This is likely to be my last big post. I spent a great day on the mountain yesterday with the camera, gun and two great dogs. I was hoping to get enough action to show why I love chukar hunting so much, and because of the dogs I got the day I was hoping for. I’m going to spend the rest of chukar years just enjoying the dogs, birds and country without the camera. There will probably be a lot more stops along the way to catch my breath while admiring my wonderful dogs and possibly a bird I have just shot.
It’s been a wonderful twenty years of blogging with my dogs and lots of friends over the years. I’ve tried to keep it positive and leave the politics to those who seem to spend more time complaining than hunting. Hopefuly it’s been educational and entertaining. My only regret is not getting more pictures and stories from my readers to show.
For the most part, many of my readers are getting up in the years and have pretty much given up the colder hard days in the field. I’m starting to feel their pain. But there are still many enthusiastic young chukar hunters out there that have fallen into the same trap that I did. Chasing great dogs that love to find the greatest pointing dog bird there is, the chukar. I hope that one of you might start a chukar blog to read. A positive blog that shows the fun of chukar hunting, the many different animals encountered, the great dog work, the mountains, and the enjoyment a person gets from the hard work encountered.
I’ll still be around and hopefully many of you will still email, phone or text me. I love chukar and dog talk. I’m going to end this post with a summary of my hunt yesterday. There are lots of pictures and I hope the blogger allows this long of a post.
The day was a perfect December 15th day. Temperature around 40 degrees for a high with a slight breeze. Both boys were hunting with me and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my 11 year old diabetic Jake, but he surprised the heck out of me. Of course Grady was the fireball he usually is. By the end of the day Jake got 15 miles in, Grady got 25 and I covered just over 6 miles. Elevation gain was 1800 feet and we were on the hill for just over five hours.
As usual, there was a pretty good walk before we got to where the birds were. Here is the mountain we were heading for after we got about half way up the mountain.
It looks pretty barren and warm, but the north slopes still had some cool in them. The chukars didn’t seem to care whether it was snowy or dry.
A few of the other animals seen on the hill with us were these deer and many more as well as some coyotes.
About 2 hours into the hunt we finally found some birds. Nothing excites me more than finding both dogs on point or a point and an honor. I had many of them.
I usually try to hunt up the hill and hopefully get the birds to hold above me. I do so because chukars from above offer a better shot for me than a flushing bird from below, plus they get more air between them and the ground that way being a safer shot. Here’s a few of the points from Jake and Grady.
Of course, sometimes the point is below. In those cases I try to swing wide of the dogs and come in from below, and in my case try and force a left to right shot which is my preferred shot. It’s not always possible but when it works right the boys get more birds in their mouths.
It works out well when you put the birds in the vest you give the dogs a drink of water to keep the load a little more even. A short break and a little admiration to the dogs and then you let them go to show you where the next covey might be. I always let the dogs make that choice. At 6 and 11 they have seen so many chukars that I let their predatory instincts take over. It has worked well for me and soon we have more points.
As I mentioned, sometimes they find the birds below and I have to make that long swing to get below the dog and hopefully get the birds between us. It doesn’t pay to rush in. I know the dogs will hold as long as they know I’m working with them.
Sometimes the points aren’t perfect style, but who cares. Jake sometimes assumes the sitting position because of his aging hips. The results are the same as long as I do my part.
I try and continue either uphill or stay at the elevation we found the birds, but will lose elevation if the dogs go on point. Even though I don’t like to lose elevation I have to honor the dogs. Most of the time the birds pointed below me flush out of range unless I can find a way to get them between me and the pointing dog. Then it can be some pretty good shooting.
Although it may seem to be redundant, chukar hunters know how much fun it is to have this many points in a day and they also know how much work for both the dogs and this hunter to get this much action. And the dogs double their work with the retrieves. Especially on a crippled birde that they have to chase down the steep mountains.
As I mentioned earlier, the best point is when you get the bird between you and the dog. I had one of those special moments with the old boy. A single chukar held it’s ground as I moved uphill 100 yards to Jake’s point.
It flushed to my right and Jake soon had it in his mouth.
A few more points and retrieves and we were headed back to the rig.
Back at the truck, Jake climbed up into the back seat and wanted nothing to do with the success photo. So Grady took over that duty even though he isn’t to thrilled with success pictures either.
