Chukar/hun report

I finally found some cool mornings to get out looking for chukars. Although the mornings were a lot cooler than it has been lately, there was still no dew or moisture for good scenting conditions. In fact, it's almost like there is a layer of dust on everything. After hiking each day I felt like I had a dry crust in my nasal cavity so you can imagine what Jake was feeling.

That was the bad. Now for the good. Day 1 had Jake and I at a favorite chukar spot. We didn't see the number of birds we hoped for but I feel we saw only a small part of what was probably out there. Several times Jake got real birdie but came up blank and several times he didn't even smell the birds until he was right on top of them. I flushed as many birds as Jake which shows how poor the conditions were for finding birds. Our finds were Covey #1-One mature chukar and 7 chicks about 3 to 4 weeks old, #2-14 fully grown huns, #3 & 4-about 15 chukars in each group and all birds were almost fully matured, #5-2 adult birds with about 8 six week old birds, #6-7 fully grown huns, #7-2 adult chukars with about 10 six week old chicks. To top it off, we found 3 mature blues up high in the buck brush. We were on the hill for 3 hours and I covered 4 1/2 miles while Jake covered 12 1/2 miles.

Day 2 was also a favorite location. Conditions were similar to the day before. We had 6 covey finds. One covey was a large group of huns. I guess about 25 birds. The other covey's were chukars and ranged from 4 birds to about 20 in one group. Our elevation was a little lower than day 1.

Day 3 found me checking out an old hun spot. It's a spot that a gentleman from Tennessee has asked me about and I figured Jake and I would take a jaunt out there. I'm sure he'll be tickled to know the birds seem to have done well there this year. Although Jake and I jumped only two covey's in our short walk, we saw 4 more covey while driving into and out of the area. I would guess there was an average of about 15 birds per covey and all seemed to be approaching adult size.

Although I believe the rating might be a little higher, I give both chukar and huns a 4 star rating. When the weather cools and moisture comes there are going to be plenty of birds out there to keep us entertained through the end of the season but I still don't think there are the birds yet to relate to the 2010 season.

Inspiration

Yesterday, Barb and I went to a triathlon our granddaughter, Emily was competing in. They had the Olympic event (1mile swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run) and a sprint event (500 meter swim 12 mile bike and 3 mile run).Emily competed in the Olympic event and won her age group. I was amazed at the 400 plus competitors that competed in the 90 degree plus temperatures.  

While waiting for her to cross the finish line, a chant started from the spectators and I realized they were chanting for a gentleman approaching the finish line. He was finishing the sprint course and finished with a time of 2 hours and 30 something minutes. What was impressive was the gentleman was 90 years old. After the event was over he sat at a picnic table, joking and laughing with the rest of the crowd. If I could have even finished the course I would have been laying under a mister sipping some kind of beverage. There were a few other's between 70 and 75 years old but this guy was amazing.

It seems like there is always someone out there that inspires us in every sport. He made me hope I could be like him and still chasing chukars at 90 years of age. There are a few guys here in Idaho that impress me by still chasing the chukar into their 70's. Dave in Washington is also still chasing chukar's with gusto in his 70's.

And than there is Greg Munther in Montana. We have chased the devil bird a few times together but what he does that impresses me more than anything, is he chases big game animals with a long bow and is now 72. A few years back, he got a ram in Montana with his long bow and last year he spent the season trying to get a ram in Wyoming while avoiding Grizzlies alomost every day. This year Greg is going to put his pack on his back and do another self guided hunt in Montana. He'll be chasing the rocky mountain goat.

Good luck to you Greg, and you, like the triathlon man, keep chasing your dreams while the rest of chase after you.

yesterday continued

Jake and I took the long ride over to I forgot drainage for some early morning chukar scouting. It was good we got off early because it warmed up a lot faster today than yesterday.

Be careful out there with your canine partner on these hot days. You can do irreparable damage to a dog by overheating them. Watch them carefully and pack plenty of water.

We hiked for two hours and covered about three miles with disappointing chukar finds. I'm not going negative on you but just pointing out our findings. Jake never got over 100 yards from me and was usually within 50 yards which could be part of our problem. The heat was a big problem.

