I don't see any mention of the effects of predatory birds on the Sage Grouse. Every time I drive through eastern Montana or Wyoming I see more hawks and eagles than I see antelope. I don't think road killed deer and antelope are the only things that they are eating.
For the past 5 or so years there has been a bunch of wild turkeys that roost in the trees on the hill above my neighbors house. Every day in the winter months between 20-30 turkeys have been coming down into my and my neighbors yards. In the summers, the hens move down into the hayfields, but 5 o5 6 toms used to stick around the houses.
This past spring a pair of Red Tail Hawks built a nest in a cottonwood tree by the creek below our houses. Now I see the hawks every day, but I haven't seen a turkey in months.
Normally, big hawks will move the turkeys out. West texas ranchers may only have trees around the ranch houses and water holes. They have told me if they have wild turkey coming to roost daily, if one hawk or horned owl sits in the roost trees the turkeys will not come in. Hawks and owls are real rough on young turkeys (quail, too).
Often I have seen turkey roost on power line poles if they have a horizontal beam, even the really big power lines where they use the double and tall poles.
