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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Sun Sep 08, 2019 8:57 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Well folks, I admit that I have been absent for a while again. Things got a tad busy and then I went off to hunt Himalayan snowcock on the opener for three days with a friend from Michigan. The opener was not really my first choice but it was a schedule opening that my friend could plan on well in advance.

The weather is honestly too hot up there and the bugs are still out (unlike here in Wyoming where the skeeters died at high elevation a month go). That added a lot of wear and tear on us. My buddy had troubles with the thin air and then on day two something let loose in his back, not cool. Three days of hunting produced no snowcock in hand but I did let Rusty hunt up some blue grouse and I found and patterned a number of snowcock.

Friends from Reno (the ones from the Project Upland video) were up there too and they scored four snowcock in two days and we compared notes. Travis has a good article about this year's adventure being submitted to Gun Dog right now. He is using one of my photos and I got to proof read/ preview the story. Not sure when it will print.

Upon returning to Wyoming a sudden change in schedule allowed me to turn right around and head back a day later. Armed with what I learned and what the other three learned, I was excited to get back on task. Traveling alone with Rusty this time, I just slept in the back of my truck. The next morning, Rusty and I embarked on an average day: 14 hours of hiking and climbing, round trip. Our results were far from average though. I put up 21 birds and harvest two birds from separate coveys. It was a jubilant experience.

I confess to committing the sin of using a 12 ga. after having trouble getting in range on the opener. I did however, flat out miss one with the Fox 16 at 50 yards on day two. Ironically, I killed my birds at under 35 yards yesterday. I will going back to experience midseason hunting, something between the extremes of swearing at mosquitos and slipping along over an ice encrusted earth. A 16 ga. will get the job done when that time comes.

These birds are typically a spot and stalk quarry but I admit that I have yet to have any luck that way, even though I used the Nightforce NXS tactical scope from my professional fur gun instead of Minox binoculars this year. These birds blend in so well. I could see the paws on rock chucks at nearly 1/2 mile but couldn't spot a snowcock after seeing it land 400 yards away. if they are in the rocks and don't move, you don't see them.

I ended up listening for their calls then stalked birds by sneaking from one "objective" to the next, remaining out of sight. Hunting like a bobcat takes a lot of patience. Asking Rusty to stay at heel the whole time requires a lot of his patience too. He proved valuable again by finding bird number two when it fell out of sight. I wasn't sure I had hit the bird since it passed behind a tree just as I shot. Rusty trotted right out, turned on the wind and beelined straight to the bird. Good boy, good boy indeed. Tomorrow he gets to take it easy and hunt blue grouse on the mountain above Mom's house.
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Last edited by WyoChukar on Mon Sep 09, 2019 7:59 am; edited 1 time in total

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MSM2019
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 3:56 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Mar 2019
Posts: 1819
Location: Central ND

Beautiful and fantastic!!

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skeettx
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 4:49 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 15 Apr 2007
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Location: Amarillo, Texas

With bugs and altitude, I would have hurt my back just betting out
of the truck Smile

Well done, well done !!

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 6:25 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Gentlemen,

Great pictures of WyoChukar with the birds and Rusty, I do not think I will be able to join him on one of his incredible snowcock hunts any longer, this open heart surgery has really taken the incredible strength out of my body. Congrats to him again on a great adventure and hunt. You got to love his stories and the great pictures.


Pine Creek/Dave
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Riflemeister
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 6:41 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 1111

You da man! That adventure wears me out just reading about it. Interesting gun in the one picture with that European style carving instead of checkering. Looks kinda Bavarian. Would you share a bit on it's origin and history?

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:11 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Here is what I know about the gun. It started out as a 1906 Lefever DS model, the bottom of the line gun. 2 3/4" chambers, which were actually offered at the time. It either came with optional ejectors or they were added later. At some point in its history the gun was sent or taken to Germany where Garhart and Albert Reich engraved and restocked/ carved it. I do not know which one was the engraver and which one was the woodsmith. The work bears the name of their shop and I was able to look that up online.

It came to me rather by chance. I called a man in a remote corner of Montana about a Parker 10 a few years ago. He told me the reserve on that gun and it was out of my reach. In our conversation he mentioned this gun. When he told me of the engraving and that the action flat was marked "DS". I replied that it sounded like a custom job and asked for some photos. The asking price was very reasonable and when I saw the photos, I bought the gun.

When the gun arrived I discovered some very serious internal issues with mismatched parts and the gun would even fire on "safe". Considering what I paid, I was not sending it back. I put 4 1/2 hours worth of tedious and careful hand work into those mismatched parts to resolve the problems. I then removed the high monte carlo comb and fit the stock to my face. Recently I refinished the stocks since the ugly red lacquer was hiding some nice wood figure. It already has a few scratches from this hunt. Oh well, I can rub in a little more finish and I consider those blemishes to be scratches of honor under the circumstances.

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putz463
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 9:30 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Oct 2007
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Location: West MI

Wow, great hunt and memory's.

Now to decide which be; Wyochuckar or Skeettx when I grow up?? Very Happy

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 10:26 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Apr 2007
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Location: The Great Northwet

If you ever want someone to tag along, I would love to try this. Wouldn't be too long a drive from Oregon.

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wj jeffery 16
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 12:23 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 18 Aug 2010
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Location: Ballymoney Northern Ireland

Well done wyo , you are becoming a real expert at this , so grateful to hear about your hunts , cool gun and nice history on it and glad you're adding some more history to it . That first photo shows how well camouflaged the birds are , you can hardly see it against the rocks .
The dream team Wyo and Uncle Dan Fan , Snowcock look out .
Thanks for taking us along on your hunt and all the best WJ.
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Gran16
PostPosted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 1:54 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 08 Mar 2016
Posts: 120
Location: South Dakota

What an adventure, been looking forward to reading about your adventures this year. Any other big plans this season besides going back after theses unique birds?
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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 7:02 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Putz, don't ever grow up! If you do, this stuff won't be as fun anymore.

Future adventures? Not sure, but ptarmigan are something I have always wanted to hunt. There are birds in Colorado and Utah. I will be researching the Utah option in the next several days. It's a short drive, I might just go.

Mark, I am going back mid season, but not sure when yet.

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Aurelio Corso
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 7:36 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 08 May 2018
Posts: 196

Thanks for the adventure and the old SxS is stunning.
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Dave in Maine
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 7:42 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 12 Sep 2010
Posts: 1972
Location: Maine

Well done!

I take it Rusty did not drop the birds over the edge this time, and maybe you got a mountable specimen to befuddle visitors?

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Chicago
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 12:47 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Northern Illinois

Wyo, once again thanks for taking us along on one of your hunts. Glad you are able to keep returning for the Snowcock. I didn’t know we had ptarmagin in the lower 48 and enjoy that if you go.

Good Hunting,
Mike
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Purple16
PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 5:24 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Jan 2019
Posts: 283
Location: Idaho & South Dakota

Great report of hunt and photos!

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