May 17, 2012

Traveling Wingshooter Online
2011

ast season, OREGON saw a 5.6 percent increase in the chukar harvest from 2009. What’s coming for 2011? Dave Budeau, Upland Game Bird Coordinator of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, reports, “With eighty percent of the production inventories summarized, chukar numbers are up about twelve percent over last year and up five percent over the recent five-year average.” A cool, wet spring may have hampered production initially, but the habitat improved from the extra moisture, which helped to make re-nesting and late nesting efforts successful. Budeau says that the counties of Malheur, Harney, and Baker will still hold the best chukar hunting, although many other areas could draw hunters: “Don’t overlook the other places like the lower Deschutes and John Day River drainages in Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties.” Take a look at the department’s online Oregon Hunting Map for game-specific hunting access areas.

Neighboring IDAHO discontinued its counts in 2011, but according to Upland Game & Waterfowl Staff Biologist Jeff Knetter, “Early reports from folks in the field suggest the population should be at or above 2010 levels.” The harvest in 2010 was 57,100, which was down from 71,100 in 2009. Knetter says the highest harvest is typically in the Southwest Region, but there’s also excellent opportunity in the Clearwater and Magic Valley regions.

In UTAH, the 2010 annual report shows an upward trend, after a decline in 2006-2008. The Central Region – counties Juab, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Tooele, Utah, and Wasatch – had the highest number of chukars bagged in 2010 – around 54 percent of the state’s total harvest. Hunters also found plenty of chukars in the Northern Region. Overall, the 2010 harvest was an 18 percent increase over 2009, though that is still below average. Jason Robinson of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reports that counts are up from last year: “Hunters can expect an average to above-average year,” says Robinson. Utah experienced more spring precipitation than normal, which had a positive impact on the habitat; however, northern Utah numbers will be lower due to spring snow. “The most promising areas of Utah are the western half, with the southwest being the very best,” Robinson reports.

NEVADA Department of Wildlife surveys were conducted in late August and concluded that the 2011 hunting season should be good to excellent. “Most areas will provide hunters with more and larger coveys this season with some areas being exceptional,” according to the survey.  Last fall had above-average precipitation that provided plenty of forage for chukar and helped keep the winter mortality rate low. Winter conditions were favorable but late season storms had a negative impact on early production. Pershing County was singled out to have record-high densities. The central portion of Nevada will have good to excellent opportunities as well as portions of Washoe County. The popular Pine Forest Range and Humboldt County will have comparable numbers to last year. Read the entire report on their website.

Conservation officers in COLORADO are estimating that numbers will be average to above-average from last year. Ed Gorman, Small Game Manager at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, says, “Keep in mind our distribution is limited to a couple of areas: Book Cliffs just north of Grand Junction, [and] the Black Canyon that runs in the Montrose area.

Stay tuned for more 2011 Traveling Wingshooter Gamebird Forecasts as they become available!

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