New Sage Grouse Viewing Brochure
Responsible and ethical viewing and photographing
by Wyoming Game & Fish Department
April 6, 2007
Sage grouse are Wyoming's trademark game bird, and the annual courtship ritual on their lek or breeding grounds is the bird's trademark event.
That's why the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has produced a brochure giving directions to 15 easily accessed leks to view the courtship and precautions to take to minimize disturbance to the avian participants.
"We get many requests to view this spectacular event, so we thought a brochure would be helpful to both the birds and the growing number of sage grouse enthusiasts," said Tom Christiansen, Game and Fish sage grouse coordinator.
The brochure follows a recommendation from the Wyoming Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Plan to provide the public with a small number of lek viewing locations along with information about how to enjoy the display without disrupting it.
Here are places near Pinedale and Big Piney where the WYGFD recommends going to view sage grouse leks:
PINEDALE
Speedway Lek - At milepost 73 on Hwy 191 (about 27 miles south of Pinedale) turn east onto the Muddy Speedway Rd (County Rd 113). Travel 3.0 miles and stop. The lek is about 400 yards south
BIG PINEY
Mobil Mowing Lek - Take Hwy 189 south of Big Piney for about 3.25 mi to the Calpet Hwy; turn west onto the Calpet Hwy; proceed west-southwest about 11 mi to Pinegrove Rd.; turn west onto the Pinegrove Rd and go about 0.25 mi; the lek is on the north side of the road.
The brochure is available at Game and Fish offices or online at http://gf.state.wy.us and going to Sage Grouse Info under "What's Hot." Click here for a printable PDF version of the same document: A Guide to Viewing and Photographing Wyoming’s Greater Sage Grouse Ethically and Responsibly (4 page, 166K PDF – requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view)
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