Sage Grouse Season Opens, Except Owyhee County

The sage grouse hunting season opens Saturday, September 16, but not in Owyhee County west of the Bruneau River. After reviewing information about mortality of sage grouse from West Nile virus, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Steve Huffaker signed an emergency closure order Monday, September 11, in the southwest corner of Area 3. "Our job is to take care of the wildlife, and in the absence of clear data to show that the population could absorb hunting mortality; we need to err on the side of caution," Huffaker said. "Field observations and high mortality levels in radio-marked birds demonstrates a problem, but it appears to be limited to that location." The sage grouse season will remain open in the rest of Idaho. Only two birds infected by West Nile have been found outside of Owyhee County, and there have been no reports of unusual numbers of dead sage-grouse this summer. Radio-marked sage-grouse are being followed in six areas outside of Owyhee County, and none have shown the dramatic losses seen in Owyhee County. "We have confirmed that sage grouse have died from West Nile infection in three different parts of the county, and our biologists have also seen unusual numbers of radio marked sage grouse die this year," he said. "In addition, there have been reports from the public of unusual numbers of dead grouse in some areas." Biologists don't know how many sage grouse have been lost to West Nile, but they are still seeing healthy sage grouse throughout the county. Because of the unusual sage grouse losses this year, the department wants to be cautious, Huffaker said. "Sage grouse are believed to be especially sensitive to West Nile virus, and significant die offs from West Nile virus have occurred in localized areas in other states," he said. "Careful monitoring of numbers of grouse on the breeding grounds next year will help us understand how big the problem actually is in Owyhee County." The hunting season on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, adjacent to Owyhee County on the Idaho-Nevada border, was closed in August after sage grouse died from West Nile virus within the reservation. Wildfires have damaged sage-grouse habitat in some areas, but hunting is either already closed or very conservative in these areas. Hunter check stations, run by department personnel in many areas, will collect blood and wings from harvested birds to help monitor the health and numbers of sage grouse. West Nile virus is a mosquito-transmitted disease, and hunters should consider taking precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes while hunting. As always, wild game, including sage grouse, should be cooked thoroughly before it is eaten to ensure that any bacteria or viruses are killed. "There are many people working hard to improve the grouse in Owyhee County, and hunters need to do their part," Huffaker said. "If the population bounces back, we can open it back up, and that's always the goal." Hunters are reminded to obtain a mandatory permit to hunt sage grouse in addition to a valid 2006 hunting license. The permit allows better monitoring of the harvest of this game bird. It costs $1.50 and is available at Fish and Game license vendors.