Chukar hunting tactics

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Terrain and tactics separate chukar hunting from all other varieties. A first timer in the high desert can be paralyzed by the daunting vastness of the country. With miles of homogeneous territory in every direction, the standard introductory question is "where do you start?"

Almost without exception, I choose to start hunting at the top. In areas without road access to the higher elevations, the hunt begins with a grueling climb. I frequently hunt a private ranch in steep

Bitsy has them pinned. After climbing this hill, we hunted a long ridge and found that most birds were just off the top.

country. To access the chukar hills, a 3/4 mile walk up a slight grade is followed by a torturous climb to gain 1900 feet of elevation in less than one mile. Reaching the top is a feat in itself. Several promising hunting partnerships have dissolved halfway up Legburn Hill.

Starting at the top is more than a macho "no pain, no gain" theory. Experience has taught me that chukars spend a high percentage of their time on or near the top of the hill. A desire for elevation and the quick escape it affords dictates the chukar's preference for the top. A second reason to start at the top is that chukars tend to fly downhill. Coveys flushed from the top seek cover at lower elevations, allowing for follow-up opportunities on the way back down.

My standard technique is to hunt a ridge to the end or until my "gas tank" shows about 1/2 full. For the return trip, I drop to a lower elevation - maybe 1/3 of the way down the hill - and work my way back by sidehilling. This frequently results in additional covey finds, either on birds that were bumped from the top or coveys that were loafing on the slope. For an unknown reason, chukars are elevation sensitive. As you find birds, you will frequently notice a pattern where most coveys are in the same elevation zone -- as in 200 yards off the top. Once I establish an elevation pattern, I prefer to hold that elevation, resisting the temptation to chase a flushed covey to lower levels. You can always drop down. It's much more difficult to regain lost elevation.

Establishing a hunting pattern that fits the terrain is critical to successful chukar hunting. Perhaps more important is learning how to approach birds once you find them. Click here for my (sometimes unorthodox) views on approaching chukars.