagewalker]

I was surrounded by them all day on Friday, must have missed a few 

[Heredoggydoggy]

It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't run up to the top of a hill and laugh at you.... 

[huntingaddiction]

I have hunted chuckars since i was 10 and i will say this.  It is the one bird that drives me absolutely crazy.  One day you will limit out and the next day you may not even see one.  Let alone hit them when you do.  Although in my years of hunting them i have learned one thing.  If you are underneath them they go sidehill make them easier to get to again.  I like to try and stay on the smae cuvvy when i get into them.

[boneaddict]

I do wish there were more of them

[fethrduster]

I do often wonder if they are susceptible to over hunting.  I didn't used to think that was possible given the terrain they live in, but there are a lot of chukar hunters out there (a lot more than I remember in years past), and populations have declined a lot from when I was younger.  A 10 bird covey can only take so much pressure, which is hard to think about when you're focused on trying to get a limit.  If I really get into them, I try to stop at 4-5 birds if I can just to leave some for next time.   I'd like to see some studies done on this.

[birddogdad]

New to this site! Live in Kitsap Co. and am looking for a Eastern Wa. hunting partner following big game season to work over Chukar/Pheasant. I normally wait until it gets cold to come over. Spent last Dec/Jan in the Ellensburg/Moses Lake area on weekends...If you have access to Yak training center even better as i am retired military. There are preliminary rules to meet to get on there...

[wildweeds]

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

[Romulus1297]

I used to buy wheat for chucker and hun but they vanished around my place now all I have is quail

[fethrduster]

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

Quail are native to Washington.

[wildweeds]

No they are not, the only upland birds native to washington are those of the grouse family and the mountain quail as far as the WDFW is concerned ,I had a heated debate with the director over it  in email exchanges a few years ago,California Valley quail are not considered "Native"

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

Quail are native to Washington.

[AspenBud]

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

I must admit that I've only hunted barn chukar at shooting preserves, but if the wild variety are like their pen raised counterparts I will never understand the fascination with chukar. They don't taste that special to me and compared to a pheasant or ruffed grouse they are a nightmare to skin and gut. For all that climbing, not to mention potential snake issues for the dog I would wish for better.

[huntingfool7]

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

I must admit that I've only hunted barn chukar at shooting preserves, but if the wild variety are like their pen raised counterparts I will never understand the fascination with chukar. They don't taste that special to me and compared to a pheasant or ruffed grouse they are a nightmare to skin and gut. For all that climbing, not to mention potential snake issues for the dog I would wish for better.

Even the best flight conditioned, pen raised chukar are a poor substitute for wild birds.  I would say they are a poor substitute for hardy pigeons also.

Nothing quite like the terrain, the difficult shot angles, the wear and tear on dog or man.
They run like hell and in flight, they drop out of sight quick.  God bless them, I hate them!  There isn't another game bird out there that will sit on a rock on a distant hillside and mock a guy like a chukar.

[fethrduster]

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

I must admit that I've only hunted barn chukar at shooting preserves, but if the wild variety are like their pen raised counterparts I will never understand the fascination with chukar. They don't taste that special to me and compared to a pheasant or ruffed grouse they are a nightmare to skin and gut. For all that climbing, not to mention potential snake issues for the dog I would wish for better.

When you climb up a ridge to find your dog on point, your chest is heaving, and there is your dog, stiff as a statue into the wind, and then a covey of 30 birds rockets up out of the sage 30-40 yds away, cackling and rocketing downhill, and you somehow manage to scratch one or two down, you'll think differently.  Hunting a pen raised chukar on flat ground is like putt putt golf compared to the U.S. Open.   Not even close to the same thing as wild birds (wish I could say that about pheasants).   As for table fare, they are basically the same as a large quail.  I don't know how it can get any better than that.

[ribka]

Cool little birds but they ain't a tater peeler or a boat floater for me,I prefer quail/huns or pheasants.Management of  any of them is in US the hunters, the WDFW considers them  all an "Introduced" specie and as such does not fund any management program, consider yourselves warned.Same goes for Huns/quail/Pheasants.It's all about the license money boys,when it plays out it plays out.Non native Upland birds ain't nothing more than gold with beating hearts,the management begins with you! on quail make sure a covey has at least  10 birds remaining when your done!I'd say chuks/huns need 6,pheasants don't matter much as they aren't covey birds but if you see 15 hens before you see a rooster it's a bad proposition.

Only those that have made the thigh burning climb chasing wild birds understand


I must admit that I've only hunted barn chukar at shooting preserves, but if the wild variety are like their pen raised counterparts I will never understand the fascination with chukar. They don't taste that special to me and compared to a pheasant or ruffed grouse they are a nightmare to skin and gut. For all that climbing, not to mention potential snake issues for the dog I would wish for better.

When you climb up a ridge to find your dog on point, your chest is heaving, and there is your dog, stiff as a statue into the wind, and then a covey of 30 birds rockets up out of the sage 30-40 yds away, cackling and rocketing downhill, and you somehow manage to scratch one or two down, you'll think differently.  Hunting a pen raised chukar on flat ground is like putt putt golf compared to the U.S. Open.   Not even close to the same thing as wild birds (wish I could say that about pheasants).   As for table fare, they are basically the same as a large quail.  I don't know how it can get any better than that.

[merkelman]

You mean I have to walk to the top of the mountain. I cant just drive up and walk the tops!  I been doing it all wrong!!!

[HunterStrait]

I have never hunted chuckar, at least not yet. but they sound interesting to hunt! maybe i'll try this year, only if i can get my mutt
to hunt them properly!

[tomq04]

I have never hunted chuckar, at least not yet. but they sound interesting to hunt! maybe i'll try this year, only if i can get my mutt
to hunt them properly!

You only HUNT chukar once, every time after that you are out for REVENGE

[merkelman]

Sitting here in downtown chukarville. Man oh man they are going crazy tonight .  Come on next saturday.  It can come soon enough.

Hopefully it rains on the opener. Nothing better than hunting in the rain.

your inbox is full.

[ctwiggs1]

 

[merkelman]

Have a plane we could land in north Wenas road.

[GrampasGuns]

Hows the snake situation in chukarville currently?

[merkelman]

I need coordinates to land the helicopter. Lol how about the 76 station in town...

[Fishnfowler]

I'm headed out for 6 days of chukar hunting tomorrow, (Idaho).  Wish me luck.

[merkelman]

I have heard that Idaho chukars are up this year!  Good luck!