The day started out like yesterday. Five minutes from the truck and we flushed a covey of huns. There were about twenty birds and all seemed fully grown. That was a good sign because last year we didn't see a hun in this area. Further along I could see what I thought was a chukar standing on the rock's above me. My bino's revealed it to be a bull quail with about 15 little ones huddled together watching Jake and I hiking the hill. I'd never seen a quail up in this area before. Shortly after that I saw a chukar round the trail in front of us. Jake never caught scent but when I caught up to the bird he flushed with his mate and five half grown chukars. A little later, Jake put his nose close to the ground and made some quick five second points before relocating. I was sure he was on the scent of chukars when a quail flushed out in front of him and then about forty more flushed above us. They were different sizes so probably several covey's combined. Once again, a place I've never seen quail before. Finally, we found covey number 2 of chukar. Jake walked right into 7 more chukar's with only two full size birds.

It wasn't the hike I had hoped for, but I'm optimistic about the probabilities that we were just missing them today. Everywhere you step are grasshopper's by the dozen's so there is no need to congregate for food. The only thing I found disheartening was only 5 chicks in both covey's of chukar was fewer than I had expected.

As we started driving the mountain road back towards the pavement I saw two larger covey's of either huns or chukars diving off the hill far in front of us. That lifted my spirits some. Jake couldn't care less. He was just happy to be in the shade of the truck.

Chukar and Hun rating's are still? but Quail moved to five star's plus.

partial upland forecast

I wish I could give my findings and predictions on all of the upland birds but I have to admit to being a little shorter on time this summer. Over the last week I've been getting out more and have been very pleased with results.

Last week on a camping outing I left my camera on a log while out hiking so I don't have any pictures to confirm my sightings. I hope whoever finds it enjoys my pictures of deer, elk and Sandhill Cranes.

I'll post my findings with Conner and Jake today and let you decide whether it sounds good or bad. We got up early this morning and headed for a popular upland destination for many upland hunters and after dodging a few big game animals in the head lights the sun rise showed us several covey of quail rushing off the road. It looked like most covey's had 10 or so half grown babies in them. We even saw one hen turkey with 8 big chicks with her. Conner and I decided to drive to the top and hike down, checking out of few springs. Shortly before we got to our location, Conner saw a grouse fly off the road so we decided to start our hike there and let Jake work the bird. It wasn't long and Jake was locked in. As we approached three rough's took off from the tree's and than a fourth from in front of Jake as he broke. As we started further down the hill several more birds flushed from the tree's but we didn't get a visual to get a count. As we joked with each other as to how many times we would have missed, had we been hunting, my astro  showed Jake on point again. He was deep in the brush and we figured there were more rough grouse in there when well over 30 quail started flying everywhere around us. It seemed like it went on forever as Jake pushed through the brush looking for more.

Heck, we weren't 15 minutes into our hike and had already seen plenty of birds, but not the important one. A short time later Jake bumped a blue which was followed by two straggler's. Off in the distance we could hear some chukars but had already decided on another route. The next group of tree's produced even more blues. We saw at least 4 but heard even more. Conner and I decided at that point that we would be back at this spot for a chukar warm up on some grouse. A little further down the hill a covey of chukar flushed wild about 100 yards away. We estimated about 15 birds with all the bird looking close to the same size. Jake's next point was on a solo blue surrounded by about 10 quail. As we moved down below the tree line we finally got a chukar point but was a little surprised when the pair of birds flushed with only three half grown chukars in tow. We heard some more chukars off in the distance but Jake was getting tired and had drank more than half of his water so it was time to head back up. We busted one more covey of chukar with only 6 or 8 birds before we got higher on the mountain where we found a few more blues scattered about. After three hours of walking we hit the brushy logging road and headed towards the truck. Jake was worn out but not too worn out to suddenly stop with a hind leg point. I could see two rough grouse under a tree about 20 yards ahead of him. As Conner moved in front of Jake, the birds started flushing. We counted at least a dozen birds taking off randomly and there was a mixture of both rough and blues. There were even some birds that we heard but couldn't see. Someone with a five shot auto would have easily emptied his gun.

We saw a few more quail covey's on the way out but were still in awe at how many grouse we had seen today. I'm not a big grouse hunter, but I know I saw more grouse today than I have seen in most hunting season's. So for you grouse enthusiast's, I'd give the grouse season a five out of five, and think there is lot's to be excited about. Quail would also get a five, but I always seem to see lot's of quail on this trip.

