Gonahh....
Agree that we had something special here in Pa.....On top of what you mentioned, you could have 30 to 40 flush days on Ruffed Grouse....And the Grouse hung on longer than the Pheasants or Quail.
Used to travel the turnpike thru the areas you mentioned and you were more likely to find Pheasants hit by cars than Deer. Travel some of that land today, especially thru some of the Amish country were land use has changed little....and you will have to look hard for a Pheasant. Great habitat...and the Amish are not killing them all...as they are often blamed to do on anything huntable. Something other than hunting/habitat is responsible for wild Bird numbers declining.
