LCAS Program, Tues, Sept 12, 2023 – 7:00PM
Montana Wild, 2668 Broadwater Ave. FREE – All are Welcome
Photo by Bob Martinka
Sharp-tailed Grouse Restoration in Western Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and partners are working to re-establish sharp-tailed grouse (STGR) west of the Continental Divide through reintroductions to suitable habitat in the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, and Drummond areas. After a decade of planning, the spring of 2023 was the first full season of translocating sharp-tailed grouse from eastern Montana to restoration sites in western Montana. A team of volunteers captured 144 grouse, then transported and released them in the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Valleys. Field staff have confirmed at least 22 nests, half of which successfully fledged young. Details about the restoration project, plans for maximizing future success, and how folks can help, will be discussed.
Ty Smucker is an avid birder and Wildlife Mitigation Biologist with Montana FWP. He completed his Master’s in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana in 2007. Ty has worked on various wildlife research, monitoring, and restoration projects in the Hawaiian Islands, Seeley-Swan Valley of Montana, the Ecuadorian Andes, Minnesota, and Montana. Ty is most interested in wildlife conservation and management, understanding predator-prey interactions and resolving human-wildlife conflicts.