Prairie grouse and Sharp-tailed grouse numbers on the Fort Pierre National Grassland are higher this year than they were last year.
USDA Forest Service staff have completed their annual spring survey which showed 479 prairie-chickens in April 2020 compared to 333 in April 2019. Surveyers spotted 88 male sharp-tailed grouse this year compared to 80 in 2019.
District Ranger Dan Svingen says nesting conditions on the Fort Pierre National Grassland are currently excellent due to the abundant residual grass available to nesting hens. He says annual habitat quality surveys in autumn 2019 documented 66% high structure vegetation, well above the management objective of 30% to 50%.
Svingen says these results, however, don’t mean everything is ideal for the prairie grouse. He says the area received a fraction of the expected moisture in April. Timely rains in May and June will be critical to the success of this year’s nesting efforts.”
For more information, please call the Fort Pierre Ranger District at 605-224-5517.
Photo credit: USDA FS District Ranger Dan Svingen
