This past week I was able to help install one of many guzzlers that are being placed to help the local chukar populations. It was a fun project with a great bunch of guys who all volunteered their time. This guzzler was funded in part by the Utah Chukar and Wildlife Foundation that does a lot to improve habitat for Chukar Partridge in Utah. The guzzlers are placed in key locations to gather rainfall and store it in an underground tank so the birds will have access to water during dry spells. The tank has a small opening on one side with a ramp leading down into the water. We are hoping to see improved chukar numbers as a result of these efforts. Barbed wire is placed on the perimeter to keep cattle and big game from using the sites. The sites are so remote that a helicopter had to air drop the building materials.

We have been having a great time using the new quail recall pens to train young bird dogs. This young german shorthair went nuts the first time we ran her on the bobwhite quail. She chased and chased until she figured out that she was never gonna catch them. After a few days of chasing birds she settled down and started pointing them. Luna learned pretty quickly that creeping is not okay on covey birds because you never know when a single is gonna bust out of the brush at your feet. We don’t give many commands while working these young dogs on quail. We just let the bobwhite quail train the bird dogs and they seem to get the hang of it. This is definitely a great way to accelerate the learning process. The best part is the birds call back to the pen and you can do it all again the next day, and the next…

I love to see these guys watching out for the safety of the covey. Reminds me of how it takes good neighbors and friends to help raise your kids and keep an eye on them. This little covey of valley quail has been living and multiplying on the farm property where I guide pheasant hunters. We don’t hunt them but we love to have them around. For nearly a decade this covey has been growing and propagating successfully in the river bottoms and foothills near the pheasant farm.