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I get to babysit a friends Lab for a week while he goes off to Nevada to some mountain range(Ruby?), to hunt Hungarian (Himalayan?) Snow Partridge, I guess also called Snowcocks?

He was told it was about the size of a hen turkey, flies like a grouse???

Supposedly started with birds from Asia in the 50's, population guessed at 1500 now?

I had never heard of it before, he said they live in the mountains at up to 10K feet---bet he is one tired puppy when he gets back.

TT

I've never heard of it either, but what goes to Nevada, stays in Nevada. You may want to get checked for Colon Cancer as someone was blowing smoke up your kiester.

Actually, here is some sites: http://www.geocities.com/bilnv/himalayan/snowcock.html
http://homepage.smc.edu/bland_jim/Research_snowcock.htm

Best of luck to your buddy, last I heard well under 50 are taken per year due to the terrain and low population numbers. I think Nevada is the only place in the world they can still be legally hunted as they are considered threaten or endangered in their native lands. Many more chachalaca are taken in Texas than snowcocks.

Yes, I had done a bit of searching for data/stories regarding the snowcock. Personally, I have had my limit of turd-hunts for this lifetime---I don't plan on going on one intentionally

Apparently this is a guided hunt, I hope the guide has indeed seen one in his life I got a little nervous for him when I read the only mounted exhibits known, were from pen raised birds.

I first questioned why he wasn't taking Duce with him, I'm glad now he isn't. Though a breed bred tough for that environment, and knowing what to do would/should be quite an aid.

TT

Sounds like some lonely himalayan dude is wantin some company. Was he specific in his "mounting" detail

Uhhhhh...isn't a Himalyan Snow---- the "appendage" of a male Yeti (See:Abominable Snowperson)?
Now why would you wanna hunt...ohhhhhhh....from San Francisco, are ya? LOL
Sorry, couldn't pass this one up.
Lancer6

Some success, my friend came in tonite all tired and beat, not him but his hunting buddy got one. They saw three during the ordeal and had only one shot at this one.

He said they were glassing some mountain goats across towards another peak, and saw these heads bobbing up an down, circled around so the goats would move out without disturbing the fowl beasts and got lucky.

Problem is, the bird fell 900 feet straight down after being hit, took two hours to get to him, then 3 1/2 hours to get back. I asked if it was damaged too bad to mount, he said he thought with some color pics that the people were sending from Nevada that they could put him back together, but he was bunged up pretty well.

He also said, it is the rarest feathered creature to hunt in the Western Hemisphere, was bigger than he expected and sounded just like an old time siren when the bird took off in flight---squaking of sorts. They are already planning to go back ASAP. He started naming off all the critters they saw while there---mountain goats/ some sheep I don't remember what/grouse/quail/partridge/eagles and on and on. They hunted some of the upland birds, but I don't know how they did.

He is supposed to get me some pics, I will post them when available.

TT

Thanks for the update. Your buddy had pretty much the experiences I've heard about. I hope to try it sometime but there are too many other (make that easier) birds I haven't chased yet so they are on hold for a little bit. Looking forward to the pics if you can get them on line.