October 04, 2006

Nevada wildlife officials predict bumper chukar crop

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FALLON, Nev. (AP) - State wildlife officials are predicting another bumper crop of chukar for northern Nevada despite a barrage of wildfires this summer as the hunting season opens Oct. 14.

Chris Healy, public information officer for the Nevada Department of Wildlife's West division, said chukar has been abundant for two years in a row and should also be productive this fall.

"Chukar in western Nevada should be good. Traditionally, northern Washoe and Humboldt counties are good," Healy said.

He said his biologists in the field report the bird count is high across northern Nevada, including the Lahontan Valley.

"The area between U.S. Highway 50 and Interstate 80 in Churchill and Pershing counties and eastward to Austin should be up there (in numbers)," Healy told the Lahontan Valley News.

NDOW biologist Shawn Espinoza said additional locations east of Fallon should provide good hunting opportunities for the game bird, including the Clan Alpine Range, Stillwater and the Sand Springs Range near Eastgate.

Espinoza said the forecast for this autumn shows adult chukar populations are at a fairly high level.

"Another good production year should provide plenty of young birds for harvest this coming fall," he said.

According to the NDOW hunting forecast, density, production and habitat assessments are strong. Based on a score of five being the highest, Washoe, Humboldt, Pershing and Churchill are at four or higher. The habitat assessment for Mineral County, though, is at three.

The chukar population has also mushroomed in eastern Nevada.

Joe Doucette, spokesman for NDOW's East division, said he expects a good concentration of chukar in the west half of Pine Valley and near the Charleston area north of Deeth, located midway between Elko and Wells.

"We have some good areas of Elko County," he said.

Although the summer fires burned more than 1 million acres and destroyed game and bird habitat, Doucette said chukar populations weren't as affected.

"Some areas burned their (chukar) habitat, but it wasn't as bad as for the sage grouse," he said.

Other areas of Elko county that look good for chukar hunting are Harrison Pass in the southern Ruby Mountains and east of Wells.

The hunting season forecast for Elko and White Pine counties is four or above for each one of the three assessments. Lander County received fives in density and production assessments and a four in habitat.

"North of Battle Mountain will be good," Doucette said.