Jake, Grady and I still try and get out three times a week for some exercise but we mainly go to the high country where the water is still flowing down the creeks. I'd do a little more early scouting in chukar country but Grady hasn't proven to me that he wouldn't bolt if he saw a young chukar darting through the grass. At 17 months he still has a little work to do.
I have seen some birds but not the number I hoped for but I have to confess that is my fault. I'm being a little lazy this summer. Just last week I saw a small group of blues with the young ones around 8 weeks old. I also saw turkey's about the same age. My notes don't show that I have seen birds this mature this early. This week I found a small covey of chukar and the chicks looked to be about two weeks old. Yesterday I found a hen turkey with a dozen or so two week old chicks. Over the last two weeks of traveling I've seen over a half dozen quail broods and the chicks didn't look much larger than bumble bees as they sprinted off the roads.
Good news is that I have seen no coveys of large chukars or huns. Usually, reorganization of mature birds means a poor hatch.
Idaho chukar season is two months away and grouse is a mere 39 days a way. Hopefully this time next month I'll have some footage of chukars and huns as they reorganize into large groups. Of course I'll list the drainage where I found them. You remember, No tellum creek, over by the old burn, that drainage off the snake or way past Mountain Home.
Meanwhile, here's a short clip of a ruff I filmed this morning. I'm hoping it's a male because I couldn't find any little ones with it.
4 comments:
pretty sure your ruff grouse in the video is a hen
hope you can get out there and get some good hatch analysis soon
thanks for keeping us posted Larry
Gentleman from Tenn
we need to compare notes. I just started pounding the count routes. it's interesting this year with all the moisture, water everywhere, bugs and tall tall grass. bit harder to find broods.
Chukarhunter 50, so far that is what I'm finding also. I've been working for the last ten days (against my better judgement) and will be through with the job this Wednesday and than me and the boys will start our big scout hoping to find those broods coming together and easier to find.
send me a note. chukarhunter50@gmail.com would like to talk. I just finished my route on the Big Lake. thank yo . Mark
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