Nevada Chukar: A $2,000 Sufferfest You'll Want to Repeat

You're 1,400 vertical feet above the truck, lungs burning, calves screaming, watching your dog lock up on a rocky shelf you're not sure is climbable. Somewhere up there, a chukar is chirping—taunting you from terrain that would give a mountain goat second thoughts.

Welcome to Nevada chukar hunting, where the birds always flush downhill, the mountains don't end, and the only thing more brutal than the terrain is your Garmin's elevation graph at the end of the day.

The old joke writes itself: "The first time you hunt chukar, it's for the birds. The second time, it's for revenge." What nobody tells you is that revenge costs about $2,000 per person for a proper DIY trip—and you'll pay it gladly, because nothing else in upland hunting comes close.

Why Nevada?

Nevada calls itself the "Chukar Capital of the Country," and it earns the title:

• 5.5 million acres of BLM land open to hunting
• Long seasons: Mid-October through January
• Liberal limits: 8 birds daily in most units
• No drawing required: Over-the-counter tags
• Real populations: Nevada holds more chukar than any other state

The birds live in the high desert ranges—the Ruby Mountains, the Santa Rosas, the Toiyabes—where steep, rocky canyons meet sagebrush flats. It's public land hunting at its finest, which means free access but hard-earned birds.

The Chukar Deal

Before we break down costs, understand what you're signing up for:

The terrain: Chukar live between 5,000 and 9,000 feet in the steepest, rockiest country they can find. You'll climb 1,500-3,000 vertical feet per outing. Repeatedly.

The birds: Chukar run uphill, flush downhill. You climb to them; they fly back to where you started. The covey you just shot at is now 600 feet below you. Want them? Start climbing again.

The weather: October mornings are crisp. December mornings are brutal. Snow is common. Wind is constant.

The experience: Type 2 fun—miserable in the moment, legendary in the retelling. Every chukar hunter has a story about collapsing behind a rock at 8,000 feet, questioning every life decision, then immediately planning the next trip.

The Trip: 5 Days in Elko County

Here's a realistic breakdown of what a 5-day, 3-person DIY chukar hunt costs. We're basing this on Elko as your hub—it's the gateway to the Ruby Mountains and has the infrastructure you need.

Licenses and Fees

Nevada makes this easy:

No drawings, no points, no waiting. Buy online before you go.

Getting There

Elko is remote. From most western cities, you're looking at a full day's drive:

Fuel costs (based on Denver round-trip, split 3 ways):

• Round trip: 1,440 miles
• Fuel economy: 18 mpg (truck loaded with dogs and gear)
• Gas price: $3.50/gallon
• Total fuel: ~$280
• Per person: $93

Add daily driving to hunting spots (20-40 miles/day):

• 5 days × 30 miles = 150 miles
• Additional fuel: ~$30
• Per person: $10

Lodging in Elko

Elko's got options—nothing fancy, but functional:

For three hunters, a VRBO with a kitchen often makes sense—you can cook, store game, and have space for dogs. Figure $700 total, split three ways:

Per person: $233

Most chukar hunters stay in town and drive to trailheads each morning. Dispersed camping is free on BLM land, but January chukar camps require serious cold-weather gear.

Food and Drink

You're burning 4,000+ calories a day climbing mountains. Eat accordingly.

The Star Hotel in Elko serves Basque family-style dinners for $30. It's a Nevada institution—go at least once.

Gear Attrition: The Hidden Chukar Tax

This is the expense nobody budgets for. Chukar country destroys gear:

Boots: The volcanic rock eats soles. A good pair of upland boots might last 2-3 seasons elsewhere. In Nevada, you'll see significant wear after one trip. Budget for either:

• Resoling after the trip: $100-150
• Replacement every 2-3 trips: Amortized at ~$75/trip

Dog boots: Not optional. Sharp rock shreds pads. Bring multiple sets and extras.

• Ruff Wear Grip Trex (set of 4): $90
• Expect to lose/destroy at least one: Budget $45/trip

Pants: Brush pants take a beating from sage and rock. Nothing catastrophic, but accelerated wear.

Miscellaneous: Torn gaiters, scraped gun stocks, cracked GPS screens. Chukar hunting is contact sport.

Realistic gear attrition per trip: $75-150

We'll budget $100/person for the "chukar tax."

Dog Expenses

Your dog is working harder than anywhere else in upland hunting. Plan accordingly:

If your dog gets hurt—and rocky terrain increases that risk—emergency vet care in Elko runs $150-400 for typical injuries. Have a plan and a credit card. For more on traveling with bird dogs, including splitting vet costs, check our dedicated guide.

Bird Processing

Nevada doesn't have the bird-cleaning infrastructure of South Dakota. Options:

DIY in the field: Free, but time-consuming. Breast them out at the truck.

DIY at lodging: If your VRBO has an outdoor cleaning station, full processing is doable.

Shipping home: If you're flying or need birds processed professionally, this gets complicated in Nevada. Most hunters handle it themselves.

Budget $0-25 for processing supplies (game bags, cooler ice).

The Full Damage Report

Here's what a 5-day Nevada chukar hunt actually costs:

Round it to $1,000 per person for a 5-day trip. For a group of three, that's $3,000 total.

But wait—that's the baseline. Here's what pushes it toward $2,000:

The Upgrade Path

A 7-day trip with flights, rental truck, and decent lodging easily hits $1,800-2,200 per person.

Splitting the Chukar Tab

Chukar trips have unique expense patterns:

The Vehicle Question: If one person drove their truck 720 miles from Denver, that's real wear and tear—not just gas money. Mileage reimbursement (IRS rate: $0.67/mile) would be $965 for the round trip alone. Most groups don't go that far, but compensating the driver beyond fuel cost is fair.

The Dog Contribution: If one hunter's dog found 80% of the birds, does that change the split? Usually no—you agreed to hunt together. But it's worth acknowledging.

The Gear Casualty: When Jake's boots blow out on day two and he needs to buy new ones in Elko, that's not a shared expense. Individual gear failures stay individual.

The Emergency Vet: Decide before the trip. If everyone's dog is working, a split makes sense. If one dog takes all the work and all the risk, maybe not.

These conversations are easier when you're tracking expenses in real-time. "I've got the gas, you grab dinner, we'll settle up later" works for a weekend—it falls apart over five days and $3,000.

Is It Worth It?

After reading this, you might wonder why anyone pays $1,000+ to suffer in the Nevada mountains.

Here's why:

The chukar themselves are just a gamebird—a plump, red-legged partridge that tastes great and flies fast. But chasing them requires something most hunting doesn't: genuine physical challenge. You can't buy your way past the mountain. You can't shortcut the vertical. Either you climb to the birds, or you don't get them.

At the top of some nameless ridge in the Ruby Mountains, dog on point, Elko a hazy smudge 4,000 feet below, you'll understand. The flush happens. The shot folds a bird. And for that moment, everything—the burning lungs, the shredded boots, the credit card bill waiting at home—becomes worth it.

Then the covey regroups 600 feet below you, and you start climbing again.

That's chukar hunting. Budget accordingly.

Planning to bring dogs on the trip? See Traveling with Bird Dogs for logistics, costs, and how to split dog-related expenses.

Plan the trip. Climb the mountains. Split the tab.

Start Tracking Your Trip