opening day for upland game.

[Idaho Ron]

I had some big plans for today. My 11 year old son Jacob, and I were going to camp last night. This would give us the ability to sleep in a couple of hours. When we got up it was raining! The area I picked is only accessable by ATV. Well the fog was thick and it was cold and nasty. We pulled out and went to another place. We got there and the weather was better but someone had beat us to the ridge I was planning to hunt. I took another close ridge and headed out. The first bunch of birds were Hun's. We were hunting with the wind at our back for the first part of the hunt. Gretta pointed with her head over her back. It was a funny point. Jacob moved in and the first few birds to get up were just too fast for him I got one. Then we got into a bunch of chukars. This covey was about 50 to 60 birds in all. They flushed wild from a long way out, I think it was from the wind. We watched them land and went after them. When we got there they had went into the rocks, like "under" the rocks! Jacob got one as it bailed off the ledge and I just watched the rest fly. A couple landed in a good spot so off we went again. This time I got the flush and I got a double. Gretta goes after the first one and brings it back. Then I send her after the second one. I didn't think she could hear me very good because the wind so I went down to help her and had Jacob "spot" for me. I look back to him and it sounds like he says "BACK THERE"!!!
What he said was " BLACK BEAR"!!!
Out in the middle of the desert, in a sevice berry bush was a sow with three cubs. She was not going to leave and she didn't care how many times we had shot at birds. This was her berry patch and she would go down with a fight than leave. At that time Gretta found the last bird, and after a couple of mock charges we were out of there fast. When we got back to the ATV we had some lunch. I look up to see a coyote walking right up to the ATV! I pulled out a 20 ga and a 1 oz of 6 shot and used him for a pattern board. By the way, anyone that says a 20 ga is not big enough for pheasants should have seen this coyote drop at 40 yards.
After that we headed home to get some rest, and we will try again next week. Ron

 

[Ithaca 37]

What a great day!

 

[OSOK]

Awesome day!

 

[califelkslayer]

Idaho Ron. Hows your chukar hatch up there this year? I've got a Unit 10 Nv. deer tag but I'm afraid I'll settle for a lesser buck so I chase chukars around for the opener in Nv. I rode my horses in NE Calif Sunday and saw 100's of birds. Every covey was 30+ with some over 70. The most I've ever seen in this area and I've hunted it on the opener 10 of the last 13 years.

 

[MarvB]

Saw this on the Western Hunter Newsnet:

Just when Idaho hunters thought chukar numbers couldn’t be better, they are.

Last year’s fall chukar numbers were the highest in 17 years and the second highest since counts began back in 1984. That record has now fallen.

Surveying the highlands along Brownlee Reservoir, wildlife biologist Andy Ogden and wildlife technician Kevin Warner counted more than 2,000 chukars in the 12-square-mile survey area. That translates to 173.8 chukars per square mile, 12 percent higher than last year’s record count.

“It was just outstanding,” Ogden noted. “We found 116 groups of chukars distributed across the entire survey area with an average group size of 18 birds. There are lots of birds out there.”

While the Lucky Peak area was not surveyed for chukars this year, Ogden expects bird numbers there to be high as well.

Chukar hunters can take these numbers to the bank. “Our surveys have proven to be an accurate predictor of chukar hunting success,” Ogden said. “Year after year, hunter reports confirm our projections. Over time, that has bolstered our confidence in the accuracy of our survey technique.”

Chukar season opens statewide on Saturday, September 17 with a daily bag limit of eight birds. Consult the 2005 upland game rule book for additional information, or find it on the web at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.

 

[Idaho Ron]

our hatch is looking very good. I hunt them a little in september, but i don't like snakes. I wait for the hard hunting for Oct, Nov, Dec, and Jan. Ron