Indulge me please. Try this little test. Have you heard, even remotely, anything similar to the following?

"Plain water never tasted so good."

"If I could get up and walk I’d go over there and visit that bush. But why should I worry? I don’t have the strength to wet my pants."

"I’m pretty sure I can get my dogs into the truck. As for me, who knows? I know for darn sure I’m too tired to drive fast."

"My best buddy and hunting partner of twenty years is still up on that mountain. I guess he’s still hunting. Could have a broken leg for all I know. Whatever. He’s on his own."

"Hey, did you hear those birds calling? They’re maybe twenty yards away but ten of ‘em are vertical. Forget it."

"Did I just hear a shot or was that my ankle snapping?"

"I wonder if my health plan will cover this."

If any of this does strike a chord chances are you heard it having just finished hunting alectoris chukar, better known as, "those !*%$#!@%$! chukar." The person who said they are hunted for sport the first time and for revenge ever after said it best. Hunters may gush endlessly in near rapture about this game bird or that, but for sheer challenge of physical endurance and skill I know of no greater contest than that which exists between hunter and alectoris chukar. I submit my claim is supported by ample evidence.

Consider first the chukar’s habitat of choice. Their world is vertical and strewn with rocks of all sizes and shapes, all of them treacherous. Mountain goats barely do well in the chukar’s domain. The terrain can be absolutely inaccessible. That which is traversable often leaves one with the impression of roller-skating blindfolded through a minefield. More than one chukar hunter has started a landslide.

Orthopedic surgeons love chukar hunters. More of their children enjoy the benefits of a premium college education thanks to the broken bones, torn ligaments, and ankle sprains of chukar hunters than from any other group. If you are not fit at least have the sense to carry an emergency locator beacon: Easier for the Sheriff’s rescue team to find you. And I understand that a ride in a medevac helicopter can be quite exciting. At a minimum a modest medical kit in your truck would be a good idea. Something that would stock a MASH unit seems suitable.

Chukar hunters are the ultimate optimists. They park their truck at the bottom of a mountain and visualize themselves at or near the top in, oh, say fifteen or twenty minutes tops. Forty-five minutes later the full-force realization sets in that they are only a third closer to their goal, their legs are on fire and they swear they are breathing chicken soup. To keep cool they shed clothes faster than the most uninhibited and adroit member of a nudist colony. Water assumes a worth more precious than gold and tastes more satisfying than the finest French wine.

Some, usually the spouses of chukar hunters, will tell you to be wary of them, however. They see little distinction between the chukar hunter and the masochist or self-mutilator. So what if they sometimes return from a chukar hunt looking like a hockey player? Tumbling several hundred feet down a rocky mountainside is bound to leave a nick or superficial scratch. Chukar hunters wear their wounds as emblems of pride.

Don’t take a pretty gun chukar hunting. If the chukar hunter is carrying a 12 gauge he soon wants a lighter 20 gauge. If hunting with a 20, he wants a petite 410. If he is already using a 410 he wants someone else to carry it for him.

Chukar hunters are the easiest of hunters to please. They may hike all day and never see a bird or, worse yet, miss ten "makeable" shots. Yet look at any photograph taken of a chukar hunter at the end of a hunting day and he or she will be grinning like they were auditioning for a toothpaste commercial simply because they made it safely back to the truck.

Second, consider the bird itself. The back and upper wings are a subdued slate gray in color. They blend into their surroundings so well they are nearly invisible even in the open. Last season I surprised a foraging covey and immediately knocked two birds out of the air with my Model 42. I found one right away. My dog was ranging far on a steep slope but came running when she heard the shots. While waiting for her I criss-crossed the area hoping to find the other bird. When Tocchet arrived I gave her a "fetch" command and she put nose to ground and began a real search. She soon went on point. I looked a few feet in front of her and saw the bird sitting in clear view. Nature gave the chukar a very effective camouflage scheme perfectly suited to its environment. I must have passed within three or four feet of that bird at least twice while looking for it myself. It just melted into its surroundings so beautifully I think I would have had to step on the bird to notice it.