As far as the chukar I can't give an opinion yet because I haven't been in chukar country as much as usual. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be cool again before the next heat wave and Jake and are planning a trip to a chukar mountain. Hopefully will see numbers showing a successful hatch with lot's of birds. More to come.

Babies

The baby season is upon us and if you have a dog that refrain's from chasing or flushing it's a great time to be out there meandering. It's a very fragile time, so if your dog won't whoa and whoa tight than maybe it's not the best time to be out there with your pup. Luckily for me, my boys have been very staunch and to my knowledge have never tried to catch a baby bird.

When Jake catches scent of a young bird his nose get's real close to the ground and I look within two feet of his nose and usually find a motionless bird hunkering down in the cover. Such as this baby grouse on May 23.

Here is one of Jake's points on a covey of little ones.

I can't see the birds in this picture but when I got above Jake I could see three little ones nestled in the cheat grass. As I bent down to snap a shot they flushed.

Simultaneously another dozen or so busted about ten feet below us along with mom and dad. I managed to snap a shot at another of the little ones which I would guess were about three weeks old. Surprisingly they flew over 100 yards away.

 These were the first chukar babies of the year but we've seen plenty of sign of more hatches to come. There are also plenty of other babies to enjoy on the mountain. These dove egg's were conveniently placed at eye level along one of the trails Jake and I search for chukars from.

We haven't found any fawn's yet but know they are out there but I about stumbled on this calf elk laying on the trail I was traveling.

Jake came within 5 yards of the calf and never even knew it was there but later my Astro said Jake was on point and I found him watching over this little one.

He waited patiently while I snapped pictures as did the calf.

One final peek a boo shot and Jake and I headed off the mountain.

Although, as I mentioned, I haven't seen any other young chukars I think the summer is progressing rather well and September 17th can't come soon enough for Jake and I.

Hatch around the corner.

With the Turkey hunting season behind us, Jake and I are going to be spending more time in the hills looking for babies. We took a couple hikes the last two days and were very excited about what we are seeing. Although the only babies seen so far are ducks and geese, most everything else should be close behind.We're seeing a lot of loner doe deer and cow elk which means they are getting ready to have a little one or already have one hidden out somewhere. As far as the chukar go, we've also stopped seeing the pairs but are seeing many solo's. The single birds aren't going far so I'm guessing it's the male trying to draw us from the female and nest. Usually if it's a hen with babies she'll put on the injury trick as killdeer do to get your attention.

I took a picture of this male chukar and showed Barb. She asked me how I could tell it was a male. After I pointed out it had a pecker, she informed me that all birds have pecker's no matter if they are male or female.

This wet weather is helping to keep everything green and I'm seeing loads of protein carrying insects. If the weather warms back up soon as predicted the chicks should have optimum conditions and survival should be great if the predators don't take over. 

The first place Jake and I scouted we had several chukar sightings but the place we went today found only one chukar but three different foxes and two coyotes

It may need a little predator management because it is a spot I normally see more chukars and huns than I saw today.

I'm hoping everyone is having a ball training those new pups or working with the old reliable ones and by this time next month I have some pictures of young broods to keep those dog's having fun in the upcoming season. Just think, Less than four month's before upland season and just over three months before grouse opens. Which reminds me, We have seen lot's of blues and ruffs this spring. Hopefully their hatch will be great also.

Deep into Spring

Although it's a little early for chukar and hun hatches there are lot's of other sign's that tells me that the Spring is on it's normal course. First of all, like I said in the previous post, Jake and I are seeing lot's of paired up chukar and are now seeing a few more paired up huns. Jake really likes Spring conditioning in bird country.

Also, this goose, has nested in the same area for the last four years and her goslings have hatched each year between the 12th and the 15th of April. This year they hatched on the 12th.

The rooster's are fighting for the girls and we're seeing them everywhere right now. They get pretty dumb like all male's this time of the year.

Finally, Conner is on the prowl and shot the largest turkey I've seen over my twenty some years of hunting them. It weighed over twenty four pounds and had 1 and 1/2 inch fighting spurs.

We're pointing at our hat's because it say's TEAM CONOPA which stands for Conner and Opa. Spring is on the right track and we're hoping for lot's of insects the next three months.

Still fun without a gun.

