Bird seasons are over and done with in these parts, and it just dawned on me that I didn’t take my shotgun out all year. For shame! Really, the bird population was in distress this year - pheasants are usually plentiful in our part of the country, but this year they were down. The other big time upland game bird around here is the Chukar, and, again, there were not many of them around, either. Folks who visit the area every year specifically for bird hunting spoke of how disappointed they were in this year’s birds. There are plenty of theories - from a dry spring that killed the early hatch, to predators that have become rampant. Both of these are valid points, and my guess is that it took many things to line up just right - or just wrong - to make this bird haven barren. Thus far, we’re having a fine winter (well, I don’t like the snow, personally, but I suppose it is necessary). The healthy birds should survive this winter - not too hard, but definitely not dry, either - and next springs’ hatch should have plenty of water and plant growth to return the numbers to what we’re used to. Maybe next fall and winter I can bring out the ol’ shotgun and make it bark. Till, then I’ll be readying for this year’s Spring hunts.

• Ouch
• Spring is For Turkeys
• Bound and Determined
• A Sad Week
• Blues

January 30, 2008 | Add a comment | Random Fodder | By Tom Sorenson

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