Outdoors: 2018 Upland Game Bird Region 6 Outlook

By Montana FWP

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 6 biologists have been compiling data about upland bird numbers in the area. Biologists conduct spring surveys to determine trends of adult numbers, including lek counts for sharp-tailed and sage grouse, and crowing counts for pheasants. These surveys provide a general idea of adult numbers in those respective survey areas compared to other years and long-term averages.

Although spring numbers provide an estimate of the breeding populations heading into nesting season, weather, habitat conditions, and disease during the spring and summer h...