Sage Grouse Hunters and Harvest Up Slightly

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game found hunter numbers and harvest of sage-grouse were up slightly over the opening weekend, compared to the past two years. From the six check stations held throughout southern Idaho targeting sage-grouse hunters, 620 hunters checked in 308 birds, compared to 563 hunters with 270 birds in 2012, and 615 hunters with 277 birds in 2011. On average, 0.5 birds were harvested per hunter per day and it took about 6.1 hours for a hunter to harvest one bird. Hunter success was slightly higher in the Owyhees, but otherwise was similar across southern Idaho. Fish and Game personnel queried hunters on their success, number of hours hunted, and numbers of birds observed. They also collected a wing from each bird checked, which provides important information on annual productivity. Although the weather was cooperative on opening weekend, biologists are hopeful that the higher numbers are a sign of good productivity this year. Fish and Game biologists will gather in early December to examine wings from upland game birds collected at check stations, in wing barrels, and through a mail-in wing envelope program. By carefully examining each wing, biologist are able to determine if the wing is from and adult or juvenile bird. For sage-grouse, they are also able to tell the sex of the bird. The ratio of juveniles per adult is an indication of annual chick production. This information is very useful to the game bird management program and helps biologists understand trends in population numbers and productivity. The 2013 sage-grouse hunting season runs September 21 through September 27.