Chukar season
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Thousands of Nevada hunters are getting excited as the hunting season draws near for the state's most popular game bird: the chukar (chuck-ur).
Nevada Department of Wildlife officials say the 2009-10 chukar season should be good for most of the state partly because of a wet spring that led to higher chick production.
About 12,000 hunters are expected to take part in the hunt for the bird from Oct. 10 through Feb. 7.
N-DOW officials say chukar hunting provides a boost to rural Nevada's economy and helps fill a void for hunters unable to draw big-game tags.
The first hunt for the bird in Nevada took place in 1947, 12 years after it was introduced in the state. The bird originated in the rugged uplands of the Middle East.