Date of Award:

5-1939

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Department name when degree awarded

Forestry

Committee Chair(s)

D. I. Rasmussen

Committee

D. I. Rasmussen

Abstract

The sage grouse or sage hen Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte) was formerly the most important upland native game bird of the Western States, but has steadily been declining in numbers over most of its range in recent years. This reduction in numbers has aroused the interest of the conservationists of the nation, who, for the past decade or more, have been proposing that something be done for this game species. In recent years along with this interest of the conservationists, there has been an increasing local interest among the sportsmen of the West, with the result that several groups have become interested in making a study of the sage grouse and determining reasons for the marked decline in its numbers. Partly because of this aroused interest, the study of the sage grouse was selected as a research project.

The only detailed previous study that has been made of the sage grouse was conducted by Girard, in 1934, in Wyoming (6).

The study concerned with in this thesis was financed by the Utah Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, which is located at Logan, Utah, and was under the direction of Dr. D. I. Rasmussen. The cooperating agencies are the United States Biological Survey, the Utah State Fish and Game Department, the American Wildlife Institute, and the Utah State Agricultural College.

This study was made over a 2-year period, from May 1936 to May 1938. During 31/2 summer months (in June, July, August, and September) of each year, residence was maintained in the field, where field observations were made. In addition to the summer residence in the field, numerous and lengthy field trips were made during all seasons of the year.

The purposes of this investigation were: (1) to obtain life history data on the sage grouse; (2) to study the environmental factors influencing the distribution and numbers of the sage grouse; (3) to attempt to outline a plan of management, which may stabilize the sage grouse numbers on areas where they are now present, and which may possibly restock areas where they once occurred.

The material contained in this paper was collected from 4 sources, namely: (1) direct field observations and studies; (2) personal interviews with people acquainted with the areas where sage grouse have been found or are now present; (3) use of a questionnaire, which was distributed to interested persons throughout most of the present sage grouse range; and (4) a review of the available literature pertaining to the sage grouse.

Intensive field observations were made in Strawberry Valley and adjacent areas in east central Utah. In addition, observations were made at the following localities: Portage and Penrose in Box Elder County, Avon and vicinity in Cache County, Croydon and adjacent areas in Morgan County, Randolph and vicinity in Rich County, Forshay range and Parker Mountain in Piute and Garfield Counties in Utah; areas in southeastern Idaho near Soda Springs, Montpelier, Paris, and St. Charles; and areas in southwestern Wyoming near Evanston.

While in the field, observations on the following activities of the grouse and range conditions were stressed: nesting, food habits, dusting, watering, roosting, and resting; type of range chosen; types of range most used by the sage grouse; cover types and their effectiveness as nesting cover; water and its distribution; use of the range by the various classes of stock and their relationship to the sage grouse; predatory and buffer species inhabiting the sage range; and the effects of winter snow on the range and the distribution of the sage grouse.

Notes on nesting activities were recorded on an especially prepared form (fig. 5). Mortality and information relative to stomachs collected were also kept on form sheets. All other field information was recorded as general notes in the form of a daily diary, or was written up as special reports or memorandums.

While visiting the sage grouse areas of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, interviews were had with persons who were well acquainted with and well informed about those particular localities. The purposes of these interviews were to obtain information, both historical and present, pertaining to the sage grouse in those areas, and to obtain information from the people as to the causes of the decreases or increases in the sage grouse numbers, as the local case might be. These interviews showed a variety of ideas, which have been very interesting as well as valuable to this study.

For the questionnaire survey, which was conducted during the winter and early spring of 1936-37, 5,000 survey cards (plate 1) were distributed to district agents of the Biological Survey, to county agricultural agents throughout the entire present range of the sage grouse, to high school biology teachers of Utah, and to Boy Scouts of parts of Idaho and Utah. In addition, cards and maps of all Utah counties were sent to the game wardens and to the County Fish and Game Protective Associations throughout Utah. The purpose of this survey was to determine the extent of the present sage grouse range and to obtain an indication to their present numbers. Approximately 500 cards were returned, plus all of the Utah county maps, with sage grouse distributions mapped on them.

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