California Chukar
- Thread starter Medracr
- Start date
waveslider
Outdoorsman
Since I no longer live, hunt or visit CA unless required to.....I'm happy to give up my hunting spots.
The amount of chukar, especially after several years of good water, in and around the town of Trona, CA is astounding. Particularly to the NW of Trona around Searles Valley.
The amount of chukar, especially after several years of good water, in and around the town of Trona, CA is astounding. Particularly to the NW of Trona around Searles Valley.
Sparse Gray Hackle
Geezer
Just remember... the first chukar hunt is for the adventure, every hunt thereafter is for revenge.
Maybe try the east side of 395.
Maybe try the east side of 395.
:sarcasm: I can't imagine why you'd feel that way :sarcasm:
Don't I know it! And I will continue until I am satisfied....
Thanks all! Ended up going for quail, as we couldn’t carve out enough time for a drive up to the Sierras.
Opening day only dropped one. Day 2 was like a shooting gallery and we got 12 before breakfast and another 5 after, before we headed back.
3 days without cell service, so quiet you could hear the wind move.... amazing!!!
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Opening day only dropped one. Day 2 was like a shooting gallery and we got 12 before breakfast and another 5 after, before we headed back.
3 days without cell service, so quiet you could hear the wind move.... amazing!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
SBSYNCRO
Well-known member
Congrats on a successful hunt! I hunted opening day with a guide out of Santa Maria, CA on some private land and worked my ass off all day for a single mountain quail at the end of the day. Of course we saw three bucks bigger than anything I've ever seen during deer season... The next morning I said goodbye to the guide at daybreak and drove about an hour and a half to one of my favorite spots and had 6 birds in the bag by 10 am. I don't have a dog, so I lost two more in the bushes (every time that happens I vow to get a dog until I come back home and realize what a commitment it would be). Spent the rest of the weekend and Monday scouting some new areas. Definitely looking forward to it cooling down a bit and getting a bit of rain to knock down the dust and bring up the forage a bit.
crazysccrmd
Observer
That’s a lot of work for not much bird. I’m used to spending about 30 minutes for 15-20 ptarmigan or grouse.
Mtn quail are no joke. A lot of hiking and sweating to get them. I swore to myself before I went that I would enjoy the trip no matter what.
Beautiful country, only the company of people I chose, good food, no cell service. The birds were a bonus! Cooked them up by breasting them, stuffing with jalapeño and wrapping with bacon and grilling. So good!! My 9-year old ate 2 of them!!!!
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SBSYNCRO
Well-known member
Hah - from what my friends in Utah have told me, you can pretty much walk up to them and kick them into a game bag like a soccer ball. Would love to try for them one of these days after busting my hump hunting public land in CA.
SBSYNCRO
Well-known member
Not to change this into a recipe thread, but next time try plucking them carefully to keep the skin intact, then clean them whole (like a mini chicken) and brown them gently for about 15 minutes in butter, turning constantly. That way they taste like quail and not bacon, jalapeño, and BBQ sauce.
Though I will admit to doing them with bacon the same way and thoroughly enjoying it.
