Chukar Info

[Matthew57]

All valid. Though your dog is more capable than you are. They're just also bigger idiots.

I’m such a worrywart when it comes to my dog Rosie, she can be a silly dumb dumb sometimes but she also impresses me. I love her for it. If we got a chukar this year I’d be so proud.

 

[JLDemo]

Great info from a few sources, keep it coming.

Anything the experienced Chukar hunters know now that they wish they knew on their first trip? Do's or don't?

 

[JLDemo]

I love my 1979 12 GA Wingmaster. Fixed full choke/ no tubes. Full Rib. I won't drag it over the basalt rocks.

It has killed many limits of quail over the years. At about a box of shells per limit for me, that's a lot of upland loads.

It is a wicked ruffed grouse sluicer.

My mother gifted it to my dad for his 45th birthday. I've had it for quite a few years now, but with their death this year it is more precious than ever.

Kick me in the feels why don't ya, my granddads wingmaster my brother and I fight over was a gift to him from my mother many decades ago. He means a lot to my brother and I, and both want that connection through the thing he loved the most outdoors. Quail, good dog work, and that wingmaster.

 

[Salmonchaser]

At 70 I’m probably done hunting in the snow. 6 or 7 years ago I was working along an edge, dog was on point, I slipped fell, not too far and landed on a pointed rock. Cracked my femur. I had to self evacuate as I was separated from my group and couldn’t raise anyone on the radio.
If you’re hunting solo I would recommend carrying a Garmin and leaving directions as to your hunt plan.
Over the years I’ve seen two broken ankles, my leg broken, a number of serious sprains to ankles and knees cut hands from the basalt, lacerations to face, forehead back of head, knees from falls at least one broken wrist enumurable strains and pains of a general nature. A number of crushed fingers, (falling fingers between gun and rock. Only one snake bit dog, several injured dogs, carried a couple of the mountian. Somewhere not far from Brittany chukarman is a sweet Ithaca side by side 20 gauge I stashed when I had to carry my dog off the mountain, all my guns wear slings now. Still can’t believe someone found that gun before I got back up there the next morning.
I love chukar hunting

 

[Salmonchaser]

Great info from a few sources, keep it coming.

Anything the experienced Chukar hunters know now that they wish they knew on their first trip? Do's or don't?

Hunt them like you’re hunting deer, sneak and peak, it will make a difference. Get as high as you can as fast as you can. Look for basins

 

[Irrelevant]

Great info from a few sources, keep it coming.

Anything the experienced Chukar hunters know now that they wish they knew on their first trip? Do's or don't?

Never shoot that 3rd shot at the main covey. There's often a straggler.
just keep hiking, you'll find them eventually.
a chukar isn't worth dieing for, stay away from icy cliffs.
Sometimes they just don't hold, and I don't know why.
Hunt quietly. I almost never say anything to my dog.

 

[brymoore]

Great info from a few sources, keep it coming.

Anything the experiences Chukar hunters know no that they wish they knew on their first trip? Do's or don't?

A few thoughts:

You’re going to loose your footing and scratch your shotgun. Be prepared. I sold my LC Smith 16 because I couldn’t abuse her anymore.

Chukar come up in waves, not all at once instantly. Having patience and waiting for the other birds to popcorn will increase your kills. You’ll know where the birds are and will be prepared. I lose my patience all the time and watch easy birds fly away with an empty shotgun.

Chukar are fantastic food. My wife asks for more chukar for the freezer each year. I tell her I’m trying my best…

Give other hunters room to hunt. I’ll drive a few miles to another spot than to crowd a guy.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Chukar are early risers and vocal in the morning. If you're camped in chukar country get outside just before gray light and listen. It will help you pinpoint where to start. I hear them on many mornings before the sun is up doing my early irrigation.
If you hit one and it keeps going keep watching. Sometimes they'll go a ways then fly straight up 20 yards or so and die at the top of their climb and fall straight down. I think it's due to a pellet in the heart. Makes for an awesome, challenging retrieve for your dog.

