Good Upland Game Bird Hunting Forecast for Southern Nevada

Upland game bird hunters in southern Nevada should enjoy fairly good quail and rabbit hunting while chukar hunting should be good in most areas of the state, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW).

“We had very good habitat conditions in the southern part of the state this year from winter through spring and this resulted in good production of young birds. On the downside, wild fires have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat and this will have a definite impact on hunting,” said Steve Kimble, NDOW supervising wildlife biologist.

Areas to the south of Las Vegas were relatively unscathed by fire, except for the Goodsprings area.

“Our water development crew spent some time working in the Searchlight area this summer and they report seeing good numbers of quail throughout that area. From Nelson down to the Davis Dam, they have seen birds around virtually all of the guzzlers they have checked,” Kimble said.

Kane Springs, the Mormon Mountains and Gold Butte have all suffered extensive damage from fires. Biologists say that some birds are still available in those areas, but the damage has been extensive and bird numbers have suffered as a result.

“With such extensive damage, we are asking hunters and ATV riders to stay off of the burns and stick to established roads,” said Kimble. “With the habitat being in such fragile condition, riding vehicles or ATVs on the land will only cause more damage and prevent it from recovering.”

Possibly the biggest news this year is the prediction from NDOW that chukar hunting should be good to very good in most of the traditional hunting areas. Particularly good hunting for chukar is in the northern part of the state.

NDOW said habitat conditions in Nevada’s backcountry were nearly ideal for chukar this year. Significant winter precipitation followed by timely spring rains and a warm, dry June have all provided the necessary ingredients to support egg laying and chick rearing this summer.

Late summer precipitation has supported the production of seeds and green forage and the emergence of insects that chukar chicks need for their development and the building of fat reserves for the coming winter. Most natural water sources are flowing well and all but a very few guzzlers have ample water.

Quail, chukar, rabbit and sage grouse seasons will open for hunting in most areas of the state on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Detailed information about chukar, quail and other small game hunting can be found online in the 2005 Upland and Migratory Game, Rabbit, and Furbearing Mammals Harvest Data and Population Status Reports. It, along with hunting season dates and regulations, can be obtained at www.ndow.org.