Sage-Grouse Season Opens This Week

The sage-grouse hunting season in southern Idaho opens Saturday, September 18, with limited seasons in open areas. The sharp-tail grouse season opens October 1. Sage-grouse season:

• Seven day season, one bird daily limit, with two in possession after opening day statewide in sage-grouse range except in the designated closed areas.

Closed:

• Eastern Owyhee County.
• Twin Falls County west of U.S. Highway 93.
• Southeastern part of the state, east of Interstate 15 and south of U.S. Highway 26.
• Washington and Adams counties.

Any person hunting sage- or sharp-tailed grouse must have in their possession a valid hunting license with a sage- sharp-tailed grouse permit validation at $4.75. The sharp-tailed grouse season runs from October 1 through 31. 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. Hunters are asked to deposit one wing from each bird they harvest if they encounter a wing barrel. Wings collected from harvested birds provide important biological data. Fish and Game also will collect wings at check stations and through a mail-in wing survey.