James Shaw

One trillion spending bill, yes; Endangered Sage Grouse protection, no.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/sage-grouse-spending-bill-endangered-species-protection-113483.html

Sage Grouse

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

One question... are they tasty to eat? Do they taste like chicken?

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

better.

James Shaw

Despite having been born and having lived in Oklahoma for several years, I have never eaten a prairie chicken. However, these birds do a most interesting dance that has been copied by native Americans:

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=prarie+chicken+dance&ei=UTF-8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

Such a shame that the White House can "pardon" a turkey once a year, while Congress refuses to protect this beautiful creature that God has given us.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Sort of like frog legs which taste like black footed ferret which tastes like the California Condor which brings us to very close to Sage Grouse. Tasty indeed.

Dennis

C. Yoder Loc: S.W. Missouri

I have heard and cant verify it but I've been told if they are fixed just right they taste like an Eagle.

Rancher38 Loc: Halfway, OR

I live in eastern Oregon, cattle country; here the sage grouse issue appears to mainly be an exercise by the anti-cattle freeloaders using DOJ money to mostly support themselves. There is no scientific evidence that cattle and the grouse can not, and have not, co-existed by nearly 2 centuries. The major issue is proving that the species is actually reduced since there are not sufficient historical records of accurate counts.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

Have you ever seen one?

I haven't ever seen a spruce grouse. They are illegal to kill. Apparently they are unafraid of hunters and thus before people cared, easy to harvest. I have hunted everywhere through their former range for ruffled grouse- should have seen one in 40 years... but have never laid an eye on one.

Be honest, if it came down to a choice of one or the other, you wouldn't bat an eyelash which would go - despite cattle not being particularly endangered except for when its time to sell them.

I have seen stories of Pronghorn antelope dying of thirst because no where in their very ancient lineage, was it ever necessary to jump an obstacle... no instinct gave them the knowledge that they could simply jump to get to the water on the other side of a simple wire fence, even though they are perfectly physically capable. . They can run 30 mph faster then any predator alive now, they are a Pleistocene era survivor that out survived whatever predator chased them that fast... but there were never any fences to deal with. They will run for miles looking for a way through. Yet the ranchers wouldn't make any sort of exception or come up with a solution for them... fences that don't harm cattle, are deadly to them. The ranchers simply didn't care on their own... so they should not expect anybody to particularly care about their point of view.

Most, (not all), ranchers aren't exactly good stewards of conservation. Kinda strip mining mentality.

Rancher38 Loc: Halfway, OR

I wonder at your source of information on antelope; we in fact have over 200 on the ranch, along with 6-700 elk and high counts of deer, black bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes. We all co-exist just fine and all, including the antelope, just go over or under fences regularly. In fact, one of our early morning pleasures is watching the couple hundred elk that feed in our "front yard" leaving and gracefully jumping fences on their way out. And yes, to your question, we have sage grouse, plus turkeys and chukars (another alien breed introduced into the US along with Canadian wolves), all of which we see on a reguilar basis.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I'm sorry but I just can't agree with your statements about antelope and spruce grouse. I have hunted antelope for many years in Wyoming and Colorado. I have spooked herds many times and have at the same time seen antelope both jump over a fence and seen antelope of the same herd go under the same fence. They are smart enough to get over/under if they want to go. May I ask how you think they get onto the ranch in the first place? Do you think they wait for a rancher to open a gate for them, go through and then a nice rancher will open it again when they want to go out. Many ranches I hunt have cross fences all over the ranch to separate herds. How do you think the antelope get from one side of the ranch to the other? Believe me they do just fine all on their own.

As for spruce grouse they are all over the West in huntable numbers. When I lived in NYS my brother and I shot ruffed grouse and had no problem finding them.

Speaking of ranchers, I have honestly never met one who operates the way you seem to think they do. Every one I have ever encountered has looked at game animals as part of the history of the ranch and they take care of the animals.

Hunters also take care of game animals as well. In the part of Wyoming where I normally hunt deer there is a shortage of antelope due to a disease. We have chosen not to hunt there for a few years and won't hunt there until the numbers are up to where they should be. Many hunters self impose a no hunting rule when they think numbers are down.

Dennis

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

Where is Obama's pen when you need it????

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

Stunning photo, by the way. What are the logistics on it?

C. Yoder Loc: S.W. Missouri

Here in Missouri Prairie Chickens are almost gone. A few years back they were plentiful just like the jack rabbit. Jack rabbits are now gone from Mo. and Prairie Chickens are right behind. I put the blame on Predatory birds and other varmints. Hawks migrate here by the millions along with eagles. When birds of prey laws were enacted back in the 60's we began to loose the Jack's, Quail, and now the Prairie Chicken. We still have a few Quail which are hunted by some people. Coons, skunks, coyotes and a dozen other varmints take their share of our game birds. Of course the D.N.R. will argue with this because that is not what they are taught in school.

James Shaw

You are a most fortunate person to have such a "heaven on earth" in your front yard.

James Shaw

Pardon my ignorance, but what do you mean by logistics regarding the Sage Grouse?