# First Attempt at Chukar



## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

And it went about as expected. Saw a ton of doe, junkos, jackrabbit and even spent some time glassing a beautiful Golden Eagle but not a single chukar. Never heard an alarm call either.

Great morning "chasing" the elusive devil birds though. Chose a ridge out by one of the Parowan Gap release sites and hiked for about 3 hours. Was stunning watching the inversion role in and out of "Cedar Valley to the southwest. Several times the inversion slithered up through Little Gap bringing a cold breeze. Most of the morning was spent walking the southwest facing ridge, or sidehilling below it on the way back, in full sun. Phenomenal how warm you can be in mid-Jan as long as you have some sun and steep hill to traverse.

Clearly have some significant learning to do and I'm at a disadvantage with no dogs. But its great to get outside in the middle of winter and be active. I'm appreciative of years of offtrail backpacking as it gave me a solid foundation to safely sidehill scree and cliffs with a 12 gauge; granted I'm equally impressed with this year's purchase of the "Upland Sling". Its proven a valuable asset after two years of hauling around my 8 lb gun with a homemade sling. 

All that said I think Chukar hunting fits my personality well. Love the terrain. Love the cold, crisp and quiet mornings. And love the challenge.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Sounds like a near perfect day to be out. Might I humbly suggest cliffs and cheat grass. Unless it is a known Chukar location, if I don't hear 'em, I ain't climbing that hill.( well actually, I don't really climb hardly any hills any more, but you know what I mean)


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Thx, BP. Definitely will be heading into terrain with more cliffs and a little steeper next time. Found two places nearby that would likely be better. 

Release area is right in this vicinity but that is vague on the maps. 

Actually saw a fair amount of cheat grass but photos didn't capture it. 

So you normally hike low until a sighting and then gain elevation to get above them? Green as it gets so I was just guessing about technique of starting high then working down. Gaining elevation wasn't hard here and much of the terrain didn't look as fruitful. And it helped that it was a place I have wanted to visit for a while.

Live and learn. Definitely saw a few places on the drive back that look more promising.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

My limited experience with them is they will outrun you to the top and when you finally get there they will flush to the bottom after laughing at you.

Good luck!


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

One has to wonder how birds with such light, hollow bones can carry the weight of so much evil


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't think BP is recommending steeper country. The stuff in your pictures looks plenty steep. Chukars like rocky outcroppings/cliffs for roosting (6-12' high or so) scattered in areas of vegetation. The whole mountain doesn't need to be cliffy, just enough spots to roost on. Look for droppings in these areas. 

Also, when he says cheatgrass, look for areas where the whole hillside is cheatgrass (or similar yellow grasses). I've posted a picture to give you an idea. You can't see much of the background, but you get the idea. 

Also, I recommend gainingg elevation and staying up on a ridgeline or high bowl. Middlefork is right about them running uphill away from you.


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## OriginalOscar (Sep 5, 2016)

backcountry said:


> All that said I think Chukar hunting fits my personality well. Love the terrain. Love the cold, crisp and quiet mornings. And love the challenge.


Gospel!! Keep going to church. You'll find success.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

Did you see any chukar droppings while hiking? If you want to know if there are chukars in an area look for their turds under rocky ledges or really as you walk you generally will see them in the grass. The greener the fresher. I've gotten pretty good at it over the years it's honestly second nature. If you want to know what they look like Google chukar droppings.

Here is an instructional video the president of the chukar foundation put together:






Pay attention to the pics and terrain as much as the wording.

Join the chukar foundation, go on the facebook page and ask for advice--even go to the banquet, it's fun. If I was a noob and wanted to kill a chukar I would try to get a guy with dogs who knew what he was doing to take me out.

I'd take ya out but i'm a solo huntin anti-social grade A A$$ Hole so....plus i'll be hunting birds out of state


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Thanks everyone!

Airborne, I tend to prefer solo as well so I totally understand.


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## wagdog (Jan 6, 2009)

I'll add my two cents for finding chukar right now. Typically we would have some snow on the ground which would make it easier to see their tracks and concentrate them on the south-facing slopes. Since we are having a mild winter, we don't have that luxury every where. However, I have found that right now, I'm finding more and more green stuff in their crops. Even in areas with plenty of cheatgrass, they have been chomping on green grass too. Also once you have elevation, don't give it up if you don't have to. Some times when they fly downhill, they may not go far, and hunker down. Watch closely when they flush. The whole covey may not flush at once too so stick around for a few minutes and see if one or two additional birds get up.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Thx again for all the advice.

Hopefully the next month will bring some snow to aid me in finding some birds.

The photos and video definitely helped clarify the points about cheatgrass. 

I need to save up some money and take up my buddy's offer in Idaho. She is a second generation hunter who has trained dogs for decades and lives along the breaks near Hells Canyon. She would be a fabulous mentor and I could tag out on white tail on her property in a day as well. But that will take a while to save up for. 

Can't wait for the next trip.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Plenty of snow to help now. Winter finally arrived.


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