Sage Grouse Hunters See More Birds

Sage grouse hunters who braved a cool, damp opening weekend reported seeing more birds than last year across much of southern Idaho. Hunters' reports indicate that flocks of sage grouse were scattered by the wet weather that blanketed most of the bird's habitat after the season opened September 18. Sage grouse tend to cluster around water sources in dry weather but spread out in smaller groups when moisture is abundant. In the Magic Valley Region, the number of hunters was the highest since 1995. Harvest there declined nine percent from last year but hunters reported seeing more birds than last year and double the long-term average of observations. The 1,164 hunters checked took 623 sage grouse on the opener this year. The best hunting was found in Shoshone Basin, north of Gooding and east of the Magic Reservoir area. Bird harvest per hunter and birds taken per hour were similar to figures from last year at Owyhee County check stations in the Southwest Region. Numbers of hunters was down by 17 percent and harvest decreased by 24 percent. Temperatures were as low as the 30s with wind and light rain and snow during the weekend. Hunters said grouse were widely dispersed and flushed early in the inclement weather. The Southeast Region checked 34 hunters at the American Falls check station, just three more than last year. The region relies more on wing barrel information and relatively less on check stations than some other regions.The harvest was less than half of last year's 23 birds and about the same as in 2002. The Upper Snake Region checked 643 hunters and also saw a decline in hunter and harvest numbers, 9.6 and 25 percent respectively, but the time spent to harvest the birds averaged less than last year. Hunters in the region also reported birds to be scattered. The sage grouse season ended September 24 in Area 2 and will come to an end October 10 in Area 3. Sharp-tailed grouse season began October 1 and runs through October 31. This grouse is hunted only in eastern Idaho.