Thread: Chukar - sourcing birds or eggs

Hey all, looking to diversify some poultry options on my small farm and been recommended to try Chukar given they are a meatier carcass than the red leg partridge.

The only lead I have is for Bendigo Station, who apparently breed them to release for hunters.

Does anyone know of a contact number for them, or any one else who does that as well, that wouldn't mind selling me either fertile eggs, chicks or adult birds?

Same for Cali quail if anyone has contacts there.

Cheers.

Try these guys thought they dont list chukar but do list partridge

Pheasant, partridge, quail, guinea fowl game birds from Woodfield Gamebirds

Im not sure , but got a felling you not aloud to shoot Chukar, as you are only aloud to shoot them in central south Island , so it would be ilegal activity . Any one else think the same ? . Did once speak to a hunting guide who had shot Chukar cross partridge (maybe to get around the legalities ) ?

Guinea fowl are great eating and good sport if you let them go feral. No season either

Thanks Mikee, my wife informs me that Woodfield were the only breeder to actually be able to sell Cali quail, but not Chukar.

Munster, this is for eggs and meat production on a small scale, not for hunting activity, but if there has been a change, that may be the reason anyone that used to do it no longer breeds them.

John

Originally Posted by Sako 243

Thanks Mikee, my wife informs me that Woodfield were the only breeder to actually be able to sell Cali quail, but not Chukar.

Munster, this is for eggs and meat production on a small scale, not for hunting activity, but if there has been a change, that may be the reason anyone that used to do it no longer breeds them.

John

Sorry John didn't read your post properly , good luck ,will keep my ear to the ground for you

game keepers been trying to find chukar to breed to redlegs for a few years, to give them a bit more height as the redlegs we have all came from the same source and are crap flyers.

If all else fails there is always the primitive ways of catching them (not that I am endorsing it coz its illegal). I wouldn't think the juice is worth the squeeze tho

Have heard of few cunning ways to trap/snare them you just need to be a little dedicated for a consistent period of time, and that's only if you live close to chukar country.

Its a big thing in the middle-east to snare chukar. They make snares out of horses tail anchored by a handful of mud or dung of some sort. The snares which are in high numbers are spread across the ground for the chukar to tangle up (but not kill them obviously). I believe they use a call bird as well to lure the wild birds closer to the snares, partridge in my opinion should do the job as a call bird.

Its quite fascinating how much respect this bird gets in that area of the world, people have them at home just like canaries. Quite a few of them release birds just for the sake of it. All fun stuff.

just for laughs.
https://video-syd1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hv...0a&oe=56454D5B

I believe a pointing dog during nesting season would be far easier to collect eggs. Also collect a big ass fine if caught too

I'm interested in your chuckar hunting! It's our mainstay here in Nevada. Our habitat and terrain are very much like in Pakistan.

I love to hunt them in the snow. The dogs do better and go longer, and cripples are easier to find. AND, there are no rattle snakes out.

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I imagine you hunt them mostly in April or May down there??

I'd love to see some photos of your chuckar and valley quail hunts.

@luv2safari This is typical country for our Chuckar . Note the birds can and do hold in briars ( rose hip ) , so dogs get the odd thorn or two . It's big country with most hunting being on private stations ( large farms) . Unfortunately acess is very limited , and the dry arid country that holds bird also holds big numbers of rabbits . This also limits hunting as most stations poison mid winter, so close up there farms for access . Season by permit only starts in May , I'm pretty sure the average is something like 11 hrs hunting per one bird . ( survey done every season for permit holders)

THANKS!

It's not a lot different from our country. We have had a terrible 4 year drought that decimated the birds, along with the sagehen and deer. Springs I had hunted for 60 years were dry for the first time in my memory.

What size are average coveys? Ours are about 15-25 birds early in the season, which opens the second Saturday in November and goes through the first Sunday in February. We now have a 6 bird daily limit and 12 bird possession limit. We shoot American size 6 shot high base loads, and I switch to 5s later, as they get bigger with more feathers, and as they flush wilder. Dogs are necessary, especially after we break up the covies and work singles out. We get good points then.

That would also be good mule deer habitat, by the way.

That is one tough dog you have there! I love it.

The coveys I've seen are around 6 birds or less . Our birds are generally up high and when flushed , fly down then glide around the hillside into another gully ,we very rarely get another flush .

Ours do the same thing, but there are often birds that have broken off from the main covey that get to chucking, trying to bunch back up.

We generally get above the birds and hunt down. They're great runners, and no man can beat them going up hill.