Greater Sage Grouse Counts Tick Up Westwide

[Ben Lamb]

Not a bad headline. Tons of work left to be done, but this is encouraging.

If you plan on hunting Wyoming, G&F is asking for blood samples to look for WNV antibodies. I know MT has wing barrels to collect data. Any other states collect data on harvested birds?

Getting itchy for long walks in the sage!

Greater sage grouse counts tick up West-wide - WyoFile

Although experts caution that one year’s figures do not represent a trend, Wyoming sees a “leveling out” after three years of declining numbers.

www.wyofile.com

Spring counts of strutting male greater sage grouse increased slightly this year across their western strongholds, possibly indicating the end of a three-year decline.

Wildlife officials in Idaho, Montana and Oregon reported small increases seen on breeding-ground leks this spring. Wyoming reported a small drop of 0.3 birds per lek — a 1.5% decline — which Game and Fish officials said indicates a “leveling out” of a three-year slide in the Equality State.

The annual count of strutting males suggests the status of the overall population, said Leslie Schreiber, Wyoming Game and Fish’s sage grouse and sagebrush biologist.

 

[Schaaf]

I flushed 3 hens on my bike ride yesterday and the evening before I was out driving a gravel road with the kiddos where we flushed 16 in an area I've only seen Sage Grouse once before. Made me feel all fuzzy inside.

Little man said they looked like flying basketballs.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Little man said they looked like flying basketballs.

Did you tell him how you missed that big old male bomber?

 

[Schaaf]

That story was left out.

The mainstream media won't tell you this but hitting a beach ball from fifteen feet away is the hardest shot to make.

 

[TheTone]

Idaho does wing barrels and typically a few check stations in popular areas

 

[Ben Lamb]

That story was left out.

The mainstream media won't tell you this but hitting a beach ball from fifteen feet away is the hardest shot to make.

Especially when you almost step on the danged things. Scares the bejeebus out of you.

Thanks @TheTone!

 

[406LIFE]

My interest in sage grouse was aroused a handful of years ago when they were almost listed. I figured I'd better try to get one before I couldn't anymore. I drug my poor lab through 30 miles of sage over two days and never got into them. They are a truly incredible and iconic species that outside of the bird world doesn't get much press. I am hopeful we will this trend upward; and possibly prairie chickens as well. Noppadol Patching has a book, Save The Last Dance, that is really engaging about these upland birds.

 

[MTLabrador]

There are wing barrels in Wyoming as well. Glad to see some good news for a change.

 

[Ben Lamb]

My interest in sage grouse was aroused a handful of years ago when they were almost listed. I figured I'd better try to get one before I couldn't anymore. I drug my poor lab through 30 miles of sage over two days and never got into them. They are a truly incredible and iconic species that outside of the bird world doesn't get much press. I am hopeful we will this trend upward; and possibly prairie chickens as well. Noppadol Patching has a book, Save The Last Dance, that is really engaging about these upland birds.

Here's a tip to find sage grouse: Walk all damned day, get bone-tired, have a beer at the truck then break everything down & load up. They'll flush at the last gate as you head back to camp. Works. Every. Time.

I'll pick up the book, sounds good. These birds, along with sharpies, etc, are really in need of serious conservation. It's unfortunate that we've been piece-mealing this, then having to fight the administration on top of it.

 

[JLS]

The mainstream media won't tell you this but hitting a beach ball from fifteen feet away is the hardest shot to make.

Ted would concur with this assessment.

 

[406LIFE]

Here's a tip to find sage grouse: Walk all damned day, get bone-tired, have a beer at the truck then break everything down & load up. They'll flush at the last gate as you head back to camp. Works. Every. Time.

I guess I should say I've ALWAYS found sage grouse when out, but its on the road or at the gate, just like you said. Early morning driving in they pick up rocks off the road. It's very tempting to sluice one...

 

[JLS]

Walk all damned day, get bone-tired, have a beer at the truck then break everything down & load up. They'll flush at the last gate as you head back to camp. Works. Every. Time.

Hold my beer and watch this......

 

[lpcoutdoors]

That's good news, I hope it goes up and up and up! Ever since I was a kid and I read about his sage grouse hunt in Ted Trueblood's Hunting Treasury, I've wanted to go. I'm building up some antelope points to combine the hunt trips like Ted did and will likely go in a year or two.

 

[JLS]

One of the funnies hunts I’ve done, questionable company withstanding.

 

[mtmiller]

I guess I should say I've ALWAYS found sage grouse when out, but its on the road or at the gate, just like you said. Early morning driving in they pick up rocks off the road. It's very tempting to sluice one...

Rocks or gravel is not what puts them on roads.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I guess I should say I've ALWAYS found sage grouse when out, but its on the road or at the gate, just like you said. Early morning driving in they pick up rocks off the road. It's very tempting to sluice one...

Do they fly?

 

[JLS]

Do they fly?

Think Chinook helo....

 

[Gerald Martin]

Think Chinook helo....

Is that what that Bwup,Bwup,Bwup, noise is?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Is that what that Bwup,Bwup,Bwup, noise is?

It is. Sage Grouse are the confidence booster every upland hunter needs early in the season.

More possible good news out of MT for the species: https://www.wyofile.com/montana-sage-grouse-estimates-jump-73-in-2020/

While the weather may be the reason for more observance, it does indicate that we may be on the upward curve of the cycle. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

 

[antlerradar]

I wonder if this increase has anything to do with the number of grasshoppers in the past few years?