Chukar Season Delayed

Hunting

Washington’s early hunting season for chukar and Hungarian partridge isn’t quite so early this year.

For the first time, partridge hunting will open Oct. 1 statewide.

In past years, an early partridge season was scheduled to open on the third weekend of September only in the southeastern corner of the state. Partridge hunting in the rest of the state was opened with the general upland bird, waterfowl and deer hunting seasons on the second weekend of October.

The Oct. 1 opener was a compromise for rules simplification, said Madonna Luers, Fish and Wildlife Department spokeswoman.

“We’ve learned the birds can take the pressure of earlier hunting,” she said, adding that there was hesitancy in the agency to unleash partridge hunters throughout Eastern Washington in mid-September.

Results of aerial partridge population surveys should be available this week, she said. , DataTimes