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chicken-sized, ground-dwelling bird needs sweeping federal protections. States across the West have scrambled to come up with conservation measures that could head off a threatened or endangered listing.
• Agriculture, energy development and disease are greater threats than hunting, biologists said.
• Ben Deeble with the Big Sky Upland Bird Association said politics, not biology, appeared to drive the proposal to shut down the season.
• "Hunters make a major contribution to sage grouse conservation," Deeble said. "If we lose 100 percent of our hunting opportunity, it's unfair. We certainly don't expect all of the energy industry to be shut down by sage grouse or all the agriculture industry to be shut down."
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Bud Grant autograph hot item at his garage sale
STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press
• BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) -- The hottest item at Bud Grant's garage sale on Thursday was the Hall of Fame coach's autograph.
• Shoppers lined up to have the former Minnesota Vikings coach sign the team souvenirs and outdoor gear they bought. Even a gun.
• The 87-year-old signed a poster for 7-year-old Preston Oberloh, of Rapid City, South Dakota, whose family happened to be in town. His father, Aaron Oberloh, said he thought it would be cool to get next to the coach and get a picture, even though at 33 he wasn't even born when Grant led the Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances.
• If people didn't buy anything, Grant's signature came at a price.
• "Now if you buy my stuff, these autographs are free. But if you just come here to get an autograph, and don't buy anything, then I charge you 25 dollars," Grant said as $20 and $5 bills piled up on the table in front of him.
• Grant, an avid outdoorsman, signed a floating fishing chair that Kristen Strain, of Hudson, Wisconsin, bought for her 10-year-old son, Austin, as well as a Vikings drink glass for her 12-year-old daughter, Taylor. Strain said they're originally from Rochester and find it a little strange living as Vikings fans in Packers territory.
• "My kids have issues with the green and the gold," Strain said.
• It was Grant's 10th garage sale. He billed it as his last. It began Wednesday evening and runs through Friday.
• Grant said his goals were simple: Get rid of stuff and make some money.
• One table Thursday held Vikings memorabilia, including 40th anniversary posters from 2000 and Game 900 T-shirts from when the Vikings played the Lions in 2004. (Continued on page 20)
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