2026 Upland Game Bird Forecast

Fire impacted habitat in portions of the region this summer. The Big Grass Fire burned more than half a million acres along the Idaho-Oregon line through the Owyhees; the Tartar Fire burned more than 158,000 acres north of Weiser; the Claremont Fire took nearly 7,000 acres of the Boise Foothills; and the Crooked Fire east of Idaho City is still burning as of this report.

The Crooked Fire closure covers roads, trails and campgrounds in Unit 39's Crooked River and Hungarian Creek country. The Tartar Fire closure has been lifted, but the burn is still there. Check the Boise National Forest alerts page and BLM's Advisories and Closures webpage before you go, and check again the morning you leave.

With the country this dry, birds will be concentrated around water and green feed well into October. Expect hunting to be similar to last year and possibly a little down, carried more by the adults that came through the winter than by this year's hatch.

Magic Valley Region

Low snow winter conditions in 2025-2026 likely benefited upland game bird survival and led to good carryover; however, drought conditions this spring through the summer likely led to poor recruitment conditions for many upland game birds throughout the region. Fish and Game field staff are reporting fair to good brood recruitment of sage-grouse, quail, and forest grouse.

Gray partridge and sharp-tailed grouse recruitment, however, seems to be down across the region with few broods observed. Surveys are not conducted for forest grouse, but these species can be buffered from drought and other unfavorable conditions because forbs and insects tend to persist longer in higher-elevation habitats and localized areas where good water sources exist. Quail also tend to be buffered from drought conditions as they are often associated with or adjacent to irrigated farmlands and riparian areas.

Pheasants are well below the long-term average due to continued habitat loss; however, localized areas in Jerome and Gooding counties still offer decent opportunity, primarily on private lands.

With hot and dry conditions this summer, birds will likely be concentrated around water and food sources. It is expected that game bird populations will vary based on location and species, hovering around the 10-year average, but well below the highs observed in 2024.

Southeast Region

Hunter harvest and success rates declined across the Southeast Region during the 2025 upland game bird season. This was on the heels of an excellent 2024 upland season. This past year brought an extremely mild winter followed by severe drought during the summer months.

The truth, with these types of conditions, is that we are uncertain how upland game fared this past year. Reports from staff in the field have been mixed. Although overwinter survival and nest success were likely high, the dry conditions could have hampered brood survival. Hunters are likely to experience variable upland bird numbers depending on location, species, and timing of your hunt.