A chukar flushes fast and quickly transitions into full afterburner. And when it does the bird will usually settle into an effortless, locked-wing glide that the hunter will wistfully admire as it sails, and sails, and sails away, usually over or around a ridge out of sight. It is not often that the hunter will actually see where the chukar has landed, even in the vast and open country it inhabits. Often in gliding away the bird will issue a series of short, sharp whistles that seem to serve no purpose other than to mock a disappointed, and too often dispirited, hunter.

Once a chukar has flushed and does land it seldom stays put. It likes to run, which it does about as well as it glides and seemingly with as little effort. I have heard that a chukar running uphill can outrun a coyote. I have never seen it happen but after hunting chukar for years I can believe it.

Prepare for Success

All is not lost. Though a definite challenge, many chukar are taken every hunting season. Apart from simple survival, itself an admirable goal, chukar hunters do succeed and some very well. Limits are not common, at least here in California where I hunt, but they are obtainable. Here are some things that I have learned that may help if you slip into insanity, er, decide to go chukar hunting.

Be prepared. First, dress sensibly. Climbing obviously generates heat. Unless you intend to cover only twenty feet a minute you’re going to sweat: A lot. I like light cotton clothing myself. I endure the cold when starting out in the morning because I know that in short order I will be climbing and overheated, and long before the sun is high in the sky. I also like a light game bird vest for the same reason. Some locations may allow you to drive almost to the top of a mountain and I recognize the temptation to avoid a fatiguing climb but my advice is that you not do it. At the end of the day when you are most tired it is far easier to walk down than it is to climb back up to where your transportation is. I also wear a light glove to protect my hands. If you happen to slip and fall they provide a little protection and when climbing through large rocks they help keep your skin where it belongs. I like a lightweight pair I bought from L.L. Bean years ago that has a few rows of rubber ribbing applied to the palms. A good friend likes a simple batting glove, however.

Buy the best, sturdy, light boots you can afford. Since ankles are at such great risk boot tops should extend well above to provide them support. I like a nine or ten inch boot. Of course a heavier, thicker boot will provide more support but at the end of the day they can feel like blocks of cement and they tend to hold in the heat as well.

Carry as much water as you can handle. You will need more if you have a dog. Where I hunt I always try to find a water source so I can get my dog into the area for a drink. Saves more for the dog and me later. If you are planning on being out the whole day of course carry a little high-energy food. A little something for the dog is O.K. I think so long as it is not a huge meal.

On the subject of eating, I like to find a good restaurant as close as possible to my intended hunting area and eat a substantial breakfast. It gives me a much-needed store of energy and it just puts me in a better frame of mind. It may be pure psychological placebo but if so it works for me. I get there when the doors first open and even though I am not hunting at first light, I think the tradeoff is worth it.

A younger person will do better than an older person naturally. It is sometimes difficult for many hunters to actually institute a training regimen before hunting season but if you are able to do it chukar hunting would sure be a good reason. And if it is hard on you think how hard it is on your dog. Give your favorite partner a chance to get ready for the season as well.

Closely related to the physical endurance factor is gun weight. I’m a little older so I carry a light gun, usually my 410 or 20 ga. (Browning Superposed Lightning). Again, a younger person or one who is more fit may be able to handle a heavier gun for as long as it takes. As for the gun itself, use whatever you shoot well. Most people I hunt with use some form of double 20 gauge with 7/8 oz. of no. 6 shot loaded to about 11,000 fps. That is more than enough. Some shots can be within yards, others at a considerable distance so think about a choke with which you are comfortable given the size shot you use. The ability to employ two different chokes in a double gun makes it an ideal chukar tool in my opinion. But there is no "perfect" chukar gun, choke, shot combination. I have taken them with a 20 gauge using no. 8 shot and a .410 with no. 7 ½ shot, and I am way far from being a good shooter. Also, chukar hunting may be one of the best reasons to fit your gun with a sling. With all the climbing and walking the hunter will be doing the ability to sling a gun can be very convenient. I am one of those eternal optimists, the kind who believes a covey will rise with the very next step, so I do not use one myself. Some of the fellows I hunt with use them, however, and there are times when I envy them. And with a little practice they manage to whip that gun off their back, bring it to bear and get a shot off in a remarkably brief time. When that happens my disposition passes from envy into irritation.

