 South Dakota Pheasant Hunting
Chukars
Chukars were first imported from India in 1934 by Ira Kent of Fallon Nevada. Out of the 100 birds that were shipped only 13 survived the trip. Kent set up a poultry farm and raised the chukars. He sold them to fish and game departments that released them. Those 13 survivors are the ancestors of the birds that now populate North America.
Chukars are members of the Phasianidae family, Perdicinae (partridge) subfamily, genus Alectoris.
Some common names for chukars are chukar partridge, Indian hill partridge, and rock partridge.
Hunting chukars is quite different from hunting pheasants that tend to live in flat farmland. Chukars are natives of central Asia, from Turkey to China and south to India. The species is native to harsh arid mountainous environments and thrives in such conditions.
Here are a few differences to look for:
- Chukars leave less scent than pheasants, so they are harder for a dog to pick up.
- They tend to hold and don't flush as easily as pheasants when a dog has stopped near them.
- In brush chukars tend to zigzag much more than pheasants and may even double back and head into deeper cover.
- Some dog experts suggest that a dog with any tendancy to point may do so with chukar because the birds are less prone to run.
- Chukars are gregarious and whenever possible will gather together in coveys. This mean a much higher frequency of multiple flushes than with pheasants.
Chukars prefer tender green shoots but eat insects, seeds grasses, forbes and grains. Historically in the Aegean, wheat species were a primary food source, but the birds do not need farm crops or cultivated grasses like wheat or alfalfa to survive. The close presence of such crops however makes a location ideal for chukars.
Chukars use brush for nesting, shelter and shade and rocky shelters and slopes for roosting and hiding. A key plant habitat is cheatgrass. Chukars favor brush and need freestanding water so getting to know their habitats can save you lots of walking.
It's smart to start hunting early as feeding starts in the morning and peaks midmorning. After feeding, birds move to shaded areas, watering places and cool dusting spots. As the afternoon cools, the birds water and feed before moving to the roosting sites for the night.
There is little difference between the female and male chukar. They both weigh about 1½ pounds and are about 12 inches long. They have a hooked beak, a white head with a thick stripe that runs from their beak, then through the eye area and back to the neck and then down around the chest like a sideways V. They have a grayish blue body with blackish brown stripes down their sides and red legs. Older males usually have blunted spurs. Breeding usually occurs between March and April.
A big difference between wild chukars and tame chukars hunted on preserves is that on preserves there are fewer chukars and so they do not gather in large coveys.
The terrain on maany preserves is flatter and less rocky but has more brush than the bird's native habitat. With the added brush these birds will often run before they fly when startled, just like a pheasant.
Chukars in the sloped wild will go upward at the first sign of trouble. Chukars can run at about 17 miles an hour. A good shooting technique is using your hunting dog as a flusher along the ridge line. The chukar will be forced to dive off the rim and glide straight down to your waiting gun. In the wild they usually hang out in coveys. It is not uncommon to find a dozen or more in a covey. They don't like wind and hide on south-facing slopes with cozy holes away from wind.
Some say the best dog for wild chukar hunting is the German wirehaired pointer because of his rough coat that acts like armor against the harsh desert environment. Many other hunting dogs such as Labs, retrievers, and spaniels are versatile and can handle the difference with a little preparation.
|
|
