Nothing More Serious Than Snowcock? (Part 2)
These suckers blend right in!
Here’s part 2 of a post on a bird we bet most upland hunters have never heard of, the Himalayan snowcock – several of which are running around high-altitude Nevada right now!
We begin with another electrifying quote from an account of Himalayan snowcock hunting that appeared in Sports Illustrated in November 1992, believe it or not:
> “A powerful electric hum, like that heard from a transformer, resonated in my ears. Snapping blue and white bolts of electricity arched up and down my gun. Sparks flew off my metal-rimmed glasses, and a jolt of juice strong enough to temporarily halt my breathing surged through my chest. The static made the screw-in chokes on my shotgun buzz like a Geiger counter. In a crouched run, we stumbled down the mountain, scared, yet exhilarated.”
Dang! We’re there! (Except for the lightning part.) Now how to fit this in….
More Info
Here’s more info on this bird from the bird folks at Cornell University:
> As a result of investigations to find additional species that could fill a niche in the state, the Himalayan snowcock…was selected as a bird that could fit into the high alpine meadow areas of some of Nevada’s mountain ranges, where there was a dearth of native upland game species. After many difficulties, the first Himalayan snowcock was brought into the United States in 1961, when the Nevada Division of Wildlife received 1 live bird, of 6 that had been purchased, from the Mir of Hunza, Pakistan.
> Subsequent importations resulted in the acquisition of a sufficient number of birds to make an initial release of 19 wild birds in the Ruby Mountains of northeastern Nevada in 1963 and to initiate a game farm propagation program. The breeding program produced enough birds for annual releases to be made during the period 1970–1979, and the species was established by the early 1980s.
From the Nevada Fish & Game upland site:
> “How high or far would you be willing to climb for the chance to hunt one of Nevada’s most challenging upland game birds? Would you be willing to climb to remote places where the air is thin and peaks rise over 10,000 feet? This is exactly what you’ll have to do if you want any chance of harvesting an exotic Himalayan snowcock.
> “In Nevada, the Himalayan snowcock is found only at the highest elevations in the Ruby Mountains southeast of Elko. A hardy bird, the snowcock lives at elevations around 10,000 feet, and is fond of steep, barren hillsides and boulder-strewn high-altitude meadows. They fly down-slope in the morning and feed uphill on seeds, grasses and insects as the day progresses.
> “The rough terrain in which these birds are found makes success difficult for the upland game hunter. Even bird watchers find spotting one of these elusive birds from a distance a rare feat.
> “The first open hunting season was held in 1980 with an initial bag and possession limit of a single bird. That has since increased to two. The very first hunting season was limited to just nine days but has since grown to 90 days due to the difficult terrain, and extreme challenges that the snowcock hunters face.”
This bird is on our bucket list!
– End of part 2 of 2 –
Category: Himalayan Snowcock, NV
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