fable 15. Attendance at Sage Grouse strutting grounds in the Circle West study 

 area, 1977. 



Ground Number Date Birds Observed 



1 3/16 10 



5/5 20 



2 3/16 11 



5/5 7 



3 4/8 4 



4 4/15 5 



5 4/19 28 



5/5 11 



grounds and feed on succulent forbs during the spring (Wallestad et al.l973, 

 Wallestad 1975, Patterson 1952). Although 49% of sage grouse were again ob- 

 served in sagebrush on flat terrain, saltgrass habitats accounted for 32% of 

 the spring observations. During this season, 85% of the grouse were observed 

 in courtship activities; of these, 28% were seen in the big sagebrush; 24% 

 in silver sagebrush-grassland, 38% in saltgrass and 9% in grassland habitats. 

 Silver sagebrush-grasslands accounted for 64% of the summer observations. 

 Grasslands and road embankments were also used as sage grouse continued to 

 feed on succulent forbs. Sage grouse appeared more often during this season 

 in shaded coulees and at farm reservoirs. Only six sage grouse were observed 

 during fall of 1977, all on silver sagebrush-grasslands. 



Sage grouse were thus found to be restricted to regions of undisturbed 

 sagebrush, usually close to traditional strutting grounds. Wallestad and Sch- 

 ladweiler (1974) found that "strutting grounds are key activity areas within 

 wintering-nesting complexes and are usually the only recognizable part of these 

 complexes". Strutting ground locations on the reconnaissance area should be 

 considered critical sage grouse habitat, as should remaining sagebrush hab- 

 itats. The proposed mining area may be considered marginal sage grouse hab- 

 itat since the birds were only occasionally seen there. 



Between 1969 and 1976, approximately 750 sage grouse were harvested an- 

 nually by hunters in McCone County (Trueblood 1977). Strutting ground counts 

 by F & G in 1976 indicated the population was 20% below the 8-year average. 

 Wing collections in McCone County and Region Six during 1976 gave age ratios 



71 