Jake and I have been running the hills as often as possible since the season's end. As usual, we're having almost as much fun without a shot gun as we do when we have it. I still get excited at every point and I know Jake is the same because of the excitement he shows when I take his collar out of the case. We've been using these days to work on stop at the flush, something that he started forgetting towards the end of last season.

Jake seems to have extended his range some but still holds point until I get to him.

I'm not real sure that I'm excited about the extra range but we'll find out when the season comes. We're also working on those encounters with unwanted animals. So far Jake has figured out that badgers and skunks are bad and wants to stay away from them. A little shock before the spray is a lot better than the scrub down after the spray. The shock collar works the same with badgers, skunks and porcupines as it does with rattle snakes. One or two encounters and there is usually no reinforcement needed.

Along with letting Jake work, sometimes Conner comes along and hunts for sheds. He's a great pack horse and I also use him to walk out in front of Jake's point so I can observe Jake's reaction at point from a different view.

Conner is saving sheds in hopes of buying a new shotgun in a few years. Every time out he seems to find a pack load.

We're also seeing how the birds have faired and everything looks good. We're finding lot's of paired up chukars and a few paired up huns for this spring's hatch. In one location I found several single blue grouse. I don't believe they pair up but are more like pheasant's and turkey's. Of course there are quail everywhere and they are still in some nice covey's. Jake has been having a ball with them. He always has a great point at first smell but watches them fly to the next big clump of cover and streaks to them. Once in a while I even capture a flushing chukar.

We're also using the time to do a little turkey scouting. Another bird that faired well over the winter.

There's also lot's of deer and elk running the hills and are always fun to observe. Even though just watching Jake work birds and go on point is all I need, there are lot's of reason's to be on the mountain and this time of the year the temperature is right and you don't have to pack water for your four legged friend. The year is getting off to a good start with the moisture and we're all crossing our fingers for a great hatch. Get your pups out there and enjoy the mountain before the hatch does come. You and your dog will both be better off for it.

Season End.

Another year of chasing chukars has come and gone. As usual, I was once again educated by the birds. It seems like every year I think I have them figured out and then they either have moved to new locations or learned a new tactic to make me look like a fool. Thank God for bird dogs. They are the one thing on the mountain that makes chukar hunters look like they have any sanity at all. I have to say that Jake definitely showed me the way this year.

The beginning of Jake's third year had me questioning his abilities. After two good seasons, he began this year busting many birds. I believe it was because there were so many more birds this year than the last two. He couldn't handle the numbers at first but  adjusted and it soon became clear that all I needed to do was follow his lead and shoot well and we'd be eating good. The shooting part let us both down more this year than in the past. The following his lead part was fine until the last part of the season. The deeper snow and frozen hillsides slowed me, but not Jake, and also hurt my shooting percentage even further.

I'm giving up on trying to figure out what makes chukar thrive one year and be down the next. I've kept records for over twenty years and nothing makes sense. The only constant is that there is no constant and chukar numbers fluctuate from year to year about like my shooting success. The one thing that is going to keep chukar  populations healthy is where they live. Most people have no use for where the chukar lives so that land will be public for a long time. The one thing I can tell the young chukar hunters of today is, "don't listen to us old chukar hunters when we tell you about the good old days". Chukar numbers rise and fall and, at some point in our life, we get too old to chase them as hard. It becomes easier to say, " it's not like the old days" than it is to say, " I just can't walk those hills the way I used to."

I can remember great years and slack years in every decade since the 70's and I remember great years as late as 2010. This year was about average for me but I think we're on the verge of having another great one. So give your dogs a little break and then get them out for some great spring training and ready for next year.

Here are some pictures of the last few weeks on the mountain. Jake and I had a great time. Jake probably more than me watching me struggle to stay on the mountainsides. They are probably redundant to most readers but place your dog in the pictures and you'll have an idea of what to expect next year.

Jake telling me there are some birds under this fresh snow somewhere.

Jake taking me to the top on a frosted morning.

My favorite point of the year. It was snowing hard and the birds stuck like glue. Jake was actually in the middle of the birds.

I got my only triple of the season. The birds took off slow enough to let me reload my over and under.

Another point.

The intensity here told me I better not miss.

Jake styling some, except for the ears.

Pointing with a little less style.

Jake retrieving a bird on top where most birds were. He could walk on the crusted snow but I broke through.

A little more fun retrieve down closer to the road.

