Looking good so far

All the locals are aware of the weather we have been getting this month. So, for the out of state guys, here is what we’ve got. A miserably cold March with plenty of moisture and lots of wind. Not good weather to be out in the great outdoors, but nothing that will have any affect on the chukar populations yet. In fact, the amount of moisture we’ve been getting will be keeping those seeps and small streams with water well into the summer. A very good thing for insects, chicks and spreading birds throughout the ranges.

Most of our chukar ranges got plenty of snow also, but it wasn’t the kind of snow that hurt the populations of chukars. There was plenty of bare ground to escape to and although we had a cold winter it never got so bad that the birds couldn’t get to feed.

We still have to hope that Mother Nature gives us great nesting and hatching conditions May through July, but so far she is being kind to chukars and by the looks of the other wildlife out there. They seem to be doing well also.

I’m getting a little stronger every week. My ruptured achilles tendon is healing well and the physical training is going well also. I’m already hiking some hills without much pain. I had a spinal cord stimulator place in my back yesterday on a temporary trial. I keep it implanted for a week to see how it affects the pain in my back. If it works they take it out and place a new one in permanently in about a month. Today was day one and so far it gets a thumbs up.

It looks like I will have no excuse foe giving the chukars hell this year, plus I should be out in chukar country later this Spring and into the Summer giving some good accounts of a chukar invasion.

Meanwhile, the few visits to chukar country I’ve had in the last couple of weeks has not found great number of birds. They have all paired up and scattered out into their own little spaces. Scenting is already getting tougher for the dogs and it will get even tougher as the fresh scents of Spring help mask the birds scent.

In this first clip, Grady was on point 100 yards away on the opposite side of some big rocks. As I went in his direction Jake walked in front of me seeming to be looking for Grady. I finally located Grady and we spent five minutes relocating and searching for the birds. They must have been doing a lot of running because a pair of chukars finally flushed. I missed getting their flush.

In this next video, both dogs were on point in the heavy sage 75 yards away. I had a tough time locating them and maybe they were relocating, but I couldn’t see them. Finally I got to Jake on point. We kept moving forward and relocating until a pair of chukar flushed. I never saw Grady on point but he obviously was because he joined Jake in the chase.

Here Jake is honoring Grady from 125 yards away. As I approached, they relocated a couple of times but I could tell on the last relocation that Grady was very close. About that time a chukar flew at my feet 50 yards from the dogs. As I swung the camera on the bird, I saw another chukar running between the dogs. I caught a quick bit of its flight before I turned the camera off. Had I kept it on I could have filmed a second chukar that took off at my feet as well as the partner of the chukar where the dogs were. To make it even more exciting, about 100 yards further around the hill I bumped another pair.

On this next video Grady had me convinced that the birds were within feet of him. But after checking the brush I moved forward and was surprised to find Jake on point in the rocks. I thought he was behind me. As I moved past the rocks and into the wind a pair of chukar obliged us.

This last video was today. I was supposed to test my back with a short flat walk. So I went to my favorite hun area. It’s an area we never hunt but do a lot of training in. Since it was raining I left the camera at home and tried the phone. Here, Grady was locked on a pair of huns. He did a fantastic job and I actually like looking at my phone over the screen on my camera but can’t zoom the same.

So, it’s obvious I’m still having some fun out there. But I’m planning on having a lot more fun in the near future. Keep your fingers crossed for this positive feeling I’m having. Both health wise and bird wise. This could be that banner year we have every 7 to 10 years.