IFISH chukar 2008

baltz526 · 03-09-2008, 08:55 PM

boats, on owyhee reservoir. dates to be picked

merrile · 03-09-2008, 09:34 PM

Chucker & Boats, Please explain? I am a newbee!

dyhrdelkhntr · 03-10-2008, 02:05 AM

i don't understand what a chukar hunt has to do with boats.

scottishsetter · 03-10-2008, 06:01 AM

And hot springs. Only accessible by boat. A lot of country around that pond.

Lucky Guy · 03-10-2008, 07:16 AM

I'm in!! Can't come soon enough.

Hey Baltz, you got a boat big enough for that Samauri?

baltz526 · 03-10-2008, 08:37 AM

a little engineering, some ramps. i was thinking about taking my camo westerner and 15hp. 4 guy shuttle should be doable. and fishing while we wait for others to get back.

Eagleclaw · 03-10-2008, 08:59 AM

I'm in if i have the time off.

Maverick Maxcat · 03-10-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merrile

Chucker & Boats, Please explain? I am a newbee!

Chukars use the lake as their water source, so many can be found fairly close by. This country is very remote and inaccessable, a boat allows you to access all the area between roads that don't otherwise get hunted. I wish I had the guts to haul Maverick over there at that time of year, the snow and ice is just too much for a trailer that big. He would make a great floating camper, as well as transporting about 15 hunters and dogs at a time....

nobrownline · 03-10-2008, 12:44 PM

If I'm back in town I will be in this year.

Two Fister · 03-10-2008, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dyhrdelkhntr

i don't understand what a chukar hunt has to do with boats.

Nothing! Chukars and boats have nothing to do with each other! These are not the droids...I mean birds...you are looking for. Got to work on my Jedi skills.

Some great bird hunting can be accessed from the lake. Been getting more and more popular so don't be too surprised to see a few other hunters. With as much shoreline as there is it shouldn't be too hard to get a few canyons to yourself.

Hopefully my neck will be healed by then.

TF

baltz526 · 03-10-2008, 02:06 PM

maverick, it seems i remember seeing a smaller boat in a shed at the ranch (not that you will need one). with time, i'll be trying to get an idea on how far up river a small boat can go. some days the wind really howls through that canyon. camp will be in LG campgrounds i figure. depending on weather. if i was going to set dates with out confering with everyone, right now i would mark my calander 11/26 thru the thanksgiving weekend, or after eastern deer 10/15 till 10/22

cwh · 03-11-2008, 03:26 PM

Interesting.... veeerry interesting.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for when you firm up dates. When does the lake freeze up normally, or does it?

baltz526 · 03-11-2008, 03:30 PM

good question, anyone know about freeze up at owyhee

Old Guys Rule · 03-11-2008, 04:03 PM

I have hunted the lake in November for chuckars a fair amount. Never had an issue with freeze up - too big water with too much wind - not to say it can't get cold fast and happen. If you have driven in before you know what I mean about the road, if you have the kahunas to drive the road in winter, the lake will be nothing.

The park and gate closes Oct 31, limiting some ramp access. Depending on water level it can be a real squeeze at the county ramp by the dam, not many other launch options at low water once they close the gate for the season.

Lucky Guy · 03-11-2008, 05:45 PM

Sounds like if that's the location we should go for the earlier date. Where ever we end up Thanksgiving might be hard for some to get away, it is for me.

baltz526 · 03-11-2008, 05:56 PM

should be a good water year so i plan on leslie gulch ramp, i'll be coming in by way of jordan valley. it is not a trip for the faint of heart

cwh · 03-11-2008, 09:27 PM

So, if I go, I should get the insurance on the rental car?

(laughing)

baltz526 · 03-12-2008, 07:13 AM

stop by the house and we can throw a quick lift in it a fit the chains

Snapset · 03-12-2008, 09:13 AM

I'd definitely be interested. I have always wondered if that might not be a better option than the bad roads we drive in on for hours. I can bring my drift barge with 10 HP motor which would haul 4 people and gear but not very fast. I would vote for an October date because I really don't like steep boulder patches buried in snow. I have observed the reservoir near Leslie gulch during opening weekend of Chukar season and it is a very popular area.

If someone is deer hunting the area this year, they could stake out a good lakeside camping area. (I might be). How far is it from the ramp by the dam to Leslie Gulch? I am thinking at least 25 miles.

Bobberman · 03-12-2008, 05:03 PM

I'm liking this idea. I have a 19' sled with A 150 jet . not sure how many people/ dogs I can get on plane, but 3 and 3 is a Fairly safe bet. Two people and two dogs is no problem.

baltz526 · 03-12-2008, 05:34 PM

we saw an outfitter on the leslie gulch launch with a large boat. i'm guessing about 24' but the road down can be ugly with wash boards. not as bad as the miller lake road but pretty bad.

nunyet · 03-12-2008, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baltz526

we saw an outfitter on the leslie gulch launch with a large boat. i'hopefullym guessing about 24' but the road down can be ugly with wash boards. not as bad as the miller lake road but pretty bad.

