Idaho Fish and Game officials will present sage-grouse hunting season recommendations to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission at an August 19 meeting in Idaho Falls.
Recommendations follow the hunting season and bag-limit guidelines as laid out in the state plan for sage-grouse. These guidelines compare the current three-year running average of males counted at leks (breeding sites) to counts from 1996 - 2000 when Idaho began intensified surveys statewide. The guidelines also allow the flexibility to consider local issues of concern, such as insufficient data, isolated populations, or impacts of wildfire and West Nile virus.
Fish and Game is not recommending any changes from last year's hunting season.
Sage-grouse lek data indicate that most populations could be hunted at the "restrictive" level; therefore, the proposed 2013 seasons are:
Restrictive: Seven-days, one-bird daily limit and a two-bird possession limit open September 21 through September 27:
- Butte, Camas, Cassia, Clark, Fremont, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Power and Teton counties.
- Bannock County west of Interstate 15.
- Bingham County west of Interstate 15.
- Blaine County, except within the Salmon River drainage.
- Bonneville County west of Interstate 15 and north of U.S. Highway 26.
- Custer County, except within the Salmon River drainage upstream from and including Valley Creek.
- Oneida County west of Interstate 15.
- Owyhee County west of the Bruneau River.
- Twin Falls County east of U.S. Highway 93.
Closed:
- Eastern Owyhee County and western Twin Falls County, which continue to be affected by the 2007 Murphy Complex Fire.
- East Idaho Uplands area in the southeastern part of the state east of Interstate 15 and south of U.S. Highway 26, because of a lack of long-term data.
- Washington County and Adams County, which have been closed to sage-grouse hunting since 1984.
- Elmore County, because of the lack of long-term data, few active leks and 2012 fires.
Any person hunting sage- or sharp-tailed grouse must have in possession a valid Idaho hunting license with a sage/sharp-tailed grouse permit validation at $4.75.
Sage-grouse is a candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Candidate species are under state management and hunting is legal. Idaho Fish and Game closely monitors sage-grouse populations annually.
Fish and Game is seeking public comments on these recommendations prior to the August 19 commission meeting. Please visit the Fish and Game website at:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov or a regional Fish and Game office for specific information on sage-grouse hunting, the season proposal and to provide comments.
