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I didn't get out nearly enough last season but did go for chukar the last two Saturdays of the season. We found an excellent population of birds along the Snake River and Oregon border. They were in nice big coveys but had been hunted hard and would jump up early. The second Saturday didn't go nearly as well. I arrived at my "spot" and found five other vehicles parked there already. This is a small area and I can't imagine so many hunters on the same hill. It kind of reminded me of Pa. first day of pheasant season and the game land's parking lot. I moved down the canyon several miles and found an area I had to myself. My little GWP delivered two beautiful points and an equal number of retrieves. We did see lots of coyote sign in the area and I'm afraid the birds are going to get hammered when the snow comes.

Sorry to hear you were crowded. I've heard that the bird numbers near Bruneau Canyon were good this year. I was hoping to get to ID for a chukar hunt this year, but Kansas got in the way... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I didn't hunt Bruneau this year. I never found what I would consider a good place to hunt that wasn't a major pain to reach. The canyon is a sharp cut in a desert plateau so it doesn't make a lot of habitat for the birds. It's mighty pretty country and I love boating the river. It does have the highest concentration of rattlesnakes I have ever seen, 5 buzz worms in a single day.

The guys I know only hunt the tops, right along the canyon edge. One guy limited out in 11min!!! I'm guessing living there they've found a few honeyholes. I hear you on the buzz worms, as a friend and I ran into a winter den in September. Had to be at least 150 snakes in there! Didn't like that a whole lot.