https://www.wyofile.com/sage-grouse-hunters-shot-about-7600-birds-in-2019/Fascinating balanced article on Wyoming and sage grouse. Worth a read if you're interested. Nicely balanced, such a rarity these days.
I have never understood it, for years the G&F has been telling us the birds are in danger of dying out completely, yet every season they let people go out and shoot a bunch of them. Dang birds are not very good eating, if at all, it's my opinion that when God made coyotes he then made sage hens for coyote food. Over the years I have tried to eat sage hen at other people's camps or home, cooked every which way imaginable, never had one I could get a tooth into.
I know, right? We participated in the SD season each year from 2000-2010. Four of us took about 35 birds over that time, we would barbecue them and eat them rare, as an appetizer. They were well ok, but making a meal of them didn't seem like a good idea.
Regardless, if they have no sporting value as game birds, it won't go well for them. Hunters have proven to be their only advocates in this state. Stopping hunting, as we did, meant that no one cares about them any longer.
there's a pile of them where i hunt with a bow.
Don't worry about WYO G&F, Biden to the rescue!!! (sarcasm, of course)
Biden's Interior Department is considering a mining ban in western states to protect them:
https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/11/greater-sage-grouse-mining-ban/
I wonder what a plot of counting volunters vs birds counted would look like over time...
Its a 2 or 3 day season around Gillette, where I live. I thought the whole state was that way. I guess not. That would be a pack of birds to kill in 3 days, lol.
Angus is a great guy and a true outdoorsman. His exploits are worthy of a book on their own. Hiked 20 miles through a lightning storm with him back in 94 up in the Wind River Range. Bolts were striking everywhere, all day. Never saw anything like it. He wrestled Harrison Ford to the floor at Calico's back in the 80's. Told Harrison he wasn't so tough without his bullwhip. Quite a character.
Shot some young of the year birds in MT and soaked them in salt water for four days and then fried them in oil with breading made out of ritz crackers ,Lawrys season salt, and black pepper. Cut the breast into about five strips length ways before breading, I thought they turned out pretty good.