The very name of the chukar evokes the sound of its call and the ache in my legs at the end of the day.
Chuka-chuka-chuka.

Idaho’s Salmon River is called the River of No Return because, in the old days, once you rafted down it, there was no way to get back up. That was before there was a trail, before there were jet boats, before there chukar in the canyon.

We could hear them when we were away from the boat and the roar of the river. Yet there were a thousand feet to climb before we might hope to see a point and the flush. I had little doubt that we were the first people this year to walk this ridge with shotguns in hand.

Ingredients
4 quail, dressed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 pearl onions, skinned
3 cloves fresh garlic, skinned and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup tomato juice
8 cherry tomatoes
8 green beans, stemmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
8 snap peas

For Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups basil leaves, washed and dried
3 cloves garlic, skinned
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2 Wash the quail and dry them well. Season with salt and black pepper.
3 In a heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. When the butter stops bubbling, add the quail, breast side down, and cook about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Cook the other side until golden brown. Remove the quail from the pan and reserve.
4 Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic, pepper and zucchini to the pan. Stir the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and tomato juice and bring to a boil. Add the reserved quail to the pan. Cover and place into the oven. Cook for 25 minutes.
5 Add the cherry tomatoes, green beans and snap peas to the pan and return the pan to the oven and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes.
To make the pesto, place the basil, garlic and pine nuts into a food processor. Pulse until the basil begins to break down. With the motor running, add the olive oil and salt. Place the basil mixture into a small bowl. Fold in the Parmesan cheese. Reserve.
To serve, dive the vegetables among 4 plates. Place the birds on top of the vegetables. Serve with pesto on the side.

You know that feeling when everything is so perfect that your brain shuts down – stops thinking rational or coherent thoughts – and almost goes numb trying to focus all of its energy on processing and celebrating every sensory stimulation around you? That’s exactly what happens to me when I’m hunting birds in central Montana.