Finally, my hunting partners and I have lately begun to carry lightweight radio transceivers. Helps to locate people and make decisions when spread out all over creation.

So Where Are They?

So now you are prepared. You are excited and ready to go for it. All you need now are a few cooperative chukar. This is where the fun really starts.

I know of no person who can look at a mountain and predict with accuracy where a chukar is going to be found. I have found them in every type of terrain and condition. There is really no sure indicator. One general rule that I have heard from more than one source is to look to south-facing mountains first. I assume, without knowing, that the theory is chukar will move for the warmth the sun provides after a cold night. But if you are unable to get to a south-facing slope I would not be concerned for I have found them on every side of a mountain at every time of the day.

The three traditional requirements apply of course. Cover, food and water must be present. Most hunters will look for mountainous terrain mixing vegetation and rocks, something to provide good cover. But once in the vicinity they may be found anywhere. I have been surprised by a covey flushing from a patch of plain, rocky dirt that had no cover to it at all! That they were within ten to twenty yards when they flushed attests to their ability to blend in with their environment.

There must of course be a water source for the birds so look for it on any map you trust. In the California Mojave Desert, where much of my state’s chukar hunting is done, mountainsides are dotted with every manner of dig, usually mines long since abandoned. Many will accumulate and maintain water even when rainfall has been very light or nonexistent. So if you are out scouting look for old mines and see if they contain water. If you do locate an old mine your dog will probably be anxious enough to stay away from it. Follow your dog’s good judgment and caution and exercise extreme care when investigating them. If you get yourself stuck the person that finds you may be next year’s chukar hunter.

Any patch of green against the background of the usual drab brown and gray of the desert could mean water is present so examine the site closely. A copse of cottonwood trees almost always means water is present. If there are range cattle in the area a well-worn path may lead you to a man made or natural water hole.

In checking out a water source you may see some evidence of chukar there but the ground is usually so rocky and hard tracks may not be found. A stray feather or two may be the only indicator. Keep an eye out for their droppings too wherever you go. They are neatly cylindrical and grayish in color with a dab of white at one end, overall about 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch long. But if the other variables are present, chances are chukar will not be far away if you find a water source. They are very adversely affected by drought but chukars are an extremely resilient bird. Some always survive and they respond very well to rainfall by reproducing quickly and in numbers.

I know one hunter, obviously a sedentary fellow, who solved the physical effort issue by deciding to sit near very near a water source and wait for birds to show up. The only time I have seen this work is near the end of the day. And even then it is not like you can plop yourself down on a recliner and pass the time by enjoying a refreshing glass of ice tea and a good novel. I may be overly pessimistic but it is somewhat unlikely that birds will land and saunter by oblivious to your presence enroute to their own refreshment. I have never been lucky, or perhaps patient, enough to catch a chukar at a water source. And if you do take up a station too close to water you may thereby inadvertently deny it to other game as your presence will be known. I have seen chukar very near water and obviously they wanted to quench their thirst. But more often I have seen them sail by looking all the world as if they were engaging in a little aerial reconnaissance as they passed through. By the way, seeing them do this helped me understand the phrase, "pass shooting:" The bird flies into range, I shoot at it, and the bird passes on by. Simple.

Snow will drive chukar lower in search of the seeds on which they feed so if mountaintops are covered in snow you have a marvelous reason not to climb them.

Chukar calls are available. There is one type that consists of a short, hollow wooden tube about an inch in diameter with a rubber bellows affair attached to one end. The bellows end is quickly and rapidly pressed against any harder object and the expelled air produces the call. I, however, like another type of call that is a little smaller and does not use the bellows. Putting it to your mouth and blowing through the wooden tube produces the sound from this call. It just sounds more realistic to my ear. The sound, by the way, is nearly impossible to describe. Imagine what you would hear when a hunter climbs the strands of a rusty barbwire fence. That is as good a description as I have heard. But once you hear the bird call you will know it and never forget it.

