Forest grouse wing and tail collection

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) collects wings and tails of hunter-harvested forest grouse (spruce, ruffed, dusky and sooty species) during the Sept. 15 - Jan. 15 hunting season. The goal of this collection effort is to build estimated population trend datasets for each species to evaluate harvest changes. Other factors will also be evaluated, including wildfire and weather patterns that may contribute to changes in harvest and overall populations at the species level.

Grouse hunters can help by depositing one wing and the tail of each grouse harvested into wing collection barrels placed around the state or by bringing them to the closest WDFW District or Regional office. Directions and diagrams are provided to help you retrieve the necessary samples.

Place samples in the paper bag provided at wing barrels, or any paper bag. Use one bag for each bird. Avoid using plastic bags (especially Ziplocs), as they speed up decay.

On the outside of the bag, please record:

  1. The species of grouse.
  2. The game management unit (GMU) where the grouse was harvested.
  3. The county where the grouse was harvested.
  4. The date of the harvest.

Deposit the bag in a wing barrel or drop it off at any WDFW district or regional office. If neither of these are viable options the day of harvest, please refrigerate or freeze the parts until you can drop them off at a different time.

Collection Locations

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Asotin County

  • Asotin Creek Forks - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Lick Creek Rd and South Fork Asotin Creek Rd
    GPS: 46.27378, -117.29288
  • Cloverland Snopark - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Cloverland Snopark, USFS Rd 43
    GPS: 46.14842, -117.3353
  • Iron Springs - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    USFS Rd 42 and Ironsprings Rd and Forest Bdy
    GPS: 46.28324, -117.49361

Chelan County

  • Colockum WLA
    Colockum Wildlife Area, at the intersection of Colockum Rd and Ingersoll Rd.
    GPS: 47.25964, -120.21392
  • Cooper Mountain Rd
    Cooper Mountain Rd. (8020 Road) at Intersection of Black Canyon (4010 Road) & Cooper Mtn Rds.
    GPS: 48.04215, -120.14146
  • French Corral
    French Corral (Eagle Creek and 5800 Road)
    GPS: 47.70652, -120.51432
  • Shady Pass
    Shady Pass (5900 Road)
    GPS: 47.99599, -120.48531

Clallam County

  • Cooper Ranch Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of the Cooper Ranch Road and US Forest Service Road #29
    GPS: 48.05904, -124.11231
  • Salmon Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of Salmon Creek Road (NF 2850) with NF Road 2906
    GPS: 47.98567, -123.00554
  • Sappho - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Clallam Transit Park and Ride station located at Sappho (Just east of the junction of Highway 101 and Highway 113). NE corner of the parking lot.
    GPS: 48.07061, -124.27898
  • Slab Camp Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of Slab Camp Road and Lost Mountain Road
    GPS: 48.00981, -123.17233

Clark County

  • WDFW Ridgefield Office - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Southwest Regional Office 5525 S 11th St, Ridgefield
    GPS: 45.807106, -122.692091

Columbia County

  • Kendall Monument - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    USFS boundary S of Kendall Monument on Skyline Rd
    GPS: 46.23565, -117.76879
  • Rainwater WLA - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Robinette Mt Rainwater WLA parking area
    GPS: 46.16373, -117.93526
  • Touchet Corral - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    NF Touchet Rd (NF RD 64) past RV parking area
    GPS: 46.09367, -117.84784
  • Whiskey Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Whiskey Creek and Jasper Mt Rd junction
    GPS: 46.16327, -117.98571
  • Wooten WLA Headquarters - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Small parking area in from of Wooten WLA office
    GPS: 46.33779, -117.67632

Cowlitz County

  • Weyerhaeuser 1900 - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of the 1900/1901 on Weyerhaeuser land near Kid Valley
    GPS: 46.37706, -122.60943
  • Weyerhaeuser 4100 - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of the 4100/4200 on Weyerhaeuser land east of the town of Toutle
    GPS: 46.30905, -122.6466

Ferry County

  • Boulder Highway - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Boulder Highway and Hwy 395 intersection
    GPS: 48.83666, -118.18738
  • Pine Grove Junction - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Intersection of Hwy 20 and 21 at the Pine Grove Junction Gas Station, just east of the town of Republic
    GPS: 48.65095, -118.68487
  • Sherman Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    vehicle pullout on Hwy 20 just west of the trout lake road.
    GPS: 48.58496, -118.20368

Garfield County

  • Rose Springs Sno-park - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Rose Springs Sno-park parking lot, Mountain Rd boundary of GMUs 166 and 175
    GPS: 46.27531, -117.55717

Grays Harbor County

  • Cougar Smith Road - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Intersection of Wynoochee Valley Road and Cougar Smith Road, north of Montesano
    GPS: 47.19105, -123.60122
  • Montesano office - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Parking lot at WDFW Montesano office
    GPS: 46.97402, -123.62301
  • Quinault Ridge Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Intersection of Hwy. 101 and Quinault Ridge Rd
    GPS: 47.34706, -123.90868

Jefferson County

  • Clearwater - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    At the junction of the Hoh/Clearwater Mainline and the C-3000 Road.
    GPS: 47.66995, -124.17544

