The Lahontan Valley Bird Dog Club will debut its new Stillwater grounds this weekend when it hosts the Fall Chukar Championship, Sept. 20 to 21. The event is expected to draw more than 100 competitors from Utah, Idaho, California, and across Nevada.
The club, now in its 18th year, secured 200 acres in Stillwater last year from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service after losing its long-term lease for land south of the Navy base. Club secretary Chip Bunker said they eyed the Stillwater property once but the price tag was too steep. After a generous sponsor stepped up, the club made an offer which the USFWS accepted.
Because the USFWS stripped the water rights from the Stillwater property, the club transferred its small county water allotment to support habitat restoration. Volunteers have cleared and reseeded about 60 acres with native plants and grasses, built a bird pen, improved irrigation, and hauled gravel from a nearby BLM gravel pit for roads and parking.
The club received a special use permit from the county planning department, and a hunting preserve permit from the Nevada Department of Wildlife. President Walt Goodman and Bunker have spent countless hours clearing brush, spreading seed, and managing irrigation schedules.
Bunker said roughly 80 percent of this weekend’s competitors will come from out of town. Many will spend three to four days in town, staying at hotels, dining in restaurants, and fueling up their vehicles. Springer Spaniel events draw an even higher share of visitors—nearly all from out of town.
In April, the club received a $2,500 grant from the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority (FCTA). In its application, the group noted it is being considered to host the Western National Bird Dog Challenge event, and they have historically leased their grounds to other bird dog clubs from California who have been forced off their training grounds.
For more information, visit the Lahontan Valley Bird Dog Club – LVBDC Facebook page.
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