So a hunting buddy of mine and I were having this discussion regarding what do you personally feel would be more satisfying- Harvesting 100 WILD chukar (planted birds at a hunt club don't count!!) in a season, of course with the help of your trusty hunting dog or dogs, OR harvesting a trophy mule deer, elk or big horn sheep. Being close to a lifelong Nevada resident I have had the wonderful fortune of harvesting a 183" mule deer buck, 162 5/8" Desert Bighorn ram, & 330" bull elk. Of course in NV pretty much the elk and sheep are once in a lifetime hunts. Considering the achievements of the big game animals I've harvested I still believe the holy grail is 100 wild chukar in a season. Now every one of us have different dynamics. I'm 59 w/ daughters and grandkids. I also own a business so the amt of my "free time" to hunt is limited pretty much to weekends. Some of you are in your 20's and 30's and single, in better shape and may or may not have more hunting time. Personally, & yea call me crazy, I'd rather harvest 100 chukar. Let the debate begin!!!
100 chukar a season vs a trophy big game animal.
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406LIFE
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I would like to say the chukars but...
I think the biggame trophy, as determined by the B&C all time, not just making the book, would be the more impressive trophy. There is a great deal more amount of luck in finding an animal of that caliber. I think the chukars are just a time game. If you went looking for them, I think you could make it happen easier than finding that B&C.
I think the biggame trophy, as determined by the B&C all time, not just making the book, would be the more impressive trophy. There is a great deal more amount of luck in finding an animal of that caliber. I think the chukars are just a time game. If you went looking for them, I think you could make it happen easier than finding that B&C.
glass eye
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I'd split the difference and go for a trophy bird.....Himalayan Snowcock.
Goatshoes
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I would go with the wild chukar hunt. Hands down! But if were going to introduce Himalayan Snowcock into the equation I'll see you in the R***** Mtns.
Please don't get me wrong, harvesting those big animals was the most AWESOME experiences in my life and in no way am I taking them for granted. All were DIY hunts on public land w/ no guide. It's just in this day in age finding chukar isn't like it was in the good ole days as I was told. I hear of stories that in the 70's and 80's chukar were much more abundant and there were less hunters. With the drought yrs we have had they are fewer and far between and much tougher to hunt. OK I do agree with Glass Eye- The snowcock would absolutely be up there as far as the holy grail-- Touchet. The bummer about snowcock hunting is that it would be ill advised to bring a dog- too dangerous in the country those birds live in.
406LIFE
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Is that an invitation? i'll be doing it next year.
I've a pard that's gotten a handful of those things. I went one time and we found birds, just no shots.
I don't know if he got there last year, but if he didn't he was close to 100 chukar and I'm pretty sure he's hit that level before. He's also filled he's share of big game tags to include all of the OIL tags in ID. I think he just goes with "Both!" as an answer!
For me I'd have to pick big game as I've not had the fortune of having any OIL tags or harvested many nice big game animals. Now that I have a dog, it would be fun to try to shoot 100 chukar in a year!
ShootsManyBullets
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I'd say the big game, but to kill 100 chukars in a year you're going to be pretty beat up. People who haven't hunted them may not understand how tough it is physically and how many places to hunt you really need to not just shoot out an area.
I've done it and can say I spent ALOT of days in the field and my dog looked like I was feeding him Dbol by the end of January.
I've done it and can say I spent ALOT of days in the field and my dog looked like I was feeding him Dbol by the end of January.
Yea the closest I got to 100 chukar was 59 in a season. Shootsmanybullets is absolutely right. If you haven't had the opportunity to hunt wild chukar you have no idea how it beats you up. Compared to big game hunting, at least in most big game hunting scenarios, when you are making those big pulls to the top of a mtn to glass you're gonna sit and glass for a long period of time & catch your breath. In chukar hunting you are making those same pulls up the same steep mtns but you're not stopping and glassing i.e. "resting." You are constantly on the move trying to keep up with the dogs. God knows chukar hunting keeps you in great shape for those big game hunts.
Depends where you look for chukars. Where we hunt in the xxxx mountains of nevada the chukars are thick almost all the time. I think it's because the mountains are so steep guys that see them while deer hunting don't want to climb those mountains again for chukars.
For me the holy grail is NV mtn goat and a NV desert bighorn.
fowladdict
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Every one of those 100 chukars would taste better than a mule deer, elk or sheep. And I like mule deer and elk. Regardless, I wouldn't want to choose one or the other, so I choose both!
300stw
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in the past I was in chukar mode for about 10 years, 2-5 dogs, shooting an o/u 20 gauge, hunting 3-5 days a week, I had some years of way more than a 100 and a couple less than a hundred, as far as a trophy a big mule deer is where its at for me, if I lived in swIdaho again so I could hunt Oregon Idaho and Nevada, chukars would be at the top of the list, they are very addictive when you find enough spots to continually have good hunting, taking limits in 2 states in one day a few times was the hall of fame for me,,,
Walkathon
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I live in MN so I don't have a chance to shoot chukars, but I'd rather shoot a big mule deer than say, 50 ruffed grouse.
Irrelevant
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I think the chukars are the greater achievement. But by the time you hit 100 you've probably logged so many miles, so much vert that you would have longed passed from it being fun into the realm of a chore. If you average 4 birds a day (which here in WA would be a struggle but probably do-able on good bird years) you've have to fit in 25 days between oct 1 and January 15, which means you would have to devote basically every Saturday and Sunday to trying to shoot 4 chukars. That's a helluva dedication to pull that off.
Gunner46
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I'm pretty much lost my zeal for whitetails, after # 40 something, and now gift myself the chase of other game I wasn't afforded when I was a younger man. Problem is my savings account won't bear those trips every year, more like every other, or third. In the mean time, I'm happy with a couple dozen pheasants/ grouse when I can get out.
pointingdogsrule
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Because I have dogs and LOVE good dog work..... I'd choose the 100 chukar. Someday I have to get out there.
good luck to all
the dog
good luck to all
the dog
Duck-Slayer
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I have a big mule deer and have shot over 100 chukars in a season on multiple years..... I have not shot a big elk or a big horn..... but have chukar hunted in lots of big horn country and have shot lesser bulls in chukar country, I grew up in NE MT shooting huns, sharptail, and pheasants.... don't get me wrong I love every moment of every hunt i've been on. But as far as satisfying and rewarding and I remember every day.... well it would have too be between sharptail with my shorthair coming out of choke cherry bushes 1 at a time in Sept. or my DIY Mule deer, each have a different level of accomplishment, as everything I hunt dpes, so too actually put them in order most favorite too least favorite is not possible, everything is #1, just the opportunity too be able to go out and do all these different things is a gift from God..... but that's just me, so there all at the top,
Matt
Matt
