Sage Grouse Decline

[Losing_Sanity]

Interesting article and video on the sage grouse and it's decline. According to the Idaho Statesman and East Idaho News, Idaho has seen a 52% decline since 2016. As stated in the Article (Click Here), "The reasons for sage-grouse’s decline are myriad. Wildfire, weather, invasive plants and livestock grazing are commonly cited, but in the last few decades, roads, oil, gas, wind and other energy projects, pipelines and other infrastructure development have encroached upon the sagebrush steppe. Sage-grouse now occupy about half of their historical range. In addition, West Nile virus has taken a toll on sage-grouse and other avian species."

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Idaho in 2016 had a snowmaggedon harsh winter atleast in my area. The following elk season I only saw 4 sage grouse. I usually would see 20 to 30 of them in the week I take off work in september to archery hunt. It was common to see 5 or 6 every evening walking back to camp in the same areas the two years before that. Last year I saw 12. I guess what I'm wondering is if the really hard winter affected them at all. Because the snow was so deep it covered all the sagebrush leaves up.