The sage grouse population fell so low during the 1990s that the chicken-sized species was considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Now, two researchers say that restrictions on hunting the sage grouse have a mixed record when it comes to the bird’s numbers.
A ban on hunting sage grouse in central Idaho apparently resulted in greater population growth, said assistant professor Jonathan Dinkins of Oregon State University. However, Dinkins and professor Jeff Beck of the University of Wyoming say that in their examination of 22 relatively distinct populations of greater and Gunnison sage grouse, some populations went up, some went down and some held steady under hunting restrictions. “Not all sage grouse populations were influenced by the same environmental change or human disturbance factors,” said Dinkins.
Hunting restrictions are in place in 11 states in the American West and two Canadian provinces with the intention of preserving the species. Regulations have become more conservative over the past quarter-century. Sage grouse thrive best in an expansive habitat dominated by sage bush with an understory of native grasses and wildflowers. Population can decline due to fire, disease, drought, invasive species and human activities such as oil and gas drilling and housing construction.