Before dawn, on a piece of private property in northern Utah, biologists are setting traps for love sick sharp-tailed grouse.
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NAME: 127
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TO: 2:38
DURATION:0:11]
<(Riley Peck, D.W.R. N. Region Sensitive Species Biologist) "We have this fence line here set up and the birds will come in and start dancing and they'll get to the fence line and it will force them into this funnel.">
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<(Riley) as they get forced into this funnel, they naturally walk into it, then when they get in, it's too small, they get turned around and won't come out.>
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NAME: 128
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<(Riley) "Their habitat has shrunk down a little bit, but they are native to a large portion to Utah, so we are attempting to trans-locate them to Antelope Island. In the future plans use Antelope Island as a brood stock to then trans-locate birds from Antelope Island to other portions of the state and help re-establish some of their native territory.">
Not long after we leave, the males arrive and begin dancing on what is called a LEK. They come to these historical leks year after year, when a female arrives the dance to into a full blown performance, all in an effort to attract the ladies.
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NAME: 128
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<(Riley) They get their name from the sharp tail they have on their tail feathers. They'll point those out while dancing. They'll spread their wings on a lek as they are doing their mating dance, they are fascinating to watch they have a clucking noise that is unique.">
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NAME: 128
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TO: 49:22
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<(Riley) Their population numbers have declined in much of their native range in the US. So they are a sensitive species but in Utah we do have a population that is still managed through hunting. It is a draw process so if you draw a permit for that it allows you to take two birds.>
Since, 2009 biologists have trans-located 58 birds to Antelope Island. The goal is 50 more this year. So far Riley has captured 5 males, today we were hoping for a female and as luck would have it, we finally got one, in the trap on our second day.
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NAME: 130
AT: 11:27
TO: 11:30
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NAME: 130
AT: 11:44
TO: 11:55
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<(Riley) "You can tell these feathers on the top of their head are a lot more cryptic, on a male they would be all black.">
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<(Riley) "and now she's on her way to Antelope Island.">
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<(Riley) >
Early the next morning Riley met up with Jolene Rose, the island’s wildlife biologists. A band is attached around the females leg, and she get a new radio necklace for her next dance here on Antelope Island.
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NAME: 132
AT: 34:05
TO: 34:15
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<(Jolene Rose, Antelope Island Wildlife Biologist) two weeks ago i found 4 males out here dancing on the lek. 34:10 so we have seen broods, we've seen females, un-collared birds.>
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<(Jolene Rose) "Our visitors come for wildlife viewing and we thought it would be great to have an established population to be able to offer our visiting public.">
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NAME: 132
AT: 32:16
TO: 32:25
DURATION:0:09]
<(Jolene Rose) they couldn't have picked a greater place that would be viewable. If this is going to be an established lek because it's viewable from the road.">
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NAME: 128
AT: 53:30
TO: 53:51
DURATION:0:21]
<(Adam) as hunters and fisherman it's kind of nice to see where our money goes even if it isn't into animals that we chase or catch. These sharp-tails that are going onto Antelope Island will not only be a great brood stock for the DWR, but a chance for everybody to go out and check out this amazing spectacle, these beautiful birds. Time now to dive into tonight's fishing report.">
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