One more retrieve in the snow to remember January by.

Good bye for this year and hope to see some of you next year.

Birthday Brag

Today is Jake's birthday. He is three years old and is already a top dog on the mountain. With over 180 chukar hunts, another 15 or so grouse hunts, along with countless training jaunts in chukar country, he has seen and done most everything most dogs will do in a lifetime.

Yesterday we had an inch of new snow and with a prediction of four inches or so today we decided to have his birthday hunt a day early. Just like about every hunt this past month, he performed like a true champion. Yes, there were the times when he disappeared up the hill following running chukars and I saw fleeting glimpses of flying birds from his direction and could only imagine why they were flying, but that pretty much goes with this time of the year. Every dog I have owned has acted the same way on these late season snowy days. I don't know if the birds just refuse to hold or if the dog just gets too excited seeing them running on the snow and gives chase. Whatever the reason, I know that sooner or later I will get a point to walk in on.

After his point, if I do my part, he loves the retrieve. He isn't a dog who retrieves to hand but will hunt dead bird until successful and bring it to my feet. If confused with where the dead bird is, he follows commands almost as good as a retriever. Yesterday, he even figured out how to get two birds in his mouth and retrieve them both to about twenty yards before he dropped one and brought the other to me. I owed it to him to at least walk down the hill to the dropped bird. I could have told him to fetch it but figured he had already done more than his share.

What amazes me about all pointing dogs is there pointing instinct. I have seen all different types of pointing positions. Some very uncomfortable looking, but they hold them just the same. Usually, those are the points you know that a bird  is there. Sometimes the perfect point is a false point but when they are caught in an odd position and freeze that way, I have learned to be ready for action. Take this long distance point.

Over 100 yards later Jake was still in the same position.

He stayed this way until I flushed the birds and than was proud to return the trophy to me.

Although this wasn't a tough retrieve, I want to point out how much we should appreciate the retrieving of dead chukars. Although the pointing process is what we all love to see, it is the retrieving process that wears the dog out. Jake had two very long straight up hill retrieves that I could tell required a little down time and pick me up food. He covered over 25 miles to my 6 and 1/2 but those two retrieves had the most effect on him. I always make sure to show my appreciation for the retrieve because I know he is doing that for me, not for him.

Yesterday's hunt was also an eye opener for me. I thought maybe I excelled more than most people my age when it comes to chukar hunting. I thought because of my great dogs (just like every other dog owner feels) nobody could be pushed as hard as I do. Once again, I have been shown up. I took my side by side up a snow covered road that was impassable with full sized vehicles to gain 500 feet of elevation before Jake and I started our hunt. There had been no other traffic. I hunted for about three hours and for the first time this year ran into another hunter and his dog. We never got closer than a couple hundred yards or so but I knew he was being entertained by hearing occasional shots. Of course, I figured it must be some young punk and his dog. You'd have to be young to be up this mountain. After another couple of hours I made it back down to my side by side. I expected to see another atv or utv along the road but all I found were some boot tracks. I followed them down the road to the gate  at the main road. There was a truck parked there and a gentleman sitting in it getting warm. We discussed the days events and he informed me of the other hunters age. He was the same age as me. Not only did he walk the same hills as I did he also walked in 1 and 1/2 miles and was going to have to walk out that same distance along with gaining 500 feet in elevation that I didn't. So much for being a tough guy.

Anyhow, Happy Birthday Jake. Let's give this snow a day or two to melt and you can

take me out for another work out.

End is getting near

Seems like this time of the year there are several scenario's from chukar hunters out there. There's one scenario that says the birds were hit hard by these last three cold weeks and hunters can't find birds, while another one says that the weather has been so bad that the birds are congregated in the low lands and too easy to slaughter. I even heard some complaints from some that the hatch was poor again this year and the numbers never were there. Some say the birds are just too wild this time of the year and put their dog's and gun's away. My thought's say there are plenty of birds out there for both hunting and brood stock for next year, but they take some humping to get.

I've never been one to down play chukar numbers, even on the low number years. Hunter's have little effects on chukar survival. Nature is the main culprit in determining the yearly outcome of the birds. Even though I'm sure that in some area's the cold weather might have had some effect on chukar survival, most of the areas I hunt have fared well. I can honestly say that I haven't seen many birds on the roads driving into my different hunting areas, but I don't spend enough time on them to give an honest opinion of how many birds are down that low. You have to be there to give an honest opinion.

