| Chukars that were released last Friday in Carbon County quickly scattered across the countryside. |
The Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) released about 800 chukar partridges in Carbon and Emery counties last Friday, immediately before the beginning of the chukar hunting season which opened on Sept. 17.
The DWR purchased these chukars, which were raised at a private game bird farm in Nephi. Chukars were released into prime chukar habitat at five different sites in the hope that hunters would find good hunting on the opening weekend and thereafter.
Carbon County release sites included Pinnacle Canyon west of Price and Farnum east of Wellington. Despite the large numbers at release sites, birds scattered quickly.
The following day, hunters reported seeing birds and getting shots, but sightings and shooting only accounted for a small percentage of the birds released. Many of the released birds remain out in the wild for hunters willing to go out and get them. The season is about four and a half months long, and ends on January 31, 2006. The bag limit is five birds.