The elusive and secretive Chukar is doing very well in Utah.  Chukar were introduced to Utah as an upland game bird that would thrive in an arid condition.  Drought conditions over the last 40 years in the west have hindered their growth numbers, but there are enough Chukar to have a legal hunting season for them.  With their bright colors and stripes mounted on a gray-feathered base, Chukar become invisible in the rocky, dry country they live in.

       The hunt for Chukar is a lesson in frustration. These wily birds will run on the ground going to the top of the hill...then sail off leaving a tired, but much wiser hunter to contemplate that on his next uphill climb, going after a Chukar, he will leave the heavy shotgun and shells behind.

       If you are not a hunter, and would like to see one of these beautiful game birds, go the Kodachrome State Park where they are protected.  These elusive, chicken-sized birds act like flocks of tame, home-grown domestic fowl. They are seen everywhere. The State Park has feeders available, and for a few cents you can feed a whole flock of Chukar.  This is a far cry from the wild flocks throughout Utah which are seldom seen.

        The trip to Kodachrome offers magnificent scenery and sandstone spires that look like huge chimneys. Geologists believe the landscape was similar to Yellowstone with hot springs and geysers that eventually filled with sediment and solidified.  Then the sandstone surrounding the solidified geysers eroded over time and left 67 large sand pipes. All this in a remote location. Only nine miles from Cannonville, Kodachrome is open year-found. Fourteen camp sights for the brave, and cabins for the not-so-brave. For reservations, call 435 679-8562. Hiking, biking, photography, and Chukar! For more Chukar information, call 435 673-0996.

    The Chukar picture is computer-generated art from a photo.