My expertise comes with the latter scenario. The one that takes humping the mountain. Expertise doesn't mean success, it just means what I have done for year after year. It has worked for me through all of the years and always has given me chukars to CHASE. Sometimes the success isn't very good, but I'm still out there doing what I and my dog love to do. Matt Hutt, a much younger chukar hunter than I, pointed out the fact that he also hunts a lot like I do and that the small chukar hunter brain is born into a person and you don't have to get old to lose the smarts of a normal person.

I probably don't hunt any harder than the hunters that hunt lower on the mountain, and there's a good chance I don't see more birds but it works for me. Besides, that's where Jake likes to go. With the weather warming some, there is a lot more open ground now and it is finally softening up to get a foot hold. About a week ago I was getting so beat up by the deep snow and frozen ground I was about to give it up for the year. I thought that maybe age was catching up with me. Luckily for me, Jake made me give it some more tries, and with the ground letting me get a foot hold, I'm able to cover more ground and feeling a lot better chasing the birds. Yes, the birds are pretty savvy now and hard to hold, but every once in a while you can get a covey or single to hold, especially when they are between you and the dog.

Trust me, there will be no more humping this kind of country for me.

There is a lot of open country out there that holds plenty of birds. Most of them require some long distance work, but they are still doable.

There is no one way to hunt that is better than others. Maybe someday I'll hunt those lower areas closer to the road and find those birds. I'll probably find out it's a lot harder than I thought and maybe find that honey hole. But, no matter where it is I know I'll have a chance of getting some chukar because there are more out there than some would have you believe. I know I'll never have the chance of seeing the young mountain lion I saw yesterday without being out there doing it. I'll also not have a chance for a successful day to make up for those days of humping over snow covered mountains just to see the birds flush wild without getting out there and doing it.

A P.S. to my last post Forest Gump. I still qualify for the "stupid is as stupid does" chukar award. I mentioned, how I was crippling birds and Jake had to chase them forever. Even though I clean my gun after every hunt, I take my chokes out and clean the threads every fourth hunt or so. I had four hunts with no choke in. Amazing how the shooting improved after putting my modified's back in.

Forest Gump

There was a line in the movie "Forest Gump" that went something like this, "stupid is as stupid does". After arriving back at my truck after yesterday's hunt, I understood what that simple statement meant. This chukar hunter isn't very smart and many times my actions show a lack of any smarts at all. Yesterday's hunt was one of these times.

After checking the forecast I decided to head to Oregon and try a spot I'd seen a good number of birds earlier this year. Driving in, the southern slopes had a lot of exposure and I was sure there would be plenty of walkable land for Jake and I to cover. I was a little disappointed to find some old tire tracks on the four wheel road going into my secret spot, but figured with the amount of birds I usually find here, there will be plenty left for me. Shortly after Jake and I started our ascent up the snowy draw I found the carcass of a boned out elk and from there my tracks were the only tracks headed up the draw. I was the only person up this way for at least three weeks. I was prepared for the super hunt.

There was plenty of snow in the draw I chose to gain altitude in, but the southern slope was bare. Jake several times followed his nose straight up the slope where I'd watch a covey of chukar bust and fly around the hill. The hill was too steep for me to chase after Jake so I continued up the draw. There was no crust on the snow so the hiking difficulty level was about four out of ten. After gaining 1000 feet in elevation, I found the trail I had walked several times in the past. It paralleled the north slope of the hill and gradually gained some elevation. The slope that Jake had been chasing the chukars on was now snow covered and he came over to the elk beaten trail with me to get over the top to the south slope of that ridge. I've been there many times over the last thirty years and have always found good number of birds. We got to where I thought the "honey hole" was going to be and found the slope not as southerly as I thought and not steep enough to collect any sunshine that might help melt the snow. It was at least a foot deep. Jake at times disappeared through some drifts. Luckily the snow had not crusted and it was still walkable. Maybe an eight out of ten now.

The elk had made a good trail down the ridge and Jake and I took advantage of it and lost some elevation. We finally got down to a more southern slope with patches of ground showing through, but Jake showed no sign of birds and I didn't see a track or dropping anywhere. Three hours into the hunt, Jake finally had a point. As I approached the point, the birds dove off the hill without me getting a shot off. I don't know whether they were that quick or I was just too tired and slow. Soon we were at the snow level and so were the birds. I had several points on birds that refused to hold long enough for me to get a decent shot and I was getting tired.