King County

  • Beckler River Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Beckler River Road
    GPS: 47.72331, -121.33911
  • Lizard Lake - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Lizard Lake
    GPS: 47.28248, -121.35183

Kittitas County

  • Coleman Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Coleman Creek Road at the entrance to Naneum State Forest.
    GPS: 47.10453, -120.39865
  • Taneum Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    W Taneum Road, Entrance to L.T. Murray Wildlife Area.
    GPS: 47.08702, -120.79056

Klickitat County

  • Mt Adams Ranger Station - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Mt Adams Ranger Station, 2455 Hwy 141 Trout Lake
    GPS: 46.00012, -121.54205
  • Northwestern Lake Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    At the intersection of Northwestern Lake Rd and Big Buck Creek Rd/Lakeview Rd, just west of Northwestern Park
    GPS: 45.782, -121.51774

Lewis County

  • Peterman Hill Rd
    Peterman Hill Road, entrance to the Peterman Ridge Unit of the Cowlitz Wildlife Area
    GPS: 46.53417, -122.34213
  • Vail Tree Farm - West
    Western access point to Vail Tree Farm at intersection of Big Hanaford Rd and the 150 Rd near the gate-GMU667
    GPS: 46.75218, -122.77587

Mason County

  • George Adams - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Along Skokomish Valley Road across from the George Adams Hatchery north of Shelton
    GPS: 47.30103, -123.18236
  • Mill 5 - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Near Mill 5 off of W. Shelton Matlock Rd
    GPS: 47.24068, -123.29306

Okanogan County

  • Bonaparte Lake - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    At entrance to the US Forest Service Bonaparte Lake campground.
    GPS: 48.792497, -119.057478
  • Conconully - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    At the south end of main street by the Conconully State Park.
    GPS: 48.557192, -119.750186
  • East Chewuch Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    At the intersection of the Eastside Chewuck Road and the USFS 37 road.
    GPS: 48.563822, -120.176875
  • Loomis - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Down town Loomis, across from the Quicky Mart.
    GPS: 48.822025, -119.634589
  • Loup Loup Summit - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    At the intersection of the USFS 42 road and the USFS 100 road.
    GPS: 48.391809, -119.892716

Pend Oreille County

  • Crossroads
    Crossroads at intersection of Triangle Rd and Highway 20
    GPS: 48.30632, -117.28453
  • LeClerc Creek
    LeClerc Creek Road at the junction of the West and East branch Leclerc roads
    GPS: 48.53488, -117.28293

Skagit County

  • Holiday Sports (Hwy 20) - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    at Holiday Sports (on Hwy 20)
    GPS: 46.19817, -123.36819

Skamania County

  • USFS Beaver Campground - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    USFS Beaver Campground north of Stabler on the Wind River Hwy
    GPS: 45.85639, -121.95667

Snohomish County

  • Darrington - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Darrington USFS Ranger Station
    GPS: 48.26045, -121.6022

Spokane County

  • IEP Thompson Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Inland Empire Paper gate at Thompson Creek
    GPS: 47.8382, -117.0902
  • Inland Northwest Wildlife Council
    Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, 6116 N Market St., Spokane
    GPS: 47.71357, -117.36431
  • WDFW Spokane Office
    WDFW Region 1 office (2315 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley) - Lab rollup door (for after hour and weekend drop off)
    GPS: 47.67798, -117.22633

Stevens County

  • Bear Creek
    Bear Creek Road where it enters the Little Pend Oreille Refuge
    GPS: 48.46838, -117.75511
  • Burnt Valley Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Burnt Valley Road and Snook Road intersection
    GPS: 48.33726, -117.6239
  • Narcisse Creek
    Narcisse Creek Road where it enters the Little Pend Oreille Refuge
    GPS: 48.48124, -117.72932
  • Springdale-Hunters Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Intersection of Hwy 231 and the Springdale-Hunters road, just west of the town of Springdale
    GPS: 48.05945, -117.75634
  • Tacoma Creek Rd
    Hwy 20 and Tacoma Creek Road intersection
    GPS: 48.39469, -117.3151

Thurston County

  • Skookumchuck WLA
    Skookumchuck Wildlife Area main parking lot on north side of Skookumchuck Rd SE
    GPS: 46.79082, -122.74347
  • Vail Tree Farm - North
    Northern Access Point to Vail Tree Farm, intersection of Sorenson Rd SE and Weyerhauser Truck Rd SE
    GPS: 46.80837, -122.4827

Wahkiakum County

  • Cathlamet Chevron - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    at Cathlamet Chevron
    GPS: 46.19817, -123.36819

Whatcom County

  • Welcome Grocery Store - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    SE corner of the Welcome Grocery Store building (5565 Mt Baker Hwy, Deming)
    GPS: 48.83807, -122.16678

Yakima County

  • Nasty Creek - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of North Fork and Nasty Creek Roads.
    GPS: 46.56476, -120.91966
  • Oak Creek Rd - Barrel Retrieved and Unavailable
    Junction of Oak Creek Road (1400) and Hwy 12
    GPS: 46.72399, -120.81432