Idaho Fish and Game Commission Sets 2013 Sage-Grouse Season
Idaho Department of Fish and Game 08.21.13
Idaho Fish and Game Commission Monday, August 19, set the 2013 sage-grouse hunting season.
The season is similar to last year’s hunting season, with hunting allowed at the “restrictive” level.
The seven-day season runs from September 21 through September 27, with a one-bird daily limit and a two-bird possession limit open in:
- Butte, Camas, Cassia, Clark, Fremont, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Power and Teton counties.
- Bannock County west of Interstate 15.
- Bingham County west of Interstate 15.
- Blaine County, except within the Salmon River drainage.
- Bonneville County west of Interstate 15 and north of U.S. Highway 26.
- Custer County, except within the Salmon River drainage upstream from and including Valley Creek.
- Oneida County west of Interstate 15.
- Owyhee County west of the Bruneau River.
- Twin Falls County east of U.S. Highway 93.
Closed Areas are:
- Eastern Owyhee County and western Twin Falls County, which continue to be affected by the 2007 Murphy Complex Fire.
- East Idaho Uplands area in the southeastern part of the state east of Interstate 15 and south of U.S. Highway 26, because of a lack of long-term data.
- Washington County and Adams County, Payette and Gem counties. This isolated population has been closed to hunting since 1984.
- Elmore County, because of a lack of long term data, 2012 fires and no known active leks south of Highway 20.
Any person hunting sage- or sharp-tailed grouse must have in possession a valid Idaho hunting license with a sage/sharp-tailed grouse permit validation at $4.75.
Hunters should be aware that sage-grouse and sharp-tailed grouse occur in the same areas in south-central and eastern Idaho. Hunting season for these species do not overlap. The sharp-tailed grouse hunting season is October 1 to 31.
Sage-grouse is a candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Candidate species are under state management and hunting is legal. Idaho Fish and Game closely monitors sage-grouse populations annually.
Please visit the Fish and Game website at: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov or a regional Fish and Game office for specific information on sage-grouse hunting.
