As folks head out to look for forest grouse over the next few weeks, Fish and Game biologists would like to remind hunters to keep an eye out for “wing barrels.’ These are trash cans with Fish and Game logos on them, located throughout the state at key access points, with instructions for depositing a single wing from each bird.
Fish and Game uses these wings to gather sex and age data on harvested birds, which provides information on brood success, hatch timing and sex ratios. This helps monitor grouse populations and can help explain annual variations in harvest rates and success.
We appreciate hunters’ help with this important piece of data on our forest grouse, and wish them good luck this hunting season.
For more information on grouse hunting, check out the Upland Game webpage and pick up a copy of the 2022-2023 Idaho Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer seasons and rules booklet available at all Fish and Game offices, license vendors and online.