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Shrthrcrzy
Supporting Member
USA
232 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2010 : 12:43:59
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Weird year here in Nor Cal, usually 95 and hot, instead its 60 and raining. Supposed to be like this until July...very strange but cool.
I saw a blue grouse hen with 13 tiny babies yesterday, and a couple Mtn Quail with 15 or 16 little puffball babies eacdh. I have noticed the local waterfowl have an abundance of babies this year too. I love this time of year, all the new life, just breaks my heart when I see people speed by instead of slowing down, enough game gets smacked by cars these days. I wish people would slow down and realize there are more than humans that travel our roads. All in all looks like its going to be a banner hatch, hopefully chukars and quail are doing well in other states as well. |
" Never kick a fresh Turd on a hot day"
-Harry Truman |
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sean english
Sage-grouse>150 posts
185 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2010 : 18:49:45
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Shrthrcrzy
Whereabouts are you in Nor Cal? Ever hunted Bridgeport area? |
Courage means being scared to death but saddling up anyway. |
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Karl and Zealot
Administrator
USA
2676 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2010 : 19:00:41
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I can only hope we have that kind of success here. It would be a banner year with a great hatch.
I think that we can determine our upcoming year in 3 catagories of breeding success. Of course this is specific to large brood species.
0-6 chicks per brood = low year
6-10 = average year
10+ = great year |
Karl
www.uplandidaho.com
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Kirklan
Hungarian Partridge>300 Posts
USA
396 Posts |
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Shrthrcrzy
Supporting Member
USA
232 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2010 : 13:09:06
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| Sean English- I live in Lake Shastina. No, I havent hunted in the Bridgeport area, but its on my to do list as they have ptarmigan there I am told. |
" Never kick a fresh Turd on a hot day"
-Harry Truman |
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situk
Supporting Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2010 : 12:08:08
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Okay…I still have not seen any adult quail being followed by little peepers. I had 6 pairs of quail on my front yard this morning doing their thing. They don’t even act like they have laid eggs yet. Have any of you seen any adults (Huns, quail, chukar, grouse, etc) with chicks. I’m thinking the weather has been perfect for southeast Idaho and Utah for a positive chick production year.
Thoughts? Sightings?
Todd
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Todd Petersen
Supporting Member |
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Tuckota
Supporting Member - The Legend!
671 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2010 : 16:14:18
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Todd. We don't get any little quail until later in July. I know a lot of people see them by now, but in 15 years I've seen the quail hatch after mid July up here in Horseshoe Bend.
I did see some very young grouse earlier this week.
My thoughts on the chukar and hun hatch. If you can remember what a 10 to 12 week old chukar looks like and probably have seen some on the opener in Idaho. If the opener is mid september than a 10 week old chick would be born the first of July and a 12 week old chick would be hatched mid June. Baby chukars and huns should be showing up shortly. I hope.
Larry |
http://tuckerschukars.blogspot.com |
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Tuckota
Supporting Member - The Legend!
671 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2010 : 16:23:36
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One other point. If my thoughts are correct, than with this wet green spring the birds clutches should be bigger. The insects are out there. Survival should be good. If a=b, and b=c, than we should have a banner year. The only negative I can see in this is, more birds bring out more hunters. But with the millions of acres to hunt I can live with that.
Larry |
http://tuckerschukars.blogspot.com |
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Karl and Zealot
Administrator
USA
2676 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2010 : 16:33:39
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| Chukar and huns...Mid June...that's my guess at the peak of hatching for this region. The critical time is 2 weeks after hatching for weather. |
Karl
www.uplandidaho.com
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ChukarCory
Sage-grouse>150 posts
211 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2010 : 19:22:49
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| I was out in one of my favorite "holes" for birds down in the Owyhees...saw one chukar, and one quail. I saw more birds in the area ywo months ago while predator hunting so I was kind of disappointed with the turn-out. Area usually produced chukar, quail, huns, and sage grouse. I did see several groups of sage grouse... |
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brymoore
Blue Grouse>50 posts
112 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2010 : 07:39:04
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| I was speaking with a biologist recently who said the average birth date for chukars that last three years is July 15th based on F&G roadside harvest surveys. |
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situk
Supporting Member
USA
304 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2010 : 08:00:37
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Yeah…I just get anxious for good reports. I sit here at work thinking about the fall-hunting more than I should. I think the stars are lining up for a great year, again knock on wood. I hope to hear great reports. Thanks guys,
Todd
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Todd Petersen
Supporting Member |
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Karl and Zealot
Administrator
USA
2676 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2010 : 08:19:04
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| I bet the July 15th date is second clutches. |
Karl
www.uplandidaho.com
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brymoore
Blue Grouse>50 posts
112 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2010 : 08:57:37
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| I agree. I think the reasoning is the first hatch failed. |
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ChukarCory
Sage-grouse>150 posts
211 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2010 : 09:05:45
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| I think the 15th of July would be late for a first clutch...quail around town are hatching... |
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Kirklan
Hungarian Partridge>300 Posts
USA
396 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2010 : 11:24:22
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From what I understand we're in the peak part of the hatch for huns right now. I would think the reason you didn't see any birds is they're probably sitting on eggs or have broods and are laying low. At least that's what I'll keep telling myself. Over all, I'm fairly optimistic for this season. I don't think the weather was any worse than last year and I saw a big improvement of bird numbers from '08 in '09, so I would expect the same this year.
The main issue around here is the expiring CRP contracts and farmers are starting to plow it up. I just got back from my sisters place and they live right in the middle of prime sharptail and hun habitat. My brother in law said there is 3,000 acres that will be plowed up in July right around his house. Really disapointing because I've actually hunted the area before and harvested birds there.
Looks like in the next 3-4 years ID is set to lose 78% of its CRP. If any of you want to hunt the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, you better do it while you can.
http://content.fsa.usda.gov/crpstorpt/rmepeii_r1/ID.HTM
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www.Idahouplandhunting.blogspot.com
www.idahouplandhunting.com |
Edited by - Kirklan on 06/24/2010 11:35:52 |
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Bird hatches
