In this article it talks about the decline of sage grouse in North Dakota, U.S.A, which has caused the state to cancel the hunting season for them this year. It has appeared to biologists that the male sage grouse population has been declining at about 5% a year. The biologists do say however that the decrease is not caused by hunting but by the decrease in areas that have sagebrush that is now being used for agriculture, energy development and other human uses. As of this year the observed population of male sage grouse in North Dakota was 64 from the highest amount of 542 in 1953. Even though there is this very low amount of sage grouse left they have still been yet to be put on the endangered species list due to other animals that were deemed direr of help, but private landowners, gas and oil companies have created a “working group” to help save this bird. It is said that there won’t be any big changes in the population soon but overtime people in the area have hope that the population will grow to a safe size.
-Christian Cooper
http://www.justnorth.com/Articles/tabid/105/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2893/PageID/2576/North_Dakota_2011_Sage_Grouse_Hunting_Season.aspx
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