Sharp-tailed Grouse Season Opens This Week

The sharp-tailed grouse season opens Tuesday, October 1, and runs through October 31, with a daily bag limit of two birds and a possession limit of six. The season is open only in eastern Idaho in these areas: Bingham and Clark counties east of Interstate 15, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson County east of Interstate 15, Madison, and Teton counties, Bonneville County east of Interstate 15, Bannock County east of Interstate 15 and south of Interstate 86, Bear Lake, Caribou, Cassia County east of Interstate 84 and that portion west of Interstate 84 south of the Malta-Sublett Road and east of the Malta-Strevell Road, Franklin, Oneida, and Power County south of Interstate 86. The rest of the state is closed. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once distributed in grassland-mountain brush habitats throughout southern and western Idaho north to the Palouse Prairie. Habitat changes due to agricultural development, improper livestock grazing, and human development, among other factors, have reduced this grouse's range to areas mostly in southeastern Idaho. Agricultural lands enrolled in the USDA's Conservation Reserve Program currently provide important habitat for this species and have led to increased populations since 1986. Good populations still exist from Fremont County south to Utah in grasslands associated with chokecherry, sagebrush, hawthorn, serviceberry, bitterbrush and other brushy cover. Sharp-tailed grouse have been introduced into historical range in southern Twin Falls County and southeastern Owyhee County. Twin Falls County, Owyhee County and most of Cassia County are closed to the hunting of sharp-tailed grouse. Sharp-tailed grouse also occur around Split Butte area in Minidoka County. Hunting of sharp-tailed grouse is closed in Minidoka County. Any person hunting sharp-tailed grouse must have in their possession a valid 2013 Idaho hunting license with a sage/sharp-tailed grouse permit validation at $4.75. The permit allows better monitoring of the harvest of this game bird. It is available at Fish and Game license vendors. All hunters are encouraged to refer to the upland game or waterfowl rules brochures for hunt details on seasons, limits and rules, available at all license vendors, Fish and Game offices and online at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/docs/rules/uplandBird.pdf.