Last Saturday’s hunt brought clarity to me on the real reason why I enjoy chukar hunting. I was a bit under the weather but didn’t want to miss a chance to go down into Hell’s Canyon with Bob and our visiting friend Greg and his dog Ava. We picked up “the kid” and his older brother along the way. It was the older brother’s first time chukar hunting. We also met our other friend Sam and his dog Hannah down at the bottom of the canyon at the designated meeting place. We set out walking slowly together on a gradual uphill road for about a mile before splitting up into three groups heading into different directions. It’s big country down there in the canyon; you can hunt for hours before running into your hunting partner or partners.
Our group of four and Angus headed uphill. We went up and down, the kid and his older brother following Bob closely. Angus, nose to the ground, was having a hard time pin-pointing the bird scent in the changing winds at the top. Angus did manage to point a couple of coveys, but the shooters missed after busting them. You never know where they’ll come up. “Pointing” is a relative term.
We chased Angus around, back and forth, and then back again like he was leading a parade. Tired at the top, we found a couple of nice spots blocked from the wind to take a break.
This is where the clarity part comes in. Admiring the view from the top, spending time with super nice people, recounting all our own hunting experiences afterwards, and sharing some good laughs watching Sam feed the dogs vienna sausage with a spoon to thank them for a good hunt. That’s what it’s all about.
Chirp away