Game and Fish asks Wyoming residents to report dead sage grouse

CHEYENNE, Wyoming – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking Wyoming residents, especially landowners, to report dead sage grouse to the agency so the birds can be tested for West Nile virus.

Although there is no evidence of an outbreak, the agency asks the public for annual reports to help control the sage grouse population in the state.

West Nile virus is transmitted by certain mosquitoes. Studies have shown that sage grouse have a low level of resistance to the virus, which can be and usually is fatal to the birds. In recent years, evidence of the disease has been reported in northeastern Wyoming and surrounding states.

Nyssa Whitford, sage grouse and sagebrush biologist for Game and Fish, said that although the spring started wet, the summer has been drier and less favorable for mosquitoes.

“There has not been a West Nile outbreak in sage grouse in northeastern Wyoming since 2003, but monitoring the disease remains important,” Whitford said.

By examining dead birds, Game and Fish can monitor the extent and impact of the disease throughout the state.

“We are particularly interested in sage grouse found in remote areas with no obvious injuries that may have led to their death. These may occur near waterholes or hay fields on private property,” Whitford said.

She added that obvious road accidents should not be reported. Whitford stressed that dead birds must be reported promptly to local game and fishing staff so that the birds’ condition does not deteriorate to the point where they cannot be examined.

For people willing to collect found carcasses, the risk of contracting the virus when handling dead birds is low, but it is recommended that birds be handled wearing gloves and in an inside-out plastic bag.

The bagged carcass should be placed in another plastic bag, preferably a garbage bag, tied and placed in a Regional Office for Hunting and Fishing. The bird should be placed in a freezer if it cannot be delivered quickly to Game and Fish.

The public can help reduce the risk of contracting West Nile virus by eliminating standing water in small containers – such as flower pots, discarded tires, small plastic swimming pools and wheelbarrows – where mosquitoes like to breed.

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