By Jan Ehlert
BATTLE MOUNTAIN - The Lander County Convention and Tourism Authority hosted their 10th Annual Chukar Tournament and Feed on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the Battle Mountain Civic Center.
This has turned into a highly successful state-of-the-art event attracting hunters and their families from all over Nevada and the surrounding states. This year a total of 197 hunters registered for the tournament, plus an extra 45 dinner tickets were sold to guests of hunters.
By 5 p.m. all registered hunters had to be at the civic center checking in their birds harvested. The hunt for this upland game bird started at sunrise and ended at sunset. Hunters brought in bags of birds ranging from quantities of zero to six. The limit was 225 hunters, and there were 197 registered, which meant that there was a 1 in 197 chance of winning the 500EFI Polaris Ranger 4x4 UTV.
Last year a fellow hunter from Oakland, Calif. won the ATV. This year's lucky winner was Rob Anderson from Battle Mountain, and what a lucky hunter because this year the event upped the grand prize from an ATV to a UTV. Of the 197 hunters, 33 harvested six birds, three harvested five birds, 12 harvested four birds, 14 harvested three birds, 31 harvested two birds, 29 harvested one bird and 75 harvested no birds. A total of 394 birds were harvested.
The 33 hunters that harvested the limit of six birds each received a special 10th anniversary collector coin for their successful hunt.
It is possible to win a prize at this event whether a hunter harvested any of the quantities, each category had a random drawing prize. The civic center stage was full of tables of prizes including camping gear, hunting gear, dog training equipment, gun cleaning kits, ATV gear, flashlights, tool boxes, a gun case, guns and all kinds of great equipment for the outdoor sportsman or sportswoman. This event had approximately $20,000 worth of prizes, including the UTV.
While hunters were checking in with their harvest they mingled among the prizes, putting their lucky raffle tickets in the boxes where the items were that they might be interested in winning. It was a hunter's paradise seeing names such as Weatherby, Winchester, Remington, Browning and more. Along one wall of the room there were games such as leg keg, 50 for $20 drawing, card drawing, bird band drawing, a peg board game and spin the wheel. Guests could purchase a good-looking 10th anniversary tournament glass for $20 and drink from the keg all night. There were also some sharp-looking 10th anniversary tournament hats that all hunters received one of with their ticket, but guests could purchase one for $15.
There always has to be plenty of good, hardy food for a hungry hunter after a day of walking up and down hills and mountains trying to fill that limit of six birds. Dinner was prepared and served buffet style by Lander County Convention and Tourism at approximately 6 p.m. The menu for the evening consisted of bottomless shrimp cocktail, steak, baked potato, vegetables, green salad, rolls and a choice of several different kinds of desserts. At the back corner of the civic center there was a bar set up serving all kinds of beverages for young and old.
Emcee for the evening was Joe Doucette from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. He does a great job keeping the event moving efficiently and during every break he was sure to thank the guests, sponsors and all of the volunteers on behalf of the Lander County Convention and Tourism Authority. This event requires plenty of volunteers that take time to help make it so successful. The volunteers keep the buffet full, pick up dirty dishes, bring water and coffee to tables if asked, deliver prizes to guests, process paperwork for checking backgrounds of gun winners, set up the civic center and clean up after the event.
Lander County Convention and Tourism Authority members are: Tara Love, executive director; Cassandra Ramasco, assistant director; Becky Murphy, secretary; and board members Richard Ripley, Grady Pierce, Ray Salisbury, Philip Williams and Steve Stienmetz. After 10 years of hosting and organizing this event success is not in question.
Chukar hunting is a popular and challenging sport in Lander County. Hunters start planning for the following year when they will get together with friends and family to hunt and attend the banquet after the hunt. This year at the event the main complaint about the hunt was the temperature. Some hunters said it was 3 degrees when they got up at the higher elevations.
By the end of the evening everyone is sharing stories about the birds they missed, the birds they shot, the weather, their dogs, the hike and all kinds of hunting scenarios. At approximately 9 p.m. all the hunters were on their merry way with prizes in arms whether they got the birds or not.
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