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Guidelines for the Management of Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse Populations and Their Habitats

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Guidelines for the Management of Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse Populations and Their Habitats Guidelines for the Management of Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Populations and their Habitats A Product of the Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Technical Committee Sponsored by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2015 The Authors RICHARD W. HOFFMAN, retired DAVID A. BUDEAU Colorado Parks And Wildlife Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 1804 Wallenberg Drive 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA Salem, OR 97303, USA KATHLEEN A. GRIFFIN MICHAEL J. CHUTTER Colorado Parks and Wildlife British Columbia Ministry of Forest, Lands, 711 Independent Avenue and Natural Resource Operations Grand Junction, CO 81505, USA P. O. Box 9338 Victoria, BC V8W 9M1, Canada JEFFREY M. KNETTER Idaho Department of Fish and Game Technical Editor: P. O. Box 25 THOMAS W. KEEGAN Boise, ID 83707, USA Sprig Technical Editing & Wildlife Consulting 29 Nighthawk Lane MICHAEL A. SCHROEDER Salmon, ID 83467 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife P. O. Box 1077 Design Editor: Bridgeport, WA 98813, USA KELLY KENNEDY YOKOYAMA Idaho Department of Fish and Game ANTHONY D. APA 720 Park Boulevard, P. O. Box 25 Colorado Parks and Wildlife Boise, ID 83707, USA 711 Independent Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81505, USA Cover photos by Richard W. Hoffman/retired Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Jeffrey M. Knetter/ JASON D. ROBINSON Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and Michael Utah Division 0f Wildlife Resources A. Schroeder/Washington Department of Fish and 1594 West North Temple, Suite 2110 Wildlife. Salt Lake City, UT 84114, USA Suggested Citation: SHAWN P. ESPINOSA Hoffman, R. W., K. A. Griffin, J. M. Knetter, M. A. Nevada Department of Wildlife Schroeder, A. D. Apa, J. D. Robinson, S. P. Espinosa, 1100 Valley Road T. J. Christiansen, R. D. Northrup, D. A. Budeau, and Reno, NV 89512, USA M. J. Chutter. 2015. Guidelines for the management of TOM J. CHRISTIANSEN Columbian sharp-tailed grouse populations and their Wyoming Game and Fish Department habitats. Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse 351 Astle Avenue Technical Committee, Western Association of Fish and Green River, WY 82935, USA Wildlife Agencies, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA. RICK D. NORTHRUP Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks P. O. Box 200701 Helena, MT 59620, USA 1 Acknowledgments Funding for the preparation of the guidelines was provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The authors thank members of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for their input, guidance, and support, especially San Stiver. Additional helpful comments were received from Christian Hagen, Jack Connelly, Liza Rossi, Michelle Cowardin, Lance Hebdon, Paul Makela, Timothy Carrigan, Brandon Knapton, James Kumm, Joseph Lowe, Jason Lowe, Matthew McCoy, Joseph Weldon, and Alan Sands. Karin Eichhoff prepared the distribution map and Kay Knudsen assisted with retrieving needed literature. John Talmadge (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) was instrumental in the first digital mapping of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse range over a dozen years ago. 2 GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE POPULATIONS AND THEIR HABITATS Table of Contents THE AUTHORS ....................................................................1 Genetics ..............................................................................33 Guidelines: .....................................................................33 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................................2 Translocations .....................................................................34 TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................3 Guidelines: .....................................................................36 LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................4 Recreational Activities .........................................................38 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................4 Guidelines: .....................................................................39 Weather ..............................................................................41 INTRODUCTION ................................................................7 Guidelines: ....................................................................41 TREATMENT OF UNCERTAINTY ....................................9 HABITAT MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION STATUS ..................................................10 RELATED GUIDELINES .....................................................42 POPULATION ECOLOGY ..................................................11 General Habitat Attributes ..................................................42 Movements and Home Range Size ......................................11 Dependence on CRP Lands ................................................42 Survival ...............................................................................13 Guidelines: .....................................................................44 Reproduction ......................................................................13 Grazing ...............................................................................48 Guidelines: .....................................................................49 HABITAT REQUIREMENTS ...............................................15 Energy Development .........................................................51 General ...............................................................................15 Guidelines: .....................................................................53 Food Habits ........................................................................15 Agriculture .........................................................................55 Spring-Summer Habitats (Breeding) ...................................16 Guidelines: .....................................................................56 Lekking ..........................................................................16 Urban and Rural Development ...........................................57 Nesting ...........................................................................17 Guidelines: .....................................................................57 Brood-rearing .................................................................18 Fire and Timber Management .............................................58 Autumn-Winter Habitats ....................................................19 Guidelines: .....................................................................59 POPULATION MANAGEMENT Insecticides .........................................................................61 AND RELATED GUIDELINES ...........................................21 Guidelines: .....................................................................62 Population Monitoring .......................................................21 Herbicides...........................................................................62 Guidelines: .....................................................................23 Guidelines: .....................................................................63 Hunting .............................................................................24 Guidelines: .....................................................................25 RESTORATION ....................................................................64 Predation ............................................................................26 CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................66 Guidelines: .....................................................................28 LITERATURE CITED ...........................................................67 Disease and Parasites ...........................................................29 Guidelines: .....................................................................29 Collisions ............................................................................30 Guidelines: .....................................................................31 Interspecific Competition ...................................................32 Guidelines: .....................................................................32 3 List of Tables TABLE 1. Conversion of metric to English system measurements. ..............................................................................................................8 TABLE 2. Distances (km) moved by Columbian sharp-tailed grouse ........................................................................................................12 TABLE 3. Distances (km) moved by female Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. ............................................................................................12 TABLE 4. Annual survival and reproductive parameters of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. ......................................................................14 TABLE 5. Mean habitat characteristics associated with Columbian sharp-tailed grouse nest sites. ............................................................17 TABLE 6. Mean habitat characteristics that differed between successful and unsuccessful Columbian sharp-tailed grouse nest sites. ..................18 TABLE 7. Mean habitat characteristics associated with Columbian sharp-tailed grouse brood sites. .........................................................19 TABLE 8. Average hunters, harvest, and birds/hunter for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. ........................................................................25
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