I have never, ever, had a chukar respond to a call unless the bird has just landed after having been flushed. My timing or technique simply may not be good enough to get a response in other situations. Once on the ground it appears they call to locate one another and assemble. It is under these circumstances that I have been able to get a response to my chukar call and it has proved to be very useful indeed. So if you see a covey in flight and are not sure where it has landed give a couple short calls to see if you get a response. Do not overdo it. Also, they may be more likely to call or respond to a call earlier in the season; before hunters train them that silence may indeed be golden. I have, of course, heard birds call when I suspected they had not been flushed but I have never, for some reason, been able to get a response. But who cares? If they do call and you get some idea of their location that is all that matters.

So now you and your dog are fit, you have plenty of water and a little snack to keep you going, you have the proper gun and loads, you are near the top of a mountain that you strongly suspect holds birds. Now what? Now you hunt, of course.

There are times when you will hear birds calling and you can generally pinpoint their location. Do not hesitate. Get there as soon as you can. Once a few years ago I was back in the Mojave Desert hunting with a couple friends. We had flushed a lot of birds from high on a mountain and were following up as they flushed successively lower down the mountain. One covey had gone over a ridge with me in pursuit as fast as my aching knees would let me. My partners were separated from me, hunting up their own leads and instincts. Soon as I topped the ridge I heard birds calling from a nearby hill whose top was littered with rocks, some the size of condos. I knew exactly where they were but the distance was several hundred yards and it meant climbing down the side of one hill and back up another. This was before I hunted with a dog but I knew enough to get there as soon as I could regardless of the effort if I wanted the opportunity of getting a bird.

The calling of the birds died off but for some reason picked up again as I got into the rocks some twenty minutes later. Climbing over and around them was a challenge to say the least. I had luckily approached on their "blind" side and I guess I made so little noise that the birds were oblivious to my presence. It wasn’t because I was out of breath that I nearly choked with astonishment when I heard one, then another bird, call again. I was stunned at the volume. It was obvious they were literally within ten feet of me on the other side of another huge boulder. I almost laughed out loud. The impeding boulder, which was a monster, was to my left. I could see that there was a way to get around to where the birds were but I would have to jump from the rock I was on, around that big boulder, and then onto the ground. I knew that as soon as I did all hell was going to break loose. I just stood there for a minute or two trying to think of a better way to approach the birds. No other option appeared reasonable. I then thought of backtracking to get my hunting partners into the area but I did not want to spend time I might not have and I was not sure where they were. So I just stood there a little longer, grinning and trying not to make any noise. Finally I decided to just go for it and see what happened. I readied my gun, got as close to the "corner" as possible, and jumped around and down about three feet.

Before I hit the ground I had the sensation I had just dropped into the middle of a gray tornado. Birds literally flew from under my feet in every direction of the compass. No idea how many there were but conservatively I estimated fifteen to twenty. Sounded like a flight of Army helicopters lifting off for a Desert Storm sortie. My knees buckled a little on hitting my landing area. The fact I was laughing like a lunatic probably did not help my balance or my shooting much. I took two shots and did not disturb a single feather! I stopped laughing. The whole thing instantly was not that funny any more. But the point is, when you hear a bird calling do everything short of breaking a leg to get there.

Dog: A Chukar Hunter’s Best Friend

Those who hunt with dogs are ahead of the game, both in finding and retrieving. The chukar is a tough little bird and if one is only winged you will be fortunate to find it, especially if there are rocks around. Again, this past season one of my friends put a covey to flight but we got lucky as it settled down a mere twenty-five to thirty yards away, though unknown to us. Though unplanned I went a little high and my partners went low. The covey flushed wild in front of me and I brought down two birds and missed a rather easy third shot with my .410. I went directly to where the first bird dropped and did my own retrieving. Tocchet soon found the other buried in a pile of rocks about sixty feet away. Lucky for me they were not that large and disregarding everything I have ever told my children about reaching into and under rocks I began to pull them away. Besides, I rationalized, rattlesnakes can’t bite through cotton gloves can they?

After I removed a few rocks I peered into the small, dark recess to see the head and back of the chukar. It was clearly alive and within reach. So I reached in and grabbed it. But when I pulled it to the surface I was left with nothing but a hand full of tail feathers as the bird took off running down hill. First, I never would have found that bird’s hiding place were it not for my dog, and second, unless I shot it again while it was running (no guarantee there) I never would have caught it. But my dog did. Dogs and chukar go together nicely.

