2010 UPLAND HUNTERS OUTLOOK

2010 will be a great year to hunt upland game in Utah. Recent changes to upland laws will make hunting easier, safer, and more enjoyable. Hats off to the UDWR, the UCWF, and YOU for making this possible!

This season starts Aug 21^st with the opening of White-Tailed Ptarmigan, and rounds out a six month season with the close of the Partridge & Rabbit/Hare season in February. The UDWR will also be holding several youth upland hunts this year. And remember, Dove and Band-tailed Pigeon are migratory game birds and require you to register a HIP# (Harvest Information Program number.)

This is an early forecast and like the weatherman I’m sure to blow it.  I’ll play it safe like they often do and go for fair to partly cloudy with a chance of rain.  We will attempt to provide a more accurate forecast for Chukar in September from a biologist.  I’m by no means a biologist, or expert, so this just represents my best guesses at predicting bird numbers based on what I have seen and heard so far this year.

Chukar:  We have better news than we’ve had the past 3 seasons.  We are seeing sizable broods in multiple regions.  I expect all areas to be up from last year.  Areas that received good spring rainfall (6” + cheat grass) and good insects should fare best.  Spend some time scouting and trying multiple areas.  Chances are you’ll find areas that have good numbers this year.  Some areas that have had very low bird numbers the past 3 years will likely need more than this year’s hatch to rebound.  For the whole state, I’ll go with average, with a few areas still below average.

Forest Grouse:  With the cold, wet spring –especially in the southern/central mountains- I anticipate the chick hatch to be below average.  However, I heard lots of drumming and hooting this spring.  We’ve also heard reports of large/good grouse broods in some areas this summer.  For the whole state, I’m going to predict slightly below average.

Sage Grouse and Sharp-tailed grouse:  With the cold, wet spring and the numbers on our annual counts, I’m going for below average this year.  On a positive note, there was definitely some chick success this year.  The limited draw tags are based on the spring lek counts and will insure hunting does not impact the population.

Gambel’s Quail:  Large fires a few years back ruined a lot of good quail habitat.  I expect spring rains in the southern area will produce a nice hatch and the numbers will be up from last year, but down from the numbers that were found before the large fires.  So, without factoring for habitat loss, I will say Gambel’s numbers should be above average.

California (Valley) Quail:  In much of the best valley quail areas, I believe the cold, wet spring has hurt numbers.  And numbers were already suppressed in some areas due to winterkill from past seasons.  But because they are persistent nesters, I’m sure some valley quail pulled off later broods, but they will be smaller in size; we’ve still noticing bumble-bee sized chicks in August!  Numbers have been down the past few years in huntable areas and I expect the numbers will be below average this year.  It is nice to see these birds flourishing in urban areas, and I hope that will translate into expanded range in rural areas as well.

Pheasants:  With late spring rains likely delaying the nesting/hatch into alfalfa harvest time, I’m guessing the hatch will be worse than normal.  In areas where the birds nested in grain fields, the chick hatch probably fared better.  I’m really not sure what average is in Utah anymore, as the pheasants dwindle rapidly due to loss of habitat, among other things.  I expect bird numbers will be below average.

Ptarmigan and all other upland species:  You’ll have to make your own guess; I don’t even know where to start.  Luckily most upland birds are persistent nesters, and all mother natures’ creatures are tough!

In conclusion, the outlook for upland game this year should be below average-to-fair, but improving, in most areas. Nesting success was fair overall for most upland birds, although preliminary reports show birds nested later this year. This means many of us will see young birds on opening day; try to give them a sporting chance and give them a little time to grow up. Shooting young birds on the ground can be a danger to other hunters and your bird dogs. Also, remember even with great hatches, this year will be a “recuperation” year in many areas, especially for Chukar Partridge & Sage Grouse.

While hunting around Upland Game Guzzlers and pit mines please use caution. These areas can be dangerous to hunters and their bird dogs. And hunting near Guzzlers in the early season can put undue stress on Chukar concentrations. Be a model for our hunting heritage and don’t take birds on the ground or near Guzzlers; teach your children the sporting methods of hunting upland game birds by being both safe and ethical.

We have a great upland year ahead of us, so enjoy your 2010 hunting season.

The UCWF

HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR THE UCWF!!!

Thanks to the gracious donations from Deseret Land & Livestock and a private donor, the UCWF will be auctioning off/selling three hunts for Sage/Forest Grouse.  Hunts include a one Day hunt for two persons.  You can use your own dogs.

2 hunts are on private land in Rich County, Utah (Rich County Sage Grouse tags required.)

1 hunt is on land in Box Elder County (Box Elder County Sage Grouse Tag required; includes 1 night cabin stay.)

The monies earned from these hunts will directly benefit upland game in Utah.

If you are interested in either of these two hunts please contact Travis Proctor at 435.623.1898 or via e-mail at travis.chukar@gmail.com

BANDED CHUKAR & SAGE GROUSE

ATTENTION ALL CHUKAR & SAGE GROUSE HUNTERS:

Utah has a very important Chukar and Guzzler study going on in Utah’s West Desert all the way from the Pony Express Trail in central Utah up to the Idaho border.   Also, Greater Sage Grouse are being studied with collars/telemetry to determine many survival factors.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

A major part of this study is putting unique colored bands on Chukar so that they can be photographed, and individually identified, at guzzlers.   Sage Grouse will be fitted with aluminum leg bands and/or telemetry collars.

You can help by recording band information and other data, and returning the bands, if you shoot a banded bird. Similarly, return transmitters with some additional data.

Finally, you would really be doing Utah Chukar populations and Chukar hunters a favor for the future - if you would leave the area if you start shooting banded/transmittered birds. The banded birds you don’t shoot for the next couple of years may result in greatly improved Chukar management practices in Utah.

Also, to minimize shooting banded/collared Sage Grouse NEVER shoot the first bird that comes up in a flock of grouse.  Preliminary studies indicate this “first bird flushed” may very well be an adult brood hen, detrimental to the population.

DATA NEEDED ON BANDED AND TRANSMITTER BIRDS:

1. Return the transmitter; it has the unique identifying number on it and the data can only be gathered via the transmitter.

2. For bands, please return the bands. We also need to know the color of the bands on the bird’s right leg and the bird’s left leg, starting from the bottom. (E.G.: Right leg: Red, then yellow. Left Leg: White, then blue). [Again, recording from the bottom of each leg and then up].  The number(s) are needed off Sage Grouse bands.

3. The date & time the bird was taken, the collector’s name and phone number, and GPS coordinates would be extremely helpful to the study. If you cannot do GPS coordinates, then a verbal description will do.

4. If you will call or email the following, we can arrange for pickup:

A. Dave Olsen, Upland Game Program Coordinator. 801.538.4786. davewolsen@utah.gov 

B. Randy Larsen, USU Graduate Student, Study Coordinator. 801.361.7692. randy.larsen@usu.edu

C. Dave Dahlgren, USU study coordinator. 435.881.1910. dkdbio@gmail.com