Date: 7/16/08
Contact: C. Doug Nielsen
Phone: (702) 486-5127, ext. 3500

UPDATED “CHUKAR PARTRIDGE BULLETIN” AVAILABLE SOON

In 1947, Nevada sportsmen were introduced to the chukar partridge, a rough-and-tumble upland game bird that originated in the rugged uplands of the Middle East. That introduction came via the state’s inaugural chukar hunting season held just 12 years after the birds were first released in the Silver State in 1935. But success wasn’t quick in coming to those who spent that season scrambling over and through the rough terrain where these birds live.

“The first four hunting seasons were not spectacular,” wrote Glen Christensen of the Nevada Fish and Game Commission in 1954. “This was due to the hunter’s unfamiliarity with the chukar’s habits, spotty but expanding populations and the characteristics of its habitat. Then in 1951 conditions changed. Chukars were plentiful and the hunters began to find their mark. This was the first big year for the chukar hunter and almost overnight the bird was elevated to the rank of the state’s most popular upland game bird.”

Christensen wrote those words in his introduction to “The Chukar Partridge, Biological Bulletin No. 1,” which was published by the Fish and Game Commission – now the Nevada Department of Wildlife -- in 1954. This document details the bird’s history in Nevada, its behavior and habitat requirements, the various calls it makes, and the efforts undertaken by the wildlife agency to establish permanent chukar populations throughout the state.

And just as the chukar partridge quickly became the hunters’ favored upland game species, Christensen’s treatise quickly became a favorite source of information for those hunters interested in learning more about this tough-to-hunt quarry. The publication has since gone through three minor revisions or updates, but despite its age “The Chukar Partridge Bulletin” is just as popular with hunters today as was when it was when last updated in 1970.

“Chukar are the most popular game bird in Nevada and folks always seem to have questions about the history of the species in Nevada and want to know more about their habits, food preferences, habitat and distribution across the state. This document provides all of that information although the distribution of the species within the state has changed from when the document was last printed in 1970,” said Shawn Espinosa, upland game biologist for NDOW.

With just a few copies of the 1970 edition left, and demand for “The Chukar Partridge Bulletin” still high, Espinosa was tasked with updating the bulletin with information reflecting the current status of Nevada’s chukar population. Current distribution maps, water development information and release tables will be included as appendices.

“I think the document provides the reader with a comprehensive look into the species’ history from a global and statewide perspective. The document also provides some very useful and in-depth information regarding the species’ diet, which could assist the hunter with locating chukar during the hunting season. Appendix A of the bulletin provides a complete release site history from 1935 – 1969. Many of these sites continue to be occupied by chukar today,” said Espinosa.

With considerable time invested in transforming the “The Chukar Partridge Bulletin” into an Internet-ready version, Espinosa said he has been impressed with Christensen’s discussion of chukar reproduction and especially the role of the sexes during nesting and the propensity for the female to renest. But more importantly the bulletin discusses what research is needed so biologists can understand the process more clearly.

Even though the chukar is the most popular game bird in several western states, the amount of research that has been conducted on the species is rather limited when compared to the work that has been completed on other upland game birds like the bobwhite quail or sage grouse, he said.

The first documented release of chukars in Nevada took place in 1935. While under contract with the Fish and Game Commission, Minnie Blair and Hamlin Kent of Fallon reared approximately 289 chukars that were released in Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Nye, Ormsby and Washoe counties. By 1970 chukar populations had been established in all 17 counties.

“The very nature of the habitat in Nevada is conducive to providing more than ample cover for chukars. Tallus slopes, rocky outcrops, scattered brush and clumps of grass over irregular terrain give the chukar sufficient opportunity to hide without difficulty,” Christensen wrote in the Bulletin. “Chukars prefer an open, unimpeded view and often they are seen perched upon a prominent rock overlooking their domain.”

Espinosa anticipates that both the hard copy edition and the online version (www.ndow.org) will be available by the end of July, just in time to help those hunters who are preparing for the fall hunting season. Thereafter, interested persons will find hard copies of “The Chukar Partridge Bulletin” at the NDOW regional offices in Reno, Las Vegas and Elko as well as the field offices in Ely, Fallon, Tonopah and Winnemucca.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.