BY JIM NIEMIEC
WON Staff Writer
RED MOUINTAIN – Upland game bird hunters are hopeful that his coming season will offer up good bird hunting for chukar, quail and pheasant. There are some concerns being voiced about the predicted El Nino weather, especially for the winter months. Helped by winter rain and cool spring weather the hatch of upland game birds appears to be healthy.
Western Outdoor News contacted a very reliable source for chukar information in the high desert region, by way of a wildlife biologist who lives on a small ranch along Hwy. 395, in the rural town of Red Mountain. (This source asked not to be identified.)
The report is as follows: “This year’s chukar hatch is looking very good thanks to all the rain the high desert received this winter. Currently, chukar are fledging and learning to fly. It appears that there are as many coveys around the Johannesburg, Randsburg, Red Mountain and to the east of Hwy. 395 towards Trona regions, as there was last year. So, I would expect chukar hunting to be as good as it was last year, and maybe even a little better.”
This biologist then went on to add, “The heavy winter rain in December, followed by more heavy desert rain in January, wiped out a stretch of Hwy. 395, just north of Johannesburg. The rains flooded the desert and wiped out many of the BLM roads, and today, some to the desert roads are impassible even by ATV’s, as most of the soil has been washed away and these roads are now extremely rocky. There are also some trails that have been closed to recreational use by the BLM.”
This WON Sr. Hunting Writer would think that chukar hunting could be pretty good, especially if summer rains continue to hammer the high desert and provide bugs, grass and water for newly hatched chicks. No word has yet to be passed on to this writer about the chukar hatch in the Ord Mountains and Lucerne Valley, but it should be similar to last years production. Here again, there is some caution and concern as to what El Nino weather might bring in the way of severe fooding to the desert regions.
A good report on the status of valley quail for Baja Norte was filed with WON by Gregg Shobe, U.S. Representative for Rancho El Coyote Meling, 619-390-0905, based in San Telmo Valley.
“I have talked to the Meling’s about quail hunting prospects a couple times recently, and they are providing positive evidence of a least one hatch this year (already) and possibly a second hatch in some areas. The early rains this last fall and early winter helped “kick” the reproduction cycle, and there were already some nests with eggs in late January and early February. Guide Loyd Meling stated that there were young birds running and starting to fly in April,” said Shobe.
Shobe went on to add, “Some of the older groups of birds will have new bird numbers and there will probably be some good larger coveys around San Telmo Valley. We are encouraging our clients to start thinking about booking hunts for this fall and early winter.”
Master guide/outfitter Carlos Mancilla, owner of Mancilla Hunting, based out of Mexicali filed the following very optimistic upland game report.
“California Valley quail numbers are excellent. The hatch looks very strong and there appears to be a good carry-over of adult birds, that should make for exciting gunning. We offer a quail hunting package that provides for an excellent hunting adventure. Our hunts are offered for two days and include: food, drinks and room, transportation in the field, bird possessing and bird boys. Rental shotguns are available and ammo for sales. This hunt takes place in the Ojos Negros Valley near Ensenada on private ranches” said Mancilla.
Mancilla went on to state, “There is a strong population of pheasant in the Mexicali Valley and this year’s hatch should produce good numbers of young ringnecks come opening weekend of October 17. Hunters stay at our lodge and push pheasant in cotton, milo and Sudan grass fields.” said Mancilla.