Yesterday was probably better than most days, but it shows what is possible out there. All on public land. If I had shot straight I would have been through earlier. But if I shot straight I’d missed some of that great dog work. Chukar hunting has kept me alive in my older years. We all need a hobby to keep us active and I can’t think of anything more exhilarating than walking up on a pointing dog with the opportunity to get a shot at a chukar. And there is not a bird that will offer as any points as chukars do. Add that to the country that chukar live in and the other animals that inhabit it and I’m as close to Nirvana as I could get.
Thank you for reading and I hope you get as much enjoyment from chukar hunting as I have.
The Reigning Chukar Champions 
You can’t quit your blog now Larry. You have been the positive spirit that keeps me trying.
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Thank you Larry for all the posts. Hope to meet up with you before next season and pick your brain. And please post whenever you wish.
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I’ve enjoyed reading about your hunts and seeing your dogs for a few years now.
This line motivated this comment: “the dogs will hold as long as they know I’m working with them.” Yes! We are a team, and the dogs want us to get close enough to do our job.
Both of my dogs look for me when they’re on point. My pointer likes to work at a few hundred yards, so it takes me a bit to find him and get in range. I’ve seen him turn his head as much as 45° to find me. Once he’s got eyes on, he swivels his head back towards the birds. My griffon doesn’t move her head around as much, but I’ve seen her eyes rolling as she looks for me. I’m honored that they want me there.
As for continuing to hunt chucker as we age (I’m 64), my breaking point was when I took a fall that resulted in several broken bones in my right hand and wrist, and a mild concussion. There was a long drive back to an ER in Boise, and the pain focused my mind on the risks I was taking and how they were increased by being alone. My incomplete recovery gave me even more time to think about that. When I was able to get into the field again, I started noticing how often I stayed on my feet only because of good luck. (Though, finally, something good came from being so left eye dominant that I shoot left-handed.) Now, I stick to huns.
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Thank you Anonymous. You’ve already got the positive spirit. Chukar hunting only requires that “you gatta believe” and “trust your dogs.”
Ben, you nailed it about the dogs and team work. I’d like to know how many times I’ve spoke about the great team work between me and my dogs. Without that I’d look like a chicken with my head cut off. I know about injuries and how they set you back and how, as you said, you rethink the chukar hills. I still haven’t got complete feelings in my trigger hand. At 73 years of age I’ve decided that Grady will be my last chukar dog. He is just turning six and he loves the chukar mountain. I owe it to him to continue until he can’t do it no more. Good luck to you and your pups in the years to come.
Wayne, Thanks for your comments over the years. Yes we still might have a chance to meet. I may be lurking out there somewhere for an occasional post but my plans are to forget the camera and any advice I might have and just enjoy my hunts. Over the years I’ve figured out that what works for me may not work for everybody. And part of the whole chukar hunting thing is finding out what works for each one of us and our canine partners. This blog has been a fun journey in itself for me. What a great bunch of people chukar hunters are.
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Say it isn’t so bro, your one of my links to sanity living in californication, love your blog, just post once in awhile if you can but please don’t shut it down, you are a classic dude with a hunting drive second to none….. the champ!!!!!!
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Thank you very much. I’m still keeping the blog open. I love hearing from all of you hard chukar hunters. I think the only place where I am the champ at is my fondness of chukar dogs and chukar hunting. Nobody could love it more. I’m just going to spend more time just enjoying my dogs in chukar country with no more expectations than pure enjoyment. If you’re ever over this way look for my “TUCKOTA” plates and come visit.
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Thank you for the time you spent on this blog. It was something I looked forward to receiving. You’re right. The time spent in the field watching the dogs work is my favorite part of Chukar hunting also. I wish you the best hunts to come! Hope to hear from you again.
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Back here in Virginia, Ron and I rely on your blog to help keep our thoughts on chukars, dogs and Idaho throughout the year. Visiting with you last spring was very special. Our crew had a good season in late October and early November. Lots of chukars and huns. We had boots on the ground after some kind of birds for 17 days.
Jake will soon be near the end of his hunting days and Grady will need a companion so you should be looking for a puppy. With Barb’s approval of course. Your house should always have bird dogs even when the sad day comes when you can’t hunt them.
