Upland game bird season outlook

HELENA – Upland game bird season opened for partridge and grouse Sunday, Sept. 1. As hunters head into the field, they should keep bear safety in mind and remember the potential for fire danger.  

Montana boasts some amazing upland hunting opportunities, but many of them are on private land. Be considerate when seeking access and remember hunters must have access to hunt private lands. A great resource for hunting access can be found online at FWP’s Hunter Access webpage.  

Western Montana 

Across west-central Montana, hunters should experience an average year for forest grouse and wild turkeys. While the winter of 2023-24 was mild with relatively low snowpack, spring weather can impact conditions for nesting and brood rearing. Spring 2024 weather conditions were somewhat wet and cold; however, we are receiving reports of females with broods, so the impacts of spring weather are likely to be variable throughout the landscape. Spring surveys were conducted in Region 2 during May to gather information on spring mountain grouse numbers and allow us to obtain a reliable estimate with which to detect trends over time. The surveys focused primarily on dusky (blue) grouse but recorded ruffed and spruce grouse incidentally. Spring surveys showed abundant adult grouse numbers spread widely across the region. Hunters focusing on dusky grouse should move up in elevation as the season progresses. 

Abundant precipitation across the region in late spring and early summer led to great growth of grass and forb cover, and insect abundance has been good. The region also experienced a decent crop of serviceberries, huckleberries, chokecherries and mountain ash this season. These conditions will continue to provide quality forage through autumn.  

Bird hunters are reminded that due to recent efforts to restore native sharp-tailed grouse to several areas in western Montana, it is possible to encounter a sharptail while hunting. Be sure to identify birds carefully, as hunting is closed for sharptails west of the Continental Divide in Montana.  

To obtain a better estimate of summer brood production and juvenile recruitment, we are asking hunters in Region 2 to voluntarily submit one wing of each harvested mountain grouse. We will have a “wing barrel” set up at the Region 2 office in Missoula starting in September and at hunter check stations later in the fall. The wing will be used to age the harvested bird as a metric for estimating productivity. 

Southwestern Montana 

Surveys were conducted in Region 3 in May to gather information on spring mountain grouse numbers and to obtain reliable estimates for monitoring trends over time. The surveys focused primarily on dusky (blue) grouse but recorded ruffed and spruce grouse incidentally. Spring surveys showed abundant adult grouse numbers spread widely across the region.  

Hunters looking for mountain grouse should focus on areas of habitat transition with abundant berry-producing shrubs. Lower-elevation riparian and aspen areas typically produce opportunities for ruffed grouse, and those hunting duskies will find more birds by moving up in elevation as the season progresses.  

To obtain a better estimate of summer brood production and juvenile recruitment, FWP is asking hunters in Region 3 to voluntarily submit one wing of each harvested mountain grouse. The wing will be used to age the harvested bird as a metric for estimating productivity. “Wing barrels” will be located at the Bozeman Headquarters, area offices (Dillon, Butte, Helena), and field offices (Townsend and Livingston), as well as distributed at trailheads in southwestern portions of Region 3.   

Multiple pheasant releases will occur again this year on Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management Area.  

Turkey numbers are down from years past, but turkeys can still be found scattered across the foothills of the Big Belts. 

North-central Montana 

Winter for 2023-2024 in north-central Montana was relatively mild. Snow was slightly below average for most of the region. January and February had extreme cold events quickly followed by warmups. Favorable habitat conditions from 2023 provided good winter cover. 

Spring brought varied conditions throughout the region. The Highwood, Little Belt and Snowy mountains experienced large spring storms that produced heavy, wet snow in April and early May. These large weather events could have impacted nest survival in the foothills of these mountain ranges. Much of the rest of the region received average rainfall for the spring months. This should reflect similar habitat condition in 2024 to that of 2023. 

 As we move into late summer, hay and other crops are being harvested and brood sightings are more common. Although we are still recovering from severe drought conditions in 2021 and 2022, habitat conditions have improved and so have bird numbers. Spring surveys showed pheasant crow counts above last year’s counts but still below long-term average. Gray partridge fared well in 2023 and this year looks to be similar. Spring lek surveys showed sharp-tailed grouse numbers are up 25 to 50 percent from past years but are still below the historical average. The grasshopper crop has been good in much of the region and has been very beneficial to upland birds this summer. 

July and August showed dry conditions moving much of the region into drought status. Fire is always a concern as we move into late summer and early fall, and this year is no different. With major variability in habitat and weather conditions throughout the region over the past three-plus years, it will be important for hunters to do some homework when selecting places to hunt for the 2024 season. Spending some time looking at past weather conditions and habitat requirements of individual species could be the key to finding success in 2024. 

