CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking sage grouse hunters to help with conservation efforts by submitting a wing from each harvested bird. The wings are used to monitor the health of the sage grouse population and to make informed management decisions.
Hunters are asked to deposit one wing at the elbow joint in roadside collection barrels located in the state’s sagebrush steppe regions. The other wing must remain attached to the bird while in the field and during transport, as is required by law.
“The collection of sage-grouse wings provides crucial data for monitoring population health and making informed management decisions,” said Nyssa Whitford, Game and Fish sage grouse and sagebrush biologist. “Wildlife biologists gather data from wings that would otherwise be difficult to obtain and offer important information about reproductive success.”
After the hunting season, which runs from Sept. 20 to Sept. 30, biologists analyze the wings to estimate reproductive success. By using the length and wear of the primary feathers, they can age the wing as a chick, yearling or adult and determine its sex. The data, combined with spring lek counts, helps guide long-term conservation efforts and habitat improvement projects.
A new requirement for 2024 is that all licensed sage grouse hunters must carry a free, annual sage grouse hunting permit. The permit is available at Game and Fish offices and online through the department’s website.