If you go on the opening the birds will come to water, either springs or the lake if it has been a dry fall. If fall rains have come by then I think it better to hunt the top, and come in that way. ....If it greens up above they will stay there unless you have a big snow, or come for the day if a big wind.... . I could probably bring a boat if its a early trip... I would put in at the dam and run up..... great time of year to fish the river below the dam ..... best brown trout fishing I have ever seen .... could take a couple people into camp.... hopefully I will be in fair shape after chasing them in hells canyon and the salmon for the Idaho opener.

nunyet

baltz526 · 03-12-2008, 08:40 PM

my thoughts are to hunt the west side of the lake out of the boat and the eastside uplands by road access

39rivers · 03-13-2008, 09:41 AM

I have a pontoon boat that holds 14+, and will be there for a week during the opener. I have not taken the boat in years past because of gas prices, but if anyone is interested in helping out with gas, I can move a lot of people and dogs around the lake.

Eagleclaw · 03-13-2008, 09:54 AM

I'll pitch in on gas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 39rivers

I have a pontoon boat that holds 14+, and will be there for a week during the opener. I have not taken the boat in years past because of gas prices, but if anyone is interested in helping out with gas, I can move a lot of people and dogs around the lake.

merrile · 03-13-2008, 05:20 PM

39 Rivers I will be happy to pitch in with gas as well!

baltz526 · 03-13-2008, 07:20 PM

sounds like there might be volunteers for two chukar trips, an early season and a november hunt. i also plan on a january hunt somewhere. if you guys want. i'll do a leslie gulch camp in november, others can do a owyhee dam launch in october and i'll do a alvord or other area in january.

merrile · 03-13-2008, 07:33 PM

can't wait, I will have a new dog running the ground but she likes those birdies!

Birdnut · 05-02-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 39rivers

I have a pontoon boat that holds 14+, and will be there for a week during the opener. I have not taken the boat in years past because of gas prices, but if anyone is interested in helping out with gas, I can move a lot of people and dogs around the lake.

I'll pitch in on gas as well

Eagleclaw · 05-02-2008, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baltz526

sounds like there might be volunteers for two chukar trips, an early season and a november hunt. i also plan on a january hunt somewhere. if you guys want. i'll do a leslie gulch camp in november, others can do a owyhee dam launch in october and i'll do a alvord or other area in january.

Blatz,

I'm up for all of those hunts.

duck_crazy101 · 05-02-2008, 01:01 PM

i will go and toss in some gas money

dc

baltz526 · 05-02-2008, 05:19 PM

if we get enough hunters, i can set up the big camp in november. lets hope for a great hatch

Eagleclaw · 05-02-2008, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baltz526

if we get enough hunters, i can set up the big camp in november. lets hope for a great hatch

tailwalker · 05-03-2008, 08:59 AM

I was strongly considering hunting there for deer/chuckar/small mouth this year. I have a large sled and was actually considering taking my four wheeler into camp? I have 4 preferences points so a deer tag could be almost a slam dunk.? Can you ride four wheelers out there or is that a waste of time(game retriveal/hunter ferrying)? I would be more than willing to set up a camp early if that is neccesary. Anyone else deer hunting there?

baltz526 · 05-03-2008, 11:22 AM

only legal access is roads for an atv. it is all wilderness study area. lots of guys strap the dog box on the rack and hunt the remote 2 track roads on atv's. durring deer season the atv's have ruined the east side hunting for everyone else, so you will find two groups of hunters, atv haters, atv users

tailwalker · 05-05-2008, 08:19 AM

Rgr that! Still would love to join and bring the boat. Keep us informed.

huntumup · 05-05-2008, 10:29 AM

I like the sound of the Oct. hunt. one question, my hunting patner is my 12 year old son, would this be a problem or is it more of a grown up trip? We also have a 2 1/2 GSP that has figured out she really likes to find those birdies. Shon

Lucky Guy · 05-05-2008, 10:40 AM

Sounds like there's definitely enough interest to plan an October chukar hunt. I'll organize it unless somebody else is dying to do it.

Just to get started, how about a camp at or near the lower (north) end of the reservoir?

Dates - How about the second or third weekend of October? Want to let me know if either or both work for you?

Anybody have an issue with young uns being there? Probly rap music is out eh?

Lucky

baltz526 · 05-05-2008, 03:49 PM

youth hunters are always welcome, as far as i'm concerned. it has been years since i was in the owyhee state park, but it was nice.

BrotherWolf · 05-05-2008, 03:55 PM

would love to go!

huntumup · 05-09-2008, 08:00 PM

The third week end would work better for us. Unless of coarse the state
fails to draw our name for our deer tags. No deer tags and we are open for any week end.

dfontana · 05-09-2008, 08:13 PM

Im new to this site so Im not sure if this hunt/thread is just for the regulars or what but if not I would love to get involved. I dont have a boat or anything but Id be more than happy to pitch in on gas and anything else.

