Chukar hatch weather

Califelkslayer

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VEry mild winter. Decent, spaced out moisture this psring. I'm thinking the birds are doing well. Hope they fornicate all spring and summer.

Although we are less than 50% moisture for the year here, the bitter brush is bloomin as good as ever. Seems timing is everything
 
It's very green here in Idaho, and the birds are paired up and nesting. I've got quail sitting eggs in my pasture, and I had the dogs find paired up huns, and chukars a couple weeks ago, before we stopped training on wild birds. It's been raining a lot, which is good and bad. If it doesn't stop before the hatch, the chicks could be in trouble.
 
Shummy, not much rain here. A small storm every week, sometimes no rain at all. The quail re paired up here. I usually don't see chicks here until June 25-July 5.
 
Here in SoCa they are pairing up and it green in some areas, but Other areas it DRY and DRIER, I don't see it getting better for the birds, IMO I believe it going to be a bad year for birds down here again.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
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I've been focused on scouting for my deer tag but saw 3 family groups of mountain quail last Sunday, and 3 yesterday.

Biggest group had 6 chicks, smallest had 3. Not a great indication of a good hatch.

Saw some pairs of adult birds that still may be sitting eggs.
 
Saw 4 coveys of mountain quail today. One covey I saw 4 adults and probably 30 total, may have been more adults I didn't see.

Next covey was 2 adults and 7-8 youngsters.

Next covey all I saw were 2 youngsters. There was a downed tree across the road and I had to back up 150 yards. I saw them running down the road behind me, in my rear view mirror.

Last covey I saw 2 adult birds in the road with 2 chicks. It was thick on both sides so there may have been more chicks. I'd seen this pair, or another pair in the same spot, 6 weeks ago.
 
Hunting tomorrow, then shutting it down for the year.

It's been pretty tough. A good day has been 3 coveys in 6 hours of hunting. With good shooting, or being able to reaquire the covey after initial flush, I got several limits.

Other days due to poor shooting, wild flushing and not being able to find them again, it was very frustrating.

Lately I have one or two experiences every hunt where the dog gets birdy, points, then we creep and point and eventually NOTHING!

They are running and flushing out of sight and sound.

Third year in a row of below average hatches, IMO.
 
Another down year in NE Oregon, started off slow then tappered off. numbers were down and birds have been WILD since the second week of season. flushing before the dogs even know they're there. more hunters than usual I suspect.

SE Oregon better, but not great.

We need a good hatch , this is getting to be a tough road.
















Stay thirsty my friends
 
6pk,

Unfortunately that's getting to be the norm.

Proud of a 5 bird day the last day of the season. In extremely steep country that is within sight of Susanville=PRESSURE.

Kinda glad it's over and hoping for some spring rains.
 
Been getting some good rains down here, Hope the spring hatch is good.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 

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