When foliage drops, can expand into additional habitat. Minn. Sandhill type rangeland, sagebrush rangeland, abandoned farmland. Foothills brushland that never developes into forest- sagebrush, chokecherry, serviceberry, mountain mahogany. All 3 will utilize domestic grain fields if available. Sharptailed grouse are ground roosting and nesting.
Males pick a small territory to dance at dawn, displays last a few hours.
Hens are attracted. Very strongly associated with sagebrush range- Nevada to Montana and Colorado. Sagebrush is an evergreen, broadleaved shrub 6 in. Grows in vast expanses. Sagegrouse feed extensively on leaves in winter and understory grasses and forbs in spring and summer.