PICK OF THE WEEK: Snake River Chukar Hunting

The southeast corner of the state provides Washington scattergunners with their best chukar hunting, and many say winter is the top time to chase - literally - these masked bandits of the basalt. With a little snow on the ground, experts say, the birds move less and hold better for a dog. Corps of Engineers properties along both sides of the Snake River provide public access and good bird populations, according to state Fish and Wildlife Department spokesperson Madonna Luers in the Spokane office, and one of the largest properties is the 3,000-plus-acre Nisqually John management area, on the Whitman County side of the Snake, southwest of Colton and west of Uniontown.

Luers said early fall deer and elk survey flights saw a lot of birds on both sides of the river, but particularly on the Whitman County side. Chukar populations, and hunting, have generally been pretty good along the breaks of the Snake so far this season.

Go to www.wdfw.wa.gov, then click hunting, then get on the Go Hunt site and start exploring Whitman County.