Boise Chukar

NickOnTheRun

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Joined
Nov 19, 2020
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25
Hi Guys,

I'm new to the Boise area and upland hunting in general. I've been working the Owhyee's for a few outings and I've run across huns and quail but I've yet to see any chukar. Any advice on areas for late-season chukar nearish to Boise? I've been to Silver City area a few times and little jack's creek/ mudflat road area. Any areas you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated. I'm working with a 1 year old Vizsla puppy so I'd just like to get him on some birds before the season is over. He's not trained well enough for us to have great success this season but I'd like to get him into some conveys. The plan is to have him trained well enough to have better luck next season.
 
Riggins is just 2 hours. If you are training either get some birds of your own or find a plantation...

 
Here's the shooting preserves. Full list: https://idfg.idaho.gov/hunt/shooting/preserves

  • 2C Pheasant Hunts LLC / Pheasant, Chukar
    – Jerry Payne, 27333 Fountain Rd. Parma, ID 83660 - (208) 880-0997
  • K Bar T Ranch LLC / Pheasant
    – Rick and Leatha Thayer, 35 miles east of Boise - (208) 249-8831
  • Lazy Bear Ranch, LLC / Pheasant, Chukar, Quail
    – Tim Wrightman, 612 Unity Lane, Weiser, ID - (208) 550-0440
 
I was going to suggest the Riggins area. It is very rugged country.

If you can afford it I think the pay-to-hunt outfits would be good place to get a young dog started. Farm raised chukars aren't real bright so you should be able to get your pup some easy close work.
 
Nick , once you feel like you have given your dog enough of the "easy" success you might look at Northern Nevada if you don't mind paying for an out of state license. Winnemucca and Battle Mountain are kinda chukar central. Eastern Oregon along the Owyhee river near Rome is chukar country too. Chukar are the only species that thrives on cheatgrass. Riggins and the Salmon river is like the sadistic chukar terrain. Same for Imnaha, and the Idaho side of the Snake river.

It is not uncommon to walk more miles than birds flushed. my perfect Chukar terrain is rimrocky kinda steep hillsides with a creek or river at the bottom and a lot of grassy hillside to lure you up to the top before flying back down to the bottom laughing all the way....
 
No way would I start a dog around Riggins for chukars. There are far easier places you can look too. Look for sagebrush, rimrocks, cliffs, and bunch grass.
 
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I used to hunt Brownlee and found best hunting by boating and camping to get away from
areas that were pounded by road-based hunters.

Boat, camp and climb, climb, climb to get to areas that are not pounded by road-based hunters.

I had a Visla when I lived in Logan Utah and she was great for pheasants/huns.
 
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Looks like I have a few spots to try. Thank you everybody for the suggestions. It really helps! I really don’t mind putting in the boot leather and the dog loves to work. We usually do 10-15 miles and the dog goes about 30 or so according to his collar. I’m trying to lose a little weight so the extra work is just what I need. Dog hurt his pads a few weeks back so we took some time off and now he’s got some new kicks which he hates.. lol.

I’m going to look at brownlee area on OnX since a few people have mentioned that and see if I can’t get out there tomorrow or Monday.

I’ll capture some photos and upload them after we checkout brownlee. If anybody’s interested, I post our adventures to Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/2dogs_and_a_taco/

No making fun of my fancy Orvis vest. It wasn’t my choice, bday gift. ;)
 
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Odds are, if you’re running into Huns and quail, you’re not hitting the right type of terrain. Look for steeper, cliffier ridges and hunt those.
Definitely makes sense. I’ll go for some steeper terrain next time out. I’m not interested in filling my bag or anything so if I wind up just hiking in the mountains with the dog and working some commands, I’m good with that too. He’s pretty immature so I knew this season would be a trial run for us.
 
I wind up just hiking in the mountains with the dog and working some commands, I’m good with that too.
I have no idea how your dog tends to work, but IMO one key aspect of developing a good chukar dog is simply letting them do their thing and figure it out on their own. If your dog will hunt in front of you, simply alter his/her direction by where you hike and put them in the best location to work the wind. A good chukar dogs needs the cooperation to work in front of you, but the confidence to range out and find the birds.
 
I’ve circled some areas in red where I would start looking. Learn to look for food sources, which right now are fall green up shoots on southern exposures. If you’re hiking 10-15 miles a day and not finding chukars, it’s the location, not your dog.

5FBBAB8C-8CE0-4AAC-8B8C-78FFF9CA4404.jpeg
 
I have no idea how your dog tends to work, but IMO one key aspect of developing a good chukar dog is simply letting them do their thing and figure it out on their own. If your dog will hunt in front of you, simply alter his/her direction by where you hike and put them in the best location to work the wind. A good chukar dogs needs the cooperation to work in front of you, but the confidence to range out and find the birds.
Jake (dog) has a very strong drive naturally. He'll hunt in front no problem or any direction I point him in, but he'll range out at times hundreds of yards if I don't keep a handle on him. He'll also gladly chase Elk or Deer for miles so we're working on that issue. It's definitely my fault we don't get into more birds. I'm not a good hunter of these birds yet.
 
I have no idea how your dog tends to work, but IMO one key aspect of developing a good chukar dog is simply letting them do their thing and figure it out on their own. If your dog will hunt in front of you, simply alter his/her direction by where you hike and put them in the best location to work the wind. A good chukar dogs needs the cooperation to work in front of you, but the confidence to range out and find the birds.
I have found that most pups will naturally want to stay in front. I whistle or hup when changing directions and that's usually enough to get my dogs reoriented. They see I'm changing directions so they follow suit. For some pups I will drop down and hide if they are retarded about staying in front. Labs are usually clingy enough at young age to become anxious if I disappear. They soon learn I stay visible if they stay in front.
 
I’ve circled some areas in red where I would start looking. Learn to look for food sources, which right now are fall green up shoots on southern exposures. If you’re hiking 10-15 miles a day and not finding chukars, it’s the location, not your dog.

View attachment 165924
I've been starting at the tops of the types of terrain you circled and then working around and down. The one thing I've realized is that I'm not seeing a lot of natural water sources so I've been trying to work canyons with creeks more in hopes that was my problem. That photo was taken at around 7000 ft. I may be a little high up for this time of year too.
 
He'll also gladly chase Elk or Deer for miles so we're working on that issue.
Whenever he starts to chase, hold the down the continuous button on the e-collar until he stops chasing, then let up. It shouldn't be enough to make him yelp unless he continues to chase even through shock stimulus.
 
The one thing I've realized is that I'm not seeing a lot of natural water sources so I've been trying to work canyons with creeks more in hopes that was my problem.
Water isn't a consideration this time of year. They'll fly a long ways to it if they need to. Food sources are a much bigger consideration this time of year.

Every chukar I killed I Wyoming this year was right down in the bottoms of the coulees. I kill 80% of my chukars around here on ridge tops and saddles. Food is the consistent factor.
 

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