Outdoors with Don Q: Carson Valley Chukar Club fundraiser

Saturday evening, March 3, will be the date of my all-time favorite fundraiser: The highly-popular and fun-filled, Carson Valley Chukar Club fund raiser, which will be held as usual at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
This year’s version will be its 26th fundraiser.

Chukar:
If you are new to this area, about now you are probably wondering what in the world is something called a "Chukar?"
Well, Chukar is Nevada's most popular upland game bird, bar none. If you don’t believe so, just ask any serious bird hunter. The Chukar is physically larger than a quail and smaller than a pheasant.
It has distinctive markings around its eyes that make the bird look as if it is wearing a bandit's mask. It also has dark bar markings across its chest. Most importantly, if you are successful in your Chukar hunt, they make an unforgettable, tasty entree for a superb, gourmet, wild game dinner.

Special Note:
Before I go any further, please be advised that Don Q does not hunt Chukar. I do not hunt something that can run, can fly and is smarter than me. That is a losing cause right from the get-go. I might be ugly but I'm not dumb.
Being sneaky, I just wait for one of my bird-hunting friends to be successful and then hope to be invited to his house for a Chukar dinner. Geez, how can I go wrong: I get to enjoy a great, gourmet dinner with no effort on my part.

Douglas County Fairgrounds:
To reach the Fairgrounds, drive south out of Gardnerville on U.S. 395 to the traffic light at the intersection of U.S. 395 and Pinenut Road. That is where the four-lane section of the highway ends and there is a 7-11 convenience store on your right-hand side.
At that intersection, turn left onto Pinenut Road, and drive for about three miles to the large metal building on your right-hand side. That is the main building for the Douglas County Fairgrounds and it is also the location of the annual fund raiser. If in doubt, just look for all the parked cars and pickup trucks in the large parking area. You can't miss it.

Go early:
If you are attending for the first time, remember this important piece of advice: Go early, if you want to sit anywhere near the front of the huge crowd (about 600-700 people) that will be attending the fund raiser.
If you are late, you will end up either sitting in the bleacher section along the far wall or standing in a large crowd of attendees at the back of the room. Don't say that you weren't warned.
The doors open at 5 p.m. and I highly recommend that you be standing in that long waiting line, well before the 5 p.m. opener to get a seat.

Attendance:
The cost to attend is $30 per person, which includes a one-year membership in the Carson Valley Chukar Club.
Youths and smoking restrictions:
There is a minimum age of 16 to attend.
Youngsters under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Smoking inside is prohibited due to the Nevada Clean In-Door Air Act.

Once you’re inside:
Visit with old friends, make new friends, wander around, look at all of the raffle prize packages, drool over all of the auction items, admire the framed prints and firearms, buy your raffle tickets and have your favorite beverage.
Then, enjoy the fund raiser's traditional, all-you-can-eat, barbecued Tri-Tip steak sandwiches on large hard rolls with homemade beans and salad. The evening’s fund raising raffle and auction program will begin at 7 p.m.

Where the fundraiser money has gone:
First and most importantly, all of the monies that are raised stay in Nevada. In 2011, the Carson Valley Chukar Club funded:
— Habitat improvement projects in the Buckskin Range, China Camp, Indian Valley, Spring Meadows and Desatoya Range: the project was to remove Pinon and Juniper trees for better food growth for wildlife.
— Upland game plots to introduce Pheasants at the Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area near Yerington.
— Trapping and transplanting wild sheep in Northwest Nevada.
— Receivers and transmitters for tracking wildlife.
— Mountain lion research in the State of Nevada sponsored by the University of Nevada-Reno.
— Two fishing pond developments for youths.
— Continued support for the Carson Valley Kids Fishing Derby and Nevada Hunter Safety Programs.

If you would like to donate to a great cause:
If you would like to donate either money or items, please contact either Ron Pierini at (775) 782-9903 or at (775) 783-0602 or Todd Wilcks at (775) 690-3853.

Finally:
When you attend the fundraiser, be sure to take the time to visit with Pierini (the Master of Ceremonies) and all of the gang working at the sign-in tables, bar, barbecue and food areas. Tell them "Thanks" for a job well done for a very worth-while cause. They are a great group of hard working individuals.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you how many raffle prizes I have won through the previous 25 years of this fundraiser.
If he grins, takes a deep breath and says, "Don has attended every one of the previous fund raisers, except for the year he was in Southeast Asia and the last two years when he was in Southern California. In all those years, he has never won a single raffle prize," he could be one of the many guys who always laugh and poke fun at me for my miserable lack of luck.
And, yes, before you ask, I buy a whole bunch of tickets. Honest, I do!

— Carson City resident Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com