There was aggressive predator control in the 1950's in NV, and the chukar populations were enormous in 1957 and 1958. I remember driving up Leadville Canyon and seeing so many birds the hillsides looked like they were lice infested. The limit was 7/day then, and several times I stood in one spot with my SXS 20ga and shot a limit, as our dogs worked the birds and retrieved.
The 40 year drought cycle we're in, West Nile, Mining, and ATV/UTV proliferation have knocked all that back about 80-90%.