The hill I was stuck on now was as steep as any hill I'd ever hunted but I had two choices, hunt it down or go back the way I came. Chukars chuking all over the place made my decision easy. The sun had melted all the snow on this slope and it was actually dry so I decided to try and side hill it back and forth down to the main road. I think it might be the steepest hill I've ever hunted. Difficulty level at least a nine. It didn't seem to have a lot of feed but the chukars loved it. Jake had point after point with most birds flushing wild but at times it worked out for some shooting. Shooting, not hitting. I tried to always move in on the down side of Jake. That was the only way I was going to get a reasonable shot.

Finally, one of Jake's points produced a large covey of chukar that held until I was about ten yards from them. The hill was so steep I could only manage one shot without falling. To my amazement a bird fell and started flapping down the hill with Jake in hot pursuit. I can't say how far he actually went but I know it went all the way to the road which was 500 vertical feet below us. I had thought about heading straight down to the road but Jake bumped so many birds on his way back up that I decided to do some more side hilling. Jake was having a great time. He covered the ground like it was no challenge at all. Some other hunters must have had some good luck on that hill also because there were several yellow shotgun shells scattered along my route. At times it would take me ten minutes to get to Jake's 100 yard point, my legs were getting so tired and my back was cramping.

Jake's last point of the day proved to be the last straw for this chukar hunter. Jake was locked in on the ridge above the truck. As I moved below him and onto the snow covered side I could see the two birds ten yards away under a clump of sage. I squared off and raised my gun at the flush. It felt like it weighed fifty pounds and I shocked myself by hitting one of the birds. But I only crippled it and it set sail across the draw and crashed into the hill not high above the tracks of my truck. Jake chased after it for a short time but lost sight of it and returned up the hill to me. I was spent. I dug my heels into the soft dirt and slid straight down to the road. I slowly walked the road to where I had turned off in my truck earlier in the day. I had one third of a mile to go and about 150 feet of elevation gain and one chukar to find. Jake did find the bird, but with no help from me. I didn't want to get out of the tire tracks. I directed him enough to where he finally got the scent and retrieved the bird to me. It took me a half an hour to cover the final 500 yards to the truck. My back was cramping and I had to stop and stretch every fifty steps or so.

 Six hours on the hill, four and a half miles covered, 1200 feet of elevation gain, and two chukars. Not a stellar day of covering country for me. A normal day would have seen a lot more miles and gain in elevation. I had to stop six times on my two hour drive home to stretch my cramping back. As I thought back to the day, I could have hunted all the burnt off area that I saw on the way in and covered almost twice as much ground without ever having to worry about where I would end up if I ever fell.  Jake would have been just as happy and the shots I took would probably have been a lot more reasonable. I wouldn't have felt like I had been run over by a dump truck. So why did I go where I went. The dream of that "honey hole" which didn't exist. Maybe I'll be remembered by chukar hunters as the Forest Gump of the chukar world. "Stupid is as stupid does".

Still miserable out there.

I should have paid more attention to Mark's comment last night about the lack of snow covered slopes. Mark, keep me posted. I had a hard time rolling out of my truck a half hour ago. My back has never been this sore after a days hunt. The twisting and turning was too much for this old body to take. Side hilling has never been quite that tough.

That old saying "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" also applies to chukar hunting. A few days ago I was on the Idaho side of Brownlee and the Oregon side seemed to have more burnt off slopes. Today I was on the Oregon side and it looked like Idaho had more bare ground. After today's hunt I decided those bare area's are much smaller than I thought and a lot higher on the mountain. Going up the hill isn't really that bad. The snow is still powdery and makes for fairly good footing. In fact it's still so powdery, the first bird we shot today was lost in the wide open for about fifteen minutes before Jake finally locked on point in an area we had been covering looking for the bird. It had simply fallen into the powder snow and we lost it for a while, even though it was stone dead.

Side hilling was almost impossible at times and it took forever to get to points, if the birds would hold long enough. Down hill was even more treacherous. I fell several times and the birds seemed to be more flight coming down on them. Jake and I had far better luck on birds pointed above me. I should say Jake had better luck, I had a tough time squaring up for any kind of reasonable shot on the slick turf.

