The Idaho Fish and Game Commission met July 15–16 in Jerome, where commissioners approved the 2026–27 sage-grouse hunting seasons and addressed several other hunting-related topics, including updates to game bird tagging rules and chronic wasting disease (CWD) regulations.
Fewer Sage-Grouse Tags Available
The Commission approved a reduction in the number of sage-grouse tags available for the 2026 season after spring surveys found a decline in male sage-grouse attending breeding leks compared to 2025.
Statewide tag numbers will decrease from 5,030 tags in 2025 to 4,280 tags in 2026. Idaho Fish and Game biologists determine tag quotas using annual lek counts, estimated fall populations and recent harvest success, with a goal of maintaining a sustainable harvest of approximately five percent of the fall population.
New Consistent Season Opener
Hunters will also notice a simpler calendar.
Instead of opening on the third Saturday of September each year, Idaho’s sage-grouse season will now begin on September 15 statewide and continue through October 31. The change creates a consistent annual opening date and aligns the season with the opening of chukar, gray partridge and quail seasons, making upland hunting regulations easier to remember and plan around.
As in previous years, hunters must possess both a valid hunting license and a sage-grouse tag, with hunting limited to designated management zones.
Additional Hunting Actions
The Commission also approved several other rule changes affecting hunters.
Among them were updates that expand the use of electronic tagging for certain game birds, continuing Idaho Fish and Game’s gradual transition toward digital licensing and harvest documentation. While most big-game species continue to require existing tagging procedures, the move signals the agency’s broader effort to modernize hunter services.
Commissioners also adopted revisions related to Idaho’s chronic wasting disease preparedness. Although CWD has not been detected in Idaho’s wild deer or elk populations, neighboring states continue to battle the disease, and Fish and Game has been strengthening regulations intended to reduce the risk of it spreading into Idaho.
What It Means for Hunters
For most Idaho hunters, the biggest practical changes this fall are:
- Sage-grouse tags will be more limited than last year.
- The season will now open on the same calendar date every year—September 15.
- Digital tools will continue to play a larger role in Idaho’s licensing and harvest reporting system.
Hunters planning a sage-grouse hunt should purchase tags early when sales open and carefully verify their management zone before heading afield.
Hunterizer
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