# Another day another chukar



## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

I have been pretty upset with myself after messing up on too many shots this year. I decided to take it easy and went with a family friend out to Strawberry to hunt ducks. After getting up at 4:30am and doing everything we were on site at a few minutes before shooting time. We saw a lot of birds and took a lot of shots but only took one golden eye home. As we were thinking of trying a different spot for some jump shooting or maybe a grouse or two we got a call from Ryfly that his morning hunt fell though and he was going to try his luck for some upland action.

We decided to meet up and try a new chukar spot. Last week was the first time Ryan and I have gone hunting and not taken at least one bird......So today was about revenge. Of coarse with a word like revenge there is only one bird to go after......You guessed it sir chukar himself.

After getting to the spot before Ryan, Josh and I took off trying to look for sign and hoping the head start would help us figure the birds out. 2hours, a couple of miles, and 1500 vertical feet later we all met on of our hill. After not seeing much in the way of sign we put together a plan and proceeded to start moving in a new direction hoping we could get into a few birds. About a half mile later we were planing on working the north ridge line we had arrived at when bot dogs started getting really birdy. We figured they were there somewhere and split up to work both sides of the ravine. After we split up Arrow slammed on point and I gave her a whoa command. I told Josh to be ready and that there were birds very near by. Arrow kept her feet nailed to rocks as we worked the entire area in front of her. After not getting any birds up I released her and she ran passed us smelled the air and then ran back up above where she had originally gone on point. She slammed on again and as I turned to look at her a covey of 10 got up. I was ready (for once) and pulled the gun up and swung on the first bird as it crossed. I lost my footing but kept the gun pointed on target and as I slapped the trigger I knew the bird was dead well before the shot folded the bird in half. I ended up on my backside but still managed to try a shot a one more bird though this time I was a bit behind. Josh also managed to get 2 shots off but the birds escaped his wrath on this flush.

Arrow took off after the shot and followed the covey. I called her back and saw her turn for me and then focused on the down bird. She then turned back to the original covey and as she crested the ridge they took off (her first bumped covey or bird of the year :x ). Josh saw exactly where one bird had flushed and put Ryan and Abby right on it. They got it up and Ryan put it right back down as his shot echoed through the canyon. Unfortunately this bird came down and never stopped bouncing down the hillside. We would spend the better part of 2 hours looking for this bird and though we never found it Josh found something else.

After seeing small puffs of dirt hit the air from behind a rock a few times Josh called Ryan and Abby over to check it out. Just as Abby approached Josh and the birds saw each other and the three birds took off. Between the shots of both Ryan and Josh's simultaneous shots one more bird was added to the bag. I watched as the other 2 sailed down the canyon and got ready to land 60 yards from me :shock: . Just then a 4 point buck stood up some 30 yards from me. This buck had watched me slipping and scrambling down the canyon and stayed hidden somehow. After watching the impressive animal I realized he had distracted me from the prey I was after. I looked back just in time to watch a single chukar run into a small bush. I worked in keeping arrow close and then released her when I was 30 yards out. She went on point and with my next step the bird flushed. I felt great swinging the 870 and lined everything up as the bird was pushing out to about 40 yards. I squeezed with a little smirk on my face excited to have bird #2. Unfortunately in all the prior excitement I had forgot to pump another shell in the chamber so all I heard was a light click and the birds was gone.

It was a great day that started at 4:30 am and found me returning home at just before dark. Arrow and Abby again worked great together and we should have taken a few more birds but we will take what we can get.


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## vdogs (Sep 22, 2007)

Good Lord Tex!!! I can't believe a true upland hunter like yerself would allow a scum sucking duck to be in the same pic as our beloved and " Majestic" Chukar!!! Pure Blasphemy!! 

Of course, you realize, this will have to be reviewed by the board at UCF and appropriate (disiplinary) measures must be taken. :twisted: 

J/K :wink:


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

GSPman said:


> Good Lord Tex!!! I can't believe a true upland hunter like yerself would allow a scum sucking duck to be in the same pic as our beloved and " Majestic" Chukar!!! Pure Blasphemy!!
> 
> Of course, you realize, this will have to be reviewed by the board at UCF and appropriate (disiplinary) measures must be taken. :twisted:
> 
> J/K :wink:


I_ thought_ that was a 'weird' look'in Chukar !!! And....in a Upland Game report !!! :lol:


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

Notice that the big male chukar is bigger than the duck. 

It was a long day and that was the total take.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

What kind of duck is that? My buddies shot a few of those the other day, but couldn't figure out what is was.


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## InvaderZim (Sep 7, 2007)

Chaser said:


> What kind of duck is that? My buddies shot a few of those the other day, but couldn't figure out what is was.


It's a female Golden Eye duck.

And if you take that BYU shirt off that feller...**** he'd be hot! Is that you? And think, all those times you wanted a hunting partner and I didn't oblige!

Seriously, great hunt and story!


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

Zimmy sorry that would be my friend Josh in the BYU shirt. Yes it is a hen golden eye. we were hoping to get a few drakes but we could not hit them and ended up finally getting just the one. The chukar hunt in the afternoon made us feel a bit better about ourselves.

Mileage

Duck hunt 5.2 miles
Chukar hunt 3.58 miles


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

So only the drake has the actually "golden" eyes, huh? And the hens don't?

They did shoot one drake, which was easily identifiable, but we couldn't figure out what the others were.


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

The hen we shot had yellow (golden) eyes but the head is a dirty maroon instead of the dark black and white like the drakes.


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