Dave Mauk in his element hunting chukar.
On March 1, the Carson Valley Chukar Club honored Minden native Dave Mauk with the 2025 Carson Valley Chukar Club Legacy Award at its 39th annual fundraiser.
“The event was an amazing success with over 80 raffle prizes, door prizes, special raffles and 42 auction items,” said organizer Stacy Trivitt
Born in the basement of the Minden Inn in 1947, Mauk said he considers himself an endangered species.
He attended a trade school in Portland, Ore. for dental technicians and came back to Carson Valley and started his own business, which he owned and operated for many years.
He married wife Brenda in 1972 and they raised two children, Mitch and Mishon, here in the Valley.
“Brenda is an artist and has supported the Chukar Club for many years by donating her coveted, one-of-kind original artwork,” Trivitt said. “This year her painting sold for $9,000 at the auction.”
Mitch and Mishon Mauk are accomplished chukar hunters in their own right as they carry on the family legacy and their father is still successfully hunting chukar to this day.
Mauk was a volunteer for more than 20 years for the Douglas County Engine Co., rising to the rank of captain.
He also volunteered for the Carson Valley Active 20-30 club for more than 30 years.
“Dave was also known as having the fastest cars in the Carson Valley,” Trivitt said. “Dave recalls being contacted by the Sheriff’s office whenever they purchased a new squad car so they could test their car against Dave’s.”
Mauk’s love for the outdoors started at the age 4 when his step-dad took him fishing. This was the beginning of a lifetime hunting and fishing in Nevada. He learned to handle a horse and one of his favorite things to do was to head into the Arc Dome Wilderness with his horses.
“He has successfully harvested a lot of trophy big game animals in Nevada and helped many others do so as well,” Trivitt said. “One of last year’s Legacy Award winners, Steve Erb, introduced Dave to chukar hunting and Dave, in turn, has mentored countless others.”
Longtime Chukar Club President Steve Nalder said he started hunting with Mauk in his teens.
“If there was a Mt. Rushmore for Chukar Hunting, Dave Mauk would be a part of it,” Trivitt said. “He is known for his uncanny ability to find chukar and put them in the bag.
When asked why he became so obsessed with chukar hunting, Mauk didn’t hesitate to answer “It’s the dogs. Guys didn’t brag about their shooting, we bragged about our dogs. It was all about the dogs.”
Mauk remembers when the club was started by a group of guys one night at the French.
“Legend has it they threw some money into a hat and they were off and running,” Trivitt said. “Dave was elected the very first President of the Carson Valley Chukar Club. At that time a lot of the money went towards raising chukar and releasing them. Dave helped construct small game guzzlers and was instrumental in the club installing guzzlers throughout the state for the benefit of chukar.”
After Mauk’s tenure as president was over he continued in preparing the food for the dinner. The club used to prepare the food at his house before the dinner and to this day he continues to be an integral part of our barbecue crew.
“We have Dave to thank for the perfectly barbecued tri-tip each and every year,” Trivitt said.
For his involvement in the formation of the Carson Valley Chukar Club, the mentoring of future chukar hunters and his constant encouragement of our youth in the outdoors, the Board of Directors presented Dave with a Legacy Belt Buckle and Certificate to commemorate his dedication to Nevada wildlife.