The Idaho Fish and Game Commission approved the pared-down 2019 sage grouse hunting season.

The commission in late August approved a seven-day season in portions of Owyhee, Twin, Oneida and Cassia counties with a one-bird daily limit. In central Idaho, the season will be two days with a one-bird daily limit. Eastern Idaho and western and northern Idaho are closed to hunting sage grouse.

The season for the southwestern counties will run from Sept. 21 to 27 and the season for central Idaho will be Sept. 21 to 22.

Fish and Game wildlife biologist Ann Moser who is responsible for Idaho’s sage grouse program said statewide, “we’re down 25 percent from last year. When I say down, fish and game monitors sage grouse populations by counting male attendants at leks.”

Moser said a number of factors have been contributing to the decline of sage grouse numbers over the past decade. She said nest success and brood survival has been poor due to poor weather, drought, invasive cheatgrass, wildfires removing habitat, loss of habitat because of development and changing farming practices.