Anyhow, that's what the hunting is like for me. Hopefully some of you may have some hot spots where the sun has been radiating heat. I wonder how Greg Munther is doing down in Arizona. Sure sounds nice. Topping the day off, Jake disappeared as I was starting the fire. I found him sitting on the bed in the front bedroom and looking out the window.

Why can't it be like this on the chukar hill?

Advantage chukars

We got our white Christmas this year and some darn cold weather to go with it. I've had several people ask me how the chukars are going to survive in these conditions? After a couple of days of sunny and cold weather I decided to go over and find out. My answer is "much better than me."

Even though the temperature never got above 14 degrees, Jake and I were happy to see some burnt off southern slopes. Up we went to the sounds of chukars taunting us. The chuk, chuk chuk, sound made it hard for Jake to stand still as I put the collar on him and before I started up the slope he was 200 yards above me. I was a little disappointed to see him flush the first covey but watched intensely where they flew to.

Although the temperatures were cool, it wasn't long before I was taking my heavier sweater off. I was amazed how soft the ground was under the snow. It didn't get a chance to freeze before the snow came and the snow served as an insulator to the ground. As I got to the elevation where the first covey had taken flight, there were bird tracks everywhere. It looked like a feed lot. Higher up the mountain my new Astro said Jake was on point. Up I went but by the time I got to where I could see him the birds must have taken flight because he was on the move again. Straight up the ridge from Jake was a line of chukars sprinting to the top of the hill where I was sure they would take flight. To be honest, I didn't even really care. It would take me forever to get to where they were headed. Jake hit the scent trail and soon followed. Shortly after he disappeared I watched a large covey of chukar fly around the top of the mountain. They flew in the same direction as the first covey of birds so I decided to side hill in that direction. 

Jake had no problem covering the ground on the shaded slopes but I was wondering how long it was going to be before I slipped on the snow covered ground and broke something important. My head obviously wasn't holding anything of importance in it, so a fall there wouldn't harm me.

As I navigated across this miserable slope, Jake was on point on the other side of the ridge. I don't know how long it took for me to stumble over to him but by the time I got there all I found was chukar tracks everywhere with a dog pointing in the middle of them. I don't know if he ever saw the birds but there was so much scent he must have thought there were still some birds there. There wasn't. Up hill a sudden explosion of birds caught our attention and they flew over the ridge towards the next draw.

I followed Jake even higher on the burnt off slope in awe of all the chukar tracks and droppings. As far up as I could see were more chukars running and chuking before they took flight around the hill. It was too much for Jake to take. Around the hill he went to see where they were going. I gained a little more elevation before taking the direction of the birds. Once more I found the walking to my dislike.

I struggled to get over to the next burnt off ridge, which held the same fate as the previous two. Jake once again led me on some false points and we watched birds running and taking flight higher on the mountain. They were at home surviving like there was no danger to them while I was walking along on the hill like a fish out of water. 

Somehow my brain finally made some sense and told me it was futile for me to think I was ever going to get any of these birds today and head back down to the road. Jake wasn't real excited about it with all the birds. Hell, he didn't care whether we got any or not, it was still fun. So down the ridge we went. To my amazement, Jake got a couple of points on the way down. I was surprised to find birds where he pointed.

Why would birds hang out in this snow? I won't complain though. I think it's the first time this year I shot 100%. The loner was ours.

In a little over two hours, I covered two miles and 1220 feet of elevation. I saw around 100 chukars and figured out that these conditions favor the birds. In just a matter of seconds they can be on the next burnt off slope where they can find all the food they need. The higher up and steeper the mountain, the more bare ground on the southern slopes. Chukar don't need to come down to the valley. Even in sub freezing temperatures. Mammals, like humans and coyotes are of no danger to them. Predators from the air may get a few of them but all in all, the chukars hold the trump card in these kind of conditions. As long as the sun shines, there will be bare slopes up high.

Now, if I can only find that internet page that shows the mountains of eastern Oregon and western Idaho. My gas card is running low and I'm getting tired of driving over there to find out there is still too much snow covered ground for me. Here in Horseshoe Bend, the skies are overcast like an inversion and there will be little burn off today but it's hard to say what it is like 40 miles away as the crow flies.

So far this winter is turning out good for the birds. We still have another month to try and get even.