Heading out tomorrow with the Wirehairs to chase Chukar. I am going to hit the Steens in SE Oregon in the afternoon then down to the Pine Forest area in Nevada till Monday. After bow hunting for Elk this has got to be my favorite pastime. Don't get me wrong, I love to hunt everything but there is something about chasing these birds with good dogs in Sheep country that gets me going. Besides them being awesome table fare, it also helps me stay in shape!!
Devil Birds
- Thread starter Iron Mike
- Start date
NVBird'n'Big
Veteran member
Good luck sounds like an amazing time! Go take revenge on those sons'a'bitches for me! Nothing beats a wirehair with a big fat red legged devil in it's mouth.
Team Kabob
Very Active Member
- May 9, 2014
- 793
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Will do NVBird.
Awesome Pictures AK. My mouth is watering for some fried Chukar, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn and corn bread & honey!!
Awesome Pictures AK. My mouth is watering for some fried Chukar, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn and corn bread & honey!!
gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Of all the upland game birds, Chukar are my favorite. Love to hunt quail too, but nothing beats the terrain that they live in. The windswept, lava hills of the Mojave and Owens Valley are just magnificent country to be in. The whirring of their wings as they explode from the rocks just gets my heart pounding! I have shot a few in north central Nevada, but mostly in Calif. First started hunting them in the late 50's , early 60's when they were first planted.
Sad thing about them (along with a lot of other fish & game) is that under today's philosophy of game management, they would not be introduced here as they are not a native species. The good thing is they fill a niche in our habitat that has no other game birds, giving us a lot more opportunity to have fun!!!
Sad thing about them (along with a lot of other fish & game) is that under today's philosophy of game management, they would not be introduced here as they are not a native species. The good thing is they fill a niche in our habitat that has no other game birds, giving us a lot more opportunity to have fun!!!
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
View attachment 11749
This was in 1975 when we used to be able to get permission to hunt on China Lake Naval Weapons Center. More birds there than I have ever seen. Still there, but no more hunting, to much weapons testing going on. In the 80's I was there for work during a lot of testing for the B2 Bomber. Got acquainted with the base security chief and we managed to get out and shoot a few after work a couple of times.
This picture was taken just after a snow storm and the hunting was unbelievable, birds everywhere. Just about ran my Springer into the ground. The lava cut his feet up pretty bad, but he still did his job.
My buddy in the window was giving us the "bird" because he stayed in bed instead of hunting with us. Needless to say he heard about it for years.
This was in 1975 when we used to be able to get permission to hunt on China Lake Naval Weapons Center. More birds there than I have ever seen. Still there, but no more hunting, to much weapons testing going on. In the 80's I was there for work during a lot of testing for the B2 Bomber. Got acquainted with the base security chief and we managed to get out and shoot a few after work a couple of times.
This picture was taken just after a snow storm and the hunting was unbelievable, birds everywhere. Just about ran my Springer into the ground. The lava cut his feet up pretty bad, but he still did his job.
My buddy in the window was giving us the "bird" because he stayed in bed instead of hunting with us. Needless to say he heard about it for years.
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buckbull
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- Jun 20, 2011
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Here it is.
My mother used to put them (and Quail too) around the turkey in a big roaster. They got eaten before the turkey!
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Team Kabob
Very Active Member
- May 9, 2014
- 793
- 148
Well we pretty much got rained out. For an area where they normally pray for rain, Noah would have been able to float the Ark! We got in a few hours on Friday afternoon in the Steens Mountains in SE Oregon, got a little damp but picked up a few Chukars. Went to bed in Denio Nevada under clear sky's but woke up during the night to the flood! My buddy and I decided it might be better to call it a trip and head back to Central Oregon. As we passed the Steens I had the hair brained idea that maybe if we stayed in the rocks we might be able to get in a short hunt before going home. Big mistake. After climbing to the top the heavens opened in a mix of rain and snow. By the time I got back to the rig my Lowa Tibets were covered with so much gumbo you couldnt tell if they were even boots! Cold soaked and whooped we stopped by the little store/cafe/gas station, the only commercial building at Fields, to ask if we might be able to change in a back room. Not only were we allowed to do that but Sandy the owner gave my friend and I both two towels and insisted we take a shower in the back room to get warmed up! What a great bunch of folks there! And by the way the cafe makes one mean milkshake!! Hoping to get some better weather and head back out a day or two after Christmas. All in all it was still a good trip. I made some new friends in Fields and I got the first retrieve from my 6 month old Wirehair pup!
Absolutely AKaviator! It was a great short adventure. One you talk with your buddy with a few years later starting with "Remember When"! Most but not all have a silver lining - this one did!
crzy_cntryby
Active Member
- Dec 9, 2014
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Had to butt in because in the short they had posted for this thread all I saw was devil bird and immediately thought of chukar. Haha