Chukar and habitat

[southernblues]

The guy I buy birds to run my pup on is really big on chukar. I gotta say that in addition to the excellent table fare, they have been a fun bird to hunt and train on.

He says he's had guys buy chukar chicks and actually release on land in North Central KS with success (success=those chicks released grow up to be hunted, don't know if they've done anything else years on). What type of habitat do these birds thrive in? I know they are indigenous to the mountain states but what makes them flourish? Do we get too much rain in KS for them to live?

 

[southernblues]

from wikipedia:

Chukar prefer rocky, steep, and open hillsides. In the United States, Oregon, Nevada and Idaho lead all other states in terms of feral chukar populations and harvest. However, they can be found in almost all the western states in isolated populations.
Chukars are common in the south of the island of Rhodes in Greece, their habitat coming fairly close to the sea, within a kilometer in fact.

 

[Uncle Buck]

High desert best describes it. There is actually a season in SD, possibly because many get realeased, tho I have heard there is a self sustaining flock somewhere in Butte County.
When I had 40 acres, we held NAVHDA training sessions and shoots there. Sometimes the chuks that survived would hang in my trees a while, then disappear. I saw a couple down below me on the Sioux River arae once, but that was it.
________
Honda RC212V

 

[marsingbob]

Based on 50 years experience on wild chukar in Oregon, Nevada, Washington and Idaho, and only a few days in North Central Kansas here is my take:
1. Not nearly vertical enough. Chukar do not fly strongly and seem to need the vertical terrain. Even if they are on flat ground temporarily they will rarely be more than 100 yards from steep terrain.
2. Too much ground cover. Chukar need sparse ground cover. They are a sight oriented bird and do not hide in cover like quail or pheasant.
3. Maybe too much snow. Unlike pheasant or even quail chukar need good sized areas with little or no snow. This is usually wind swept steep southern slopes in times of snow. A foot of snow with no open slopes will kill a huge percentage of chukar in less than two weeks. One reason they like vertical country with 2 or 3000 feet of elevation change is that they will move to get to snow line.
4. No rocks. Something about shale slopes, rimrock and large areas of exposed rock seems to be required. They normally roost at the base of a large rocky outcropping on a steep slope.

Pen raised chukar are an entirely different bird. One reason trainers like pen raised chukar is that if you put one in cover, it seems confused and will "freeze" in place.

 

[jrice74]

My parents have raised chukars on elevated wire flight pens for over 20 years now. We are in SW mo and the escapee's don't last long here. Between hawks, owls, coons, and coyotes they don't have a chance to get sick. They are very susceptible to parasites and worms. That is why they are only native to rocky hilly land. So short answer is they may last a little while, until the predators get them.