Dominic

merrile · 05-09-2008, 08:46 PM

Third weekend sounds good to me and it appears like its going to be a long drive from the westside of the state. Carpool anyone.

baltz526 · 05-09-2008, 08:49 PM

firewood collection has begun. anyone addicted to chukar is welcome. there is no wood in the area so remember to collect some for the trip if you have room.

baltz526 · 09-28-2008, 08:34 PM

TTT, still on.

baltz526 · 09-28-2008, 09:20 PM

this season is a 3 trip year it is looking like, october before the owyhee state park closes from the north (i'll be elk hunting) leslie gultch sometime in the last two weeks of november (i'll have my boat) then in january we will do a final hunt, i'm thinking of a couple places near idaho or the deschutes canyon. if no one commits i'll be at summer lake

nunyet · 09-29-2008, 10:51 AM

Just got back from 4 days in Hells Canyon and the lower Salmon, birds are way down. I am choosing to leave the remaining birds for brood stock. I hope the numbers are up in the the pools above the dams and the owyhee country, if not I think I will spend my chukar time hunting coyotes ,chasing quail and waterfowl.

nunyet

Chukar Chaser · 09-30-2008, 05:53 AM

Haven't heard of any Owyhee reports yet. Still too hot and snakey for me. Idaho Fish and Game reports chukar numbers to be about 30% of average.

baltz526 · 09-30-2008, 06:04 AM

i jumped 1 covey on the west rim of the owyhee, tracks at the water sources i checked. VERY REMOTE owyhee breaks. jumped a small group on the north east face of the steens. only way to find out if there are huntable numbers is to hunt them. exploring new country is my goal this year

Lucky Guy · 09-30-2008, 07:56 AM

I can't make the October Owyhee trip. I have a brother and nephew coming in that week, and then elk hunting the week after so I'm toast.

Let's see if any bright spots show up as the season goes on.

Chukar Chaser · 10-01-2008, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baltz526

i jumped 1 covey on the west rim of the owyhee, tracks at the water sources i checked. VERY REMOTE owyhee breaks. jumped a small group on the north east face of the steens. only way to find out if there are huntable numbers is to hunt them. exploring new country is my goal this year

I agree... The tough years are great times to get out and explore...

Bugle4em · 10-01-2008, 09:05 AM

I should be good for the November and January hunt.

baltz526 · 10-01-2008, 09:37 AM

i have lots of firewood, my 2 cord camp wood shed, i built this year is nearly full.

Anadromous · 10-09-2008, 08:35 AM

Two seasons ago my buddy came up with the bright idea to backpacked in from Leslie to the hotsprings (5 miles as the crow flies...25 miles if you ask me). Being the push over that i am, we did the trip last days of the season and we didn't actually hit the camp spot until 11 pm (starting at 5 pm didn't help)! I can atest that the res does freeze (6 in thick). We spent the first 2 miles w/ 60# packs walking up and down...up and down. We finally said screw it and walked the ice the remaining portion and that was almost more brutal then the trail. Each step had your feet slipping just a little bit and it took muscles that I never new i had in my hips to keep my feet under me. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, "This is what child birth must be like..."

Finally at camp, we set up and ate. When the sun rose we awoke to a thin sheet of frost INSIDE the tent and air planes crusing up and down the canyon. I couldn't feel my legs from the waist down and my dog would not get up. We finally made it out and the planes kept crusing. we watched them over breakfast and finally figured it out, they were hunters (2 planes) looking for a landing area. Sure enough, they freaking landed on the ridges that we had planned on hunting the next 2 days.

That beat all, bust your tail for 4 or 5 hours hoofing rediculous packs over a death trap and only to find that the beautiful area where we wanted to hunt was taken by guys who had just hours before woken up in hotel rooms only to be flown in the prime areas.

Not one to be put off, we started our trek to the opposite side of the hunting grounds motivated by the litney of shots from the guys acrross from us. the hunting was ok, but couldn't help but think that it might have been better had we made our target.

On the way back, we felt that the trail was dumb and only idiots would walk it back, really our legs were blasted from the hike in and the hunting. I cussed my buddy out the entire way back under my breath, knowing full well that I did this to myself. There was one area where a shear cliff dove straight down into the res and we could go up (200 ft) to pass it or continue our route. I was not happy about it, but we continued. As my buddy reached the area of no return, a plane blasted through the canyon about 100 feet up from the ice and we heared the loudest crack in the ice i have ever heard. After I changed my underware, we completed our trek and made it back to the truck. Don't know why I was so freaked, the ice was 6 inches thick and a guy could drive on it with a one-ton and be fine.

My buddy had a guy who was hunting the roads in to leslie and the SOB put 2 limits worth of tail feathers in his wiper blade which only rammed home the notion that I was a freakin' idot for this.

In all seriousness, the trip was a blast and I had fun. We shot a few birds and the dogs got some great work on a reasonable number of coveys. At night, the ice would creak and grown and it sounded crazy...something like humpback whales. Add the coyotes and it was quite an experience.

goosegunner · 10-09-2008, 10:38 AM

That guy in the airplane was probally my old high school auto shop teacher from Prineville. He was a big chukar hunter and had his pilots license and his own plane. Thats how they hunted get up early fly over to where ever they were going to hunt, Oregon,Idaho,Utah,Nevada find a spot to land the plane and hunt.Must be nice.