Greater Sage-Grouse

Description: The greater sage-grouse is the largest of all North American grouse. It has a mottled brown-and-gray body and dark green legs and feet. The male has a black neck and bib; the chest is white and ruffed. It has yellow eye combs and long narrow tail feathers. During courtship, the tail is fanned and points up, the chest is puffed out, and small feathers called filoplumes stick up behind the head. The mottled brown-and-gray hen is more uniform in color. It has a black belly but no eye combs, and the tail is less dramatic. Average size of males: 26-30 inches. Average weight of males: 5-7 pounds. Average size of hens: 20-24 inches. Average weight of hens: 3-4 pounds.

Science: Greater sage-grouse are found at high altitudes in the northwestern mountain states. They depend heavily upon sagebrush for food and cover and choose areas with a combination of rolling hills and large flat areas with a reliable water source. In the winter, they’ll sometimes travel long distances to lower elevations. Feeding both early and late in the day, they primarily eat the buds, shoots and leaves of sagebrush, but will also eat wild grasses, alfalfa, berries, and small insects. From fall through winter, they form large packs of a hundred or more birds, which stay together until spring. The population is cyclical but is thought to be declining overall due to the loss of their habitat. Some correlations have been made with the populations of jackrabbits and other small game: when their numbers increase, the sage-grouse populations increase because there is more food for predators.

Hunting: These wary birds are best hunted in the morning or evening with a close-working pointing or flushing dog. Most hunters locate a water source in an area with a sage flat and work out from there. The eating quality varies: older birds can be quite strong-tasting and have a sage flavor.