Although from time to time we stand on our doorstep at the Minam Store and hear chukars calling from the hill above, our guided chukar hunts beginning on the Wallowa River are primarily focused on the ten mile stretch of the Grande Ronde River above the Powatka Bridge takeout. As the Wallowa flows into the Grande Ronde and continues to descend north, its canyon opens and pine stands give way to the open grass slopes and rugged basalt rimrock that chukars love. That being said, there is plenty to do in the canyon before we reach that stretch. During the months of October and November the upper portion of the trip provides rafters with a beautiful backdrop of larches, alders, and cottonwoods turning golden and beginning to drop their leaves. Additionally, for people interested in combination guided hunting and fishing trips, both the Wallowa and Grande Ronde offer excellent trout fishing in the fall with the chance of hooking steelhead improving as winter approaches. If you'd rather focus soley on bird hunting, the canyon offers excellent ruffed grouse numbers in the riparian zone and ample dusky(blue) grouse hunting on the open timbered ridges and benches above.
Why book a river trip? This stretch of the Grande Ronde is a designated Wild and Scenic waterway and is within a roadless and trailess area. This limits access and insures the birds aren't overly pressured. Chukar hunting down the river helps prevent bumping elbows with other hunters or fighting for access to the best areas with hordes of other gunners. Our multi-day guided hunt trips have a minimum of 4 days. On these trips, hunters will have both the opportunity to hunt along the river as we move and hunt out of camp. For groups of 4 or more our trips are customizable, so if you would prefer to have a layover day at a certain camp that is an option as well.
For information on what you need to bring on a guided hunt visit our Chukar Hunting Overview page.
Deposit & Cancellation Policy:
50% down payment is required to book a trip with final payment due 30 days prior to launch. Deposits and final payments are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Effective July 25, 2020 All guests making reservations for multi-day trips are required to purchase CFAR (cancel for any reason) Travel Insurance to protect their investment and ours. We recommend purchasing your CFAR travel insurance through a company like AIG Travel Guard or Travelex. We cannot continue to invest money into equipment, guides, trip supplies, and food to give you the best river trip possible and then refund money when events cause you to cancel, or us to cancel for reasons that may be out of anyone's control. Covid-19 regulations and travel restrictions are everchanging and purchasing CFAR travel insurance will protect your investment. We cannot give cash refunds for any reason whatsoever. We cannot make exceptions due to medical or family emergencies, weather conditions, travel restrictions imposed by local, state, or federal agencies. CFAR travel insurance protects your investment whether you cancel for any reason or we are unable to perform the trip. Most insurance companies require trip insurance to be purchased within a couple weeks of making your deposit so do not put it off.