South-central Montana 

Gray partridge are doing well in south-central Montana with many observations and good brood sizes. Similarly, chukar numbers are good in Carbon County.   

Sharp-tailed grouse seem to be low in much of the region. However, residual cover and mild spring weather certainly benefited sharp-tailed grouse in the northern portion of Region 5, as numbers observed and brood counts are much better. Sage-grouse observations are average and comparable to last year.   

Spring pheasant crow counts in Yellowstone and Bighorn counties were average to above average. Pheasant crow counts in Carbon County were below average. Pheasant brood observations have been lower than expected but numbers are expected to be similar to last year in prime habitat areas. 

Throughout the region, mountain grouse numbers and brood observations have been good and are similar or slightly better than last year.   

Turkey numbers are good, and brood numbers are average. Some very young poults were observed in August, indicating that late nesting attempts were successful.  

Northeast Montana 

A mild winter, good weather during nesting, cool periods during peak hatching season, and a rapid onset of drought in parts of the region created a complicated picture for upland game birds in northeast Montana.  

June saw conditions diverge, with good moisture continuing in the western half of the region but the eastern half rapidly drying out. In addition, June was cooler than normal, especially in the very northeast corner of the state, which was poorly timed to coincide with peak hatching dates and appears to have impacted chick survival in some areas. During the remainder of summer, drought continued in the east end of the region. As a result, habitat conditions and game bird production during nesting and brood-rearing season were good across the western and central two-thirds of the region this summer, but more marginal in the eastern third of the region.  

These weather patterns likely shifted the number of birds hunters should expect to encounter this fall in different areas of the region. Unlike the past few years, where bird numbers were substantially better in the eastern portion of the region, bird hunters should spread out across the region this fall. Overall, hunters are likely to get into birds anywhere in the region where they find good habitat. 

Pheasant 

Pheasant numbers across the region should provide good opportunities for hunters. 

In the far eastern portion of Region 6, pheasant hunters should expect lower bird numbers from the previous year, but will remain above long-term average.  

Hunters should expect pheasant populations in the Glasgow and Malta area to be better than last year and be around average or slightly above average. In the Havre area, numbers have improved, but likely will remain a little below average. 

Sharp-tailed grouse 

Sharp-tailed grouse numbers should be fair across the region. However, production in the northeast corner of the state was more heavily affected by the cold June than some of the other species, with populations likely declining notably from last year’s highs.  

In the Glasgow and Malta areas, sharp-tail numbers seem average in comparison with most years, and should provide good hunting opportunities. 

Weather conditions this summer are likely to improve populations in the Havre area. Sharp-tailed grouse hunting in the western portions of Region 6 is likely to return to about average in areas with good habitat. Portions of western Region 6 have seen significant loss of CRP habitats in the last decade, so in some areas sharp-tailed grouse numbers will not be able to recover to previous levels.  

Gray (Hungarian) partridge 

Although populations of gray partridge are often spotty, there should be ample opportunity across the region for hunters pursing this tasty game bird.  

In the eastern portion of the region, covey sizes this fall are likely to be noticeably smaller due to cold nights in June. The numbers of coveys encountered, however, is expected to be similar to last hunting season, which was generally above average.  

Limited preferred habitat causes partridge populations to be relatively low in the central portion of the region near Glasgow and Malta. However, based on adjacent areas and summer weather conditions, expect partridge numbers to improve and be back to about average for the area.  

Hunting in the Havre area is likely to be above average for the first time in 10 years. Total gray partridge harvest in the western half of the region has been steadily improving for the last three years, and conditions and field reports indicate it should likely continue to improve this fall. 

Sage-grouse 

Several years of severe drought from 2021-2023 took their toll on sage-grouse in Region 6, based on spring lek survey results. While drought conditions improved for the 2024 nesting and brood rearing season, hunting for the species is likely to be below average in all the core sagebrush habitat near Glasgow, Malta and Havre. Habitat conditions are better this fall than the past couple seasons, which may cause sage-grouse to be more dispersed across the landscape than last year.  

Southeast Montana 

The area received decent amounts of rain with amounts varying depending on the location. Grass and forb growth was fair to good, which made for good nesting and brood-rearing conditions. Many areas were inundated with grasshoppers once again, which provide an excellent food source for upland birds but can have a negative impact on available cover.  

Good habitat conditions and a productive nesting season will have birds spread out on the landscape. With the conditions being so good, birds will be able to make a go of it just about anywhere and will not necessarily be in the typical places that hunters would find them on a “normal” year.  

Upland birds will primarily forage on grasshoppers until they are no longer available. Hunters should be reminded to be respectful of standing crops and livestock while out chasing upland birds and also to be aware of where they are parking their vehicles, so they do not block roadways or field entrances.