 

[300stw]

i spent about 10 years serious chukar hunting, had 2 english and a bunch of shorthairs, raised lots of pups and shot many limits,,,,
before fancy collars and onx,

listen for birds and look for droppings,
no droppings. chg locations, dogs that pay attention to their noses, let em go and hunt to the dog,, great to have a dog whoa broke to avoid bad situations

i like to hunt some bigger sage, if theres water in the bottom of the canyon s, it takes a while for them to get to the top, dont hunt to early in those areas,
i road my dogs 3 to 5 miles a day few days a week, year round, gravel roads and brushy ground, couple of my wirehairs hold a 15mph pace pretty easy no pad. no dog,
an out of condition dog really hurts a hunt, carry some bandages and blood clotting powder, i have had more ripped ears and toenails , that bleed terrible, never a snake bite, but seen plenty,
plan routes carefully and maintain the elevation best you can
plenty of water and hi energy snacks for dog and yourself,
i still hunt 2 or 3 states few times a year for my chukar fix,
best eating bird i think

i want to do alaska ptarmigan soon,
a few buddies that ive sold dogs to , go every year, have great time, shoot lots of pointed birds, they like it better then chukar hunting

 

[JLDemo]

i spent about 10 years serious chukar hunting, had 2 english and a bunch of shorthairs, raised lots of pups and shot many limits,,,,
before fancy collars and onx,

listen for birds and look for droppings,
no droppings. chg locations, dogs that pay attention to their noses, let em go and hunt to the dog,, great to have a dog whoa broke to avoid bad situations

i like to hunt some bigger sage, if theres water in the bottom of the canyon s, it takes a while for them to get to the top, dont hunt to early in those areas,
i road my dogs 3 to 5 miles a day few days a week, year round, gravel roads and brushy ground, couple of my wirehairs hold a 15mph pace pretty easy no pad. no dog,
an out of condition dog really hurts a hunt, carry some bandages and blood clotting powder, i have had more ripped ears and toenails , that bleed terrible, never a snake bite, but seen plenty,
plan routes carefully and maintain the elevation best you can
plenty of water and hi energy snacks for dog and yourself,
i still hunt 2 or 3 states few times a year for my chukar fix,
best eating bird i think

i want to do alaska ptarmigan soon,
a few buddies that ive sold dogs to , go every year, have great time, shoot lots of pointed birds, they like it better then chukar hunting

I've been working on his whoa training, it's going well I think. He's now starting to anticipate the command while casting, so I've laid off and whoa him at random times. He's now to a point where I can whoa him, and toss pigeons point blank with no movement. He's shaking like a leaf and wants nothing more to chase, but thankfully he's cooperative. It's taken a lot of work to get him to not jump or snap and run after the birds.

Thanks for the words, damn good insight.

 

[JLDemo]

Never shoot that 3rd shot at the main covey. There's often a straggler.
just keep hiking, you'll find them eventually.
a chukar isn't worth dieing for, stay away from icy cliffs.
Sometimes they just don't hold, and I don't know why.
Hunt quietly. I almost never say anything to my dog.

I've had to teach myself to zip my lips and just let my dog do what he does. It's been hard not to speak to him, but letting him work and using the collar has been a huge asset. Trying to overlay hand signals with the tone on the collar.

 

[300stw]

I've been working on his whoa training, it's going well I think. He's now starting to anticipate the command while casting, so I've laid off and whoa him at random times. He's now to a point where I can whoa him, and toss pigeons point blank with no movement. He's shaking like a leaf and wants nothing more to chase, but thankfully he's cooperative. It's taken a lot of work to get him to not jump or snap and run after the birds.

Thanks for the words, damn good insight.

whoa him everywhere, before he gets in truck before he gets out of kennel, ect, i rarely whoa a dog when there on birds, if the dog establshes a point, i do everything i can to kill a bird, if they are scent checking ,ect , but never establish a point on there own, and a bird flushes, i dont shoot, self discipline is tuff, but rewards at the right time build over time,,,

sometimes i think thats why guys get labs, so they can shoot every bird they see,,,,
i am a pointing dog guy,, shooting over a point is my reward...

 

[Elktrack]

If you hit one and it keeps going keep watching. Sometimes they'll go a ways then fly straight up 20 yards or so and die at the top of their climb and fall straight down.

Yep. Or lock their wings,feet dangling, dead, and sail half a mile down into the river.