Anybody that has hunted chukars for very many years knows how frustrating the last month of the season can be. This year, with the abundance of birds, it seems like it’s even more frustrating than ever for me.
If you watch much football you might see the yellow flag thrown for taunting. Well, if there was a referee on the chukar hill during January, the hills would be covered with yellow flags. Chukars not only are tougher to get this time of the year, they seem to be pretty cocky about it. Maybe that’s why the middle toe is longer than the other two. That way it’s easy for us to see them giving us the bird from a distance.
Also, their voices are much louder. As they run up the northern snow covered slope, you can hear them chucking at you. They are no longer trying to be inconspicuous. They line up on the open slope so they are very obvious and seem to be saying, “here we are so come on over and try and get us”. I think that’s a very serious case of taunting.
My hunt today was a prime example of a penalty heavy hunt. Almost every covey the dogs pointed held well until I got to within about 75 yards and then would flush to the opposite slope. They would gather together and march up the snowy slope talking all the way. Twice I was foolish enough to hike up that slope just to find them on the other side of the next canyon doing the same thing again.
That doesn’t quite seem fair. And their “in your face” attitude gets pretty darn frustrating. There ought to be some kind of rule about that kind of behavior. It ruins the integrity of the sport. The dogs and the chukars are having fun but the two legged hunter gets whipped. And there is no warming your hands off the barrel of the shotgun because it doesn’t get fired much.
I’m sure many of you are facing the same cheating methods of late season birds. But don’t lose face. There are lot’s of chukars left for breeding. And hopefully they will have lots of chicks that won’t be so educated next year. Plus, since they will be new to the game so their ego’s won’t be so big that they need to taunt.
Good luck on the remainder of the season.
The Reigning Chukar Champions 
Larry Two more weeks of taunting here in Nevada. Were not giving up!
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I like it. Give em hell till the fat lady sings.
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Dude, old bro/ compadre in pain. You have four dead birds there. Us less geographically limited sun people would give our left little finger for your hunts. You are and have with all your phi alpha breaks continue to kick total ass and your title is totally appropriate.
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Steve, chukars are known to leave a sacrificial bird behind some times to keep my dogs attention off the rest of the covey as they part. The hun came from a covey of 20 or more. I’m not sure the one I shot fell. I’m fortunate that my dogs don’t fall for the take off and chase the covey trick or can’t tell if the bird I was aiming at fell.
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They’ve been chases and shot at for over 4 months. I think it’s great when they won’t let anyone get close. They are not targets , they are doing their best to make it , while everything under the sun is doing the opposite . The wilder the better in my book!!
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That’s what’s making them a favorite bird to so many. They are not easy. They make you earn every shot. Sometimes just getting to one covey is an adventure in itself.
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