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Thank you very much. One of the things I failed to mention was how much therapy this blog has been for me. Barb and I lost our daughter almost three years ago. My missing her consumes almost every minute of the day except when I am either following my dogs in chukar country or talking chukars on this blog. So I am thanking you and the rest of the readers for helping me keeping my mind on positive things. God bless all of you.
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Happy you are having a great seaso ! alan,gracie and piper.
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Thanks for everything over the years Larry, best wishes to you and Barb.
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FYI, above is from FJ 790, still following you from the shadows. Your blog has provided great inspiration and therapy over the years. All the best
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Thanks Fj 790. Sitting here with the flu today and my dogs giving me the evil eye for not being on the hill it reminds me of how much therapy it has been for me also.
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After a particularly hard and grim November and December, I read now that you’ve posted your last big post.
I’m very sorry to read that. Feeling the light go out more every day, I hope that January and a new year proves this all to be an illusion.
Thank you for your writing and sharing with us.
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Thanks Yeoman. I’ve appreciated your comments over the years. I don’t know if your recent coment meant that you’ve had a grim November and December or you’re talking of my recent months. If you’re talking of you, I hope everything will get better soon. For me, it seemed like I was doing dumber things every day and getting hurt. I guess it goes with aging. Writing about them started to be all I was conveying to my readers and I was sharing fewer fun chukar hunting tales. The likes started dropping. But as you mentioned, maybe the new year might make some changes. For sure, if I ever get the feeling back in my trigger hand I know I’ll be enjoying the chukar mountain as usual. I can’t say enough how much fun this blog has been because of readers like you.
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I was dimly referring to me ( https://lexanteinternet.blogspot.com/2024/01/2023-annus-horribilis-and-gift.html ) but I was reading you, and commiserating, which has made things a bit easier, as you were going through a lot more than me.
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Hi Larry
I have been enjoying your posts since the very early days of Tucker’s Chukars. Thank you for all the stories, photos, field reports and inspiration over the years! I have always found your blog incredibly refreshing – not commercialized – just a guy who loves his dogs and Chukar hunting and is not ashamed but proud of his dog’s success ! I have also always appreciated your “maximium ” opportunity philosophy and positive outlook. Know that your online presence will be missed — -that said I can’t blame you — I have often thought of taking videos / photos of my dogs but when the moment comes, and they are on point, the last thing I want to do is take out a camera… Maybe I am too greedy when it comes to wanting to shoot birds over my dogs? Thanks again … going to miss your stories but hope you enjoy hunting without the pressure of documenting – you have earned it !!
Rob
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Thanks Rob. No you are not too greedy. We all want to shoot some birds. After all, that is what you and the dogs are out there for. I’ve been very fortunate to combine my camera and shotgun on many hunts. Probably because I have had the great opportunity to be out so much with my dogs. That’s why I’m leaving the camera in the truck. I also love to get birds and my dogs expect that as part of our team relationship. They love to get a bird in mouth and bring it to me. As I’ve aged and injured myself I found I can’t do both(camera and gun) and am ready to give my best to the dogs. They deserve it after giving me so many years of the best they had.
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Plenty of shooting and photo ops with my IPhone
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Very true. But after 15 years of taking pictures and videoing my dogs, I don’t think I could show anymore than I have. I’ve just decided to enjoy the hunt to the best of what I can. I will still post the 2023 pictures of Jake and Grady that I have taken this year at the end of the season. It’s just time to enjoy the hunt and hope that I can do my part for the dogs. But thank you for the suggestion.
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Larry, I have enjoyed your blog, mostly because you live in the midst of the best chukar hunting in the country. I have also read it consistently, because you remind me of my Dad (77 years old), who is simply a hunter. Loves his dog, likes to hunt as often as he can, knowing that each year gets more difficult. He makes no apologies for his blood thirst or his lack of interest in expensive guns or gear. And he is tough.
Keep after it Larry. Happy New Year.
Hanson
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Hanson. Thanks for your contributions over the years. I hope I can be like your dad and still chasing them at 77. Congratulations to him for living the good life and Happy New Year to both of you. Somehow we’ll find ways to follow our dogs and haunt those chukar hills.
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