Sage-grouse and sandhill crane tags go on sale Aug. 3

A total of 4,280 sage-grouse tags and 870 sandhill crane tags will go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis Aug. 3 at 10 a.m. MDT. Tags will be available at Idaho Fish and Game license vendors, online at GoOutdoorsIdaho.com, and by phone at 1-800-554-8685. 

Sage-grouse

The 4,280 tags will be offered for 12 hunting zones across parts of southern Idaho. Sage-grouse season runs Sep. 15 through Oct. 31. Hunters can buy up to two tags and may buy a tag for more than one zone.

During its July 16 meeting in Jerome, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the 2026-2027 sage-grouse hunting seasons and tags; the number of sage-grouse tags decreased by 750 tags. The Commission also approved a fixed opening date of Sep. 15 for the general sage-grouse season. A video recap of the full commission meeting and the sage-grouse season recommendations is available on Fish and Game’s YouTube channel. 

An updated sage-grouse seasons and rules brochure, including number of tags available for each hunting zone, is available online at the Sage-grouse Seasons and Rules webpage.

Statewide, sage-grouse lek counts decreased from 2025 to 2026. Decreases were observed in most hunting zones, with counts in a few zones comparable to 2025. Sage-grouse populations naturally fluctuate in six to 12 year cycles. The sage-grouse tag allocation is designed to limit harvest to no more than 10% of the fall population in each reporting zone.

Fish and Game expects to adjust tag numbers annually to maintain sustainable sage-grouse hunting opportunities in Idaho.

Sandhill cranes

There will be 870 sandhill crane tags available for six hunting areas in eastern Idaho. Seasons run Sep. 1-15, Sep. 16-30, Sep. 1-30, or Oct. 1-30, depending on tag type, which is determined by hunt area and season dates. Sandhill crane hunters are also required to purchase a Migratory Bird (HIP) Permit.

The Pacific and Central Flyway Management Plan for the Rocky Mountain Population (RMP) of sandhill cranes allows for the regulated harvest of cranes when the population exceeds 15,000, as estimated by the average of the three most recent reliable pre-migration staging surveys. 

Idaho’s 2026 crane harvest allocation, as provided by the Flyway Management Plan, increased from 2025. In an effort to reduce hunter crowding and distribute an increased number of tags, the Fish and Game Commission approved adding additional hunting opportunity in October. Fish and Game staff reference harvest rates observed in previous years to determine the number of tags available for each hunt area.

For seasons and rules for sandhill cranes see the Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Rules webpage.