To digress momentarily, chukar hunting can be a brutal challenge for a dog and if you have a good dog it is a driven dog. Its life is hunting: Period. It just will not ever quit on you or itself. But that drive can be a curse, particularly when it comes to hunting chukar. Running is one thing, but it is quite another to run up hill, down hill, to traverse on the fly slopes covered with loose rocks, hidden holes and the odd cactus plant more pernicious than a bouncing betty. I have never used boots on my dogs primarily because we tend to get into climbing situations where steady balance, feel, and traction are crucial. In the chukar’s environment a dog deprived of these things is at a disadvantage and in fact may be in serious jeopardy. I have, therefore, run my dogs without foot protection and feel that the tradeoff is worth the risk. Of course a day in tough country can undo even the best conditioning. But forget everything I just said if you hunt in an area heavily littered with rock, especially volcanic rock for it can be as wicked as a broken beer bottle in a wading pool.

When I do take steps to protect a dog’s feet for the territory we hunt I simply use a small child’s athletic-style sock, which is generally nice and thick, and put it on the dog and tape it in place. I then apply more tape around the outside of the foot itself to provide additional protection for the pad. I am sure there are better ways but this has worked for me; rather for my dogs. Once fitted out they tend to run a little "tippy-toe" for a while but soon get used to it. Now to get back to the fun part.

In the early morning and late afternoon birds will tend to be more active. It is a favorite time to go for water. During the day they will loaf around while feeding. Once in a while a hunter will flush a bird or a pair. But my experience has been that usually it is a covey that is foraging for food that will be encountered and put to wing. If you have a dog that gives you the advance warning of a point you are in business and way ahead of the game. But regardless of how the bird is put to flight a quick shot or two is all that one usually has. Within a second or two a chukar will find something to go behind, around, or down, even if the ground appears completely flat and devoid of vegetation. Like some of our western quail it is not uncommon for a bird or two to remain behind after the main covey has flushed. It is important to watch where the birds go but once you see them set down or they fly out of sight (too often the case) work the area to see if there are any stragglers. I have been rewarded more than once by doing so.

As soon as you are sure no birds remain get after the ones that flushed if you have a general idea where they set down. If you are not sure try your chukar call. If they flush off a steep ridge my experience has been that they will fly far. But I have noticed that if the terrain is flatter they are more apt to land closer. This is just what I have experienced so I can not say it is a hard rule that applies universally.

I can not recall seeing a chukar flushing up hill. Laterally from time to time, but not uphill. However, that is not to say they may not wind up at a higher elevation. So oftentimes when you set off for them you have the benefit of walking down hill. Try not to think about having to climb back up again. It is truly debilitating and just plain spoils the fun.

If you try to out think the bird to anticipate where it might go after landing, think higher rather than lower. As I have not seen a chukar flush up hill, I have never seen one run down hill. That would, after all, be too easy. My experience has been that after they have flushed, upon landing they will move, if at all, higher: Always. Again, just my experience.

In following up a flushed covey try to approach them from an equal or higher level. My theory is that they are already predisposed to run up hill and that approaching them from below will only exacerbate that tendency. However, if you can approach them from above, or at least the same level, they may tend to hold and flush rather than run away. Then it is a question of how close you can approach before they flush. If you have a partner and you have a good idea where the birds are, one hunter above and one or more below is a good strategy I think. As I said, they almost always scatter down hill with the flush and the person below may be in the best position to get some wonderful, though challenging passing shots. Let me illustrate the potential this tactic holds with a couple examples.

Last season while hunting with two friends, Barbara Allard and Kathy Slobom, I flushed a covey off a small, flat area located on the side of a mountain. I had come from above and they simply did not hold long enough for me to get a shot. Barb and Kathy were below me and Kathy got a good look at where the birds landed. The distance must have been at least four to five hundred yards. But we put our heads down and started hiking. Kathy and I aimed for a spot that was a little higher than where she had seen the birds set down. There was an old mining road that traversed part of the mountain and after a couple hundred yards or so we were able to walk it to almost exactly where we wanted to be before we started to hunt the covey again.

We arrived in the general vicinity, but again above the area where we thought the birds might be. Kathy and I started to work our way down the mountain and we found that the slope leveled into a small plateau. My dog Tocchet was in front working hard for us. Kathy was to my left as we slowly walked behind Tocchet. I lost sight of Tocchet briefly but as I moved forward I found her locked up. From the way her body was set I knew the birds were right in front of her.

I got Kathy’s attention and I pointed in Tocchet’s direction. She got my meaning and we moved forward in unison but on opposite sides of the little plateau. I got to within thirty feet of Tocchet when the covey flushed. Kathy was at a real disadvantage because she could not see Tocchet and, therefore, did not know when or where to expect the birds. I did not have the same excuse, however, as I shot once, twice, and missed both times. Tocchet turned around and looked at me. I would rather not know what she was thinking. I was a little embarrassed and relaxed a little. Bad practice: Soon as I did a straggler got up and blew out of there like its tail feathers were on fire. I don’t know why it was in such a rush for I was certainly no threat: I only got off a wild, desperate shot. At least I was consistent. AARRGH!

But the point of this little anecdote was not my poor shooting but Barbara’s positioning. We had decided that Barb would go low to be in position for a passing shot in case Kathy and I flushed the birds. After our quick shots a second to two later we heard a single shot, often a good sign, from Barb’s direction. Sure enough, she brought down a bird simply by being in the right position. She thanked us for our effort and cooperation. That was some consolation I guess. She had taken another bird earlier in the day under similar circumstances.

Hunting the famous Red Mountain area of the Mojave Desert two seasons ago I remember seeing two hunters a few hundred yards in front of my partner and I as they approached a promontory. One was on the crest and the other was perhaps fifty yards below. Well, the higher hunter got into a good covey of chukar but he was not in the best position to shoot as they flew off the edge and into space. The hunter below, however, was in an ideal position as bird after bird sailed almost directly over his head. But those birds were rocketing through the sky like meteorites and I do not think he hit but one or two. But at least he had the chance and all you can ask for sometimes is just that.

As for an overall strategy I have tried to get as high up as possible as soon as possible. At the beginning of a hunt you will have more energy and stamina so get the climbing out of the way early on. Often up high there will be areas that are reasonably flat. I like to hunt those areas first. It gives my dog and me a way to cover ground while recuperating from the climb and often birds will be found in the flats foraging for food. Most of the times that I have found birds in such relatively flat areas it has been near the edge of a slope. Be it by design or fortune I am not sure but it gives the birds a quick way to put distance, and plenty of it, between themselves and the hunter. You have to anticipate and you must be quick, though it is easier said than done when you are tired and thirsty.

Once I have covered the upper regions of a mountain I just traverse the territory with my dog while working gradually back down towards my truck. I pay close attention to areas that have better cover but as I said earlier I have found these birds under almost every condition.

If you encounter birds in the course of your climb do not ignore them simply because you believe it is necessary to get to the top of a mountain. If you hear them far off to the left or right get after them now and forget the top. And to reiterate, if you flush a covey follow up as soon as possible if you have a good idea where they landed. It is your best chance of taking birds. It can be awfully discouraging to climb two-thirds of a mountain only to flush a covey and, without getting off a shot, watch it sail over and down half a mile before landing. But my experience has been that knowing where these birds are is a lot better than guessing where they may be. Get after them.

Finally, all hunting is fun but hunting with friends is more fun. And when it comes to chukar hunting the more friends the better. More hunters into a given area will increase the odds of locating birds.

This is not an Olympic event. You do not have to get a limit, or even a couple birds, before noon. Take time to rest as often as necessary. I like to just sit down from time to time with my dogs, take a sip of water, and spend a little time with them. It is quiet and relaxing, and they seem to enjoy the break as well. If there are birds in the area they will be there when you get there. The vistas of a "barren" desert as seen from high up can be wonderful so enjoy the scenery. Several of my most memorable chukar hunts had nothing to do with taking birds but rather in what I saw. I have surprised desert bighorn sheep on several occasions and once stood for a minute or two locked eye to eye with a marvelous ram with only fifty to seventy feet separating us. I will never forget it as long as I live. Enjoy the day and the experience. When you do get a few birds you will be extremely gratified. You may actually think about going chukar hunting again the next day. But don’t count on it.