Chukar

[PAess]

I found a place I can buy chukars localy and have a place to put them in to train my springer, does anyone have any tips for me. He is about a year old, hasn't been around game birds yet. But I have been training him w/o birds. Any tips on how to release the birds into the fields or other tips for his first time hunting live birds? Also is it legal for me to shoot the birds after I release them if it is on my own land? I am from PA.
Thanks

[bhairhoger]

In Pa you are allowed to shoot chukar all year.

With training a flushing dog, you do not want to put the bird to sleep so I would just dizzy it and put it in some cover. Just hold the bird in one hand and spin it around. When you stop the birds head should be moving around like its drunk. Put it in a little cover and walk away.

[47sgs]

You might consider investing in a release trap, that way you have control of the situation and can be sure the dog will never catch the bird. you might also consider getting some pigeons. They're great training birds, and you can get more bird contacts for your cog per dollar spent as they're much cheaper than chukar. Even better if you can develop some homing birds, then they can be used over and over.
Any birds should fire up a well bred springer. Be very sure to get the dog conditioned to guns, very well conditioned, before blasting chukar over it. The last thing you want is to develop a gunshy dog.

[bhairhoger]

You might consider investing in a release trap, that way you have control of the situation and can be sure the dog will never catch the bird.

She is training a flushing dog so it does not matter if the dog catches a few of them. I have also heard of guys that train flushers try to get their dog to catch a few.

[topher40]

With all due respect, it sounds to me that you are a bit green. I would find a local club to train with. They should be able to help show you the ropes and you may be able to find a quality mentor out of the deal. If that isnt appealing come on back and ask away! Good luck!

[PAess]

Yeah last year was the first I ever hunted pheasants. In the past I just hunted deer. I loved it, I started w/ my father in law and he has a springer. Since then I bought a male springer he is about a year old. I have been training him in the fields to retrieve, and he seems to be quartering very well. He has no problem shooting around him at all. My father in law recomended I get some chukar and see how he does. Does anyone know of any clubs in central PA? Also if I were to go in the middle of the field and release a couple, how far would they fly? We have several hundred acres.
Thanks for your help
Steve

[rstbkt69]

Sounds like you need to get 4 or 5 johnny houses and a bunch of quail and forget about Chuckar for now. With all that land if the predators are not too bad the quail ought to get a pretty good hold in the land and keep your dog plenty busy. I don't know if you can raise chuckar to recall.

[PAess]

I don't really want to raise birds yet, for now I am just trying to introduce live birds to him. And the closest place I found w/o driving hours has chukars. Which is the reason I was going to buy some.

[fuess]

Ok to shoot chukars anytie, as far I I know as they are not considered a wild game bird in PA. I believe they are considered a pigeon.

WHere in central PA, may be able to help you with a club.

Fuess

[RayGubernat]

Paess -

Just checked the PA regs online and it does appear that chuckar are not a regulated gamebird species...at least there is no season or bag limit listed.

To be certain I would contact them and ask if there are any regulations or restrictions regarding the use of chuckars as training birds. Better to be safe.

Here's a link to the game commission website:

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view ... 0&q=174485

RayG

[mudhunter]

In Pa you can shoot chukars whenever you want on Private land. You can simply take your chukars and plant them in the field in a pattern you want the dog to quarter to, 20 yards to the left and 20 yards to the right. You will need to help him by bringing him into the downwind side of the birds but he will quickly think birds are going to be within 20 yards to either side of you, quartering.

To plant chukars you can hold them on their back and pull their legs out till they stop fighting you, place them very lightly down and be ready to grab them if they move, back away slowly and the bird will be lightly put to sleep, it will probably get up and walk around a little bit but will not usually fly away.

This what I have always down with Labs and it works for me. As others have said make sure the dog is introduced to birds and guns first!!!! one bad experience and you could have a gun or bird shy dog.

[Don]

I have never pulled the flight feathers on a game bird so don't know how well that works. But if you had some pigeons with the flight feathers pulled, I'd start there. I would want my springer to catch a lot of birds on the ground. What happens if they don't is that they can become soft on the flush, blink. That is they don't think they can catch the bird so they hesitate before flushing. What you want is for them to bust right in and get the bird in the air. To do that, the best way is to teach them to catch the birds on the ground, live birds running around.

What you can do with the chukar is fold the wings. Just take one wing and move it around the back of the other while the wings are extended over the bird. What they will do is lock there so the bird can't fly but it can run around a bit. That will encourage the dog to chase it. When it does that to a wild bird, the bird will get off the ground rather than run.

[PAess]

Thanks for all the advise. I just bought the chukars. I can't use them today though because it is the first day of archery and people are hunting the field I am going to use them in. Any advice for keeping them over night? Do I have to do anything?

[fuess]

I bought a bunny cage from a pet store. Water and some feed and you are set. The birds are tougher than you think

[mudhunter]

you might have problems with cannablism, Your stressin the birds out moving them anyway and then leaving them over night in a small cage will sometimes end badly, You wouldn't lose all the birds, unless the killer has a really bad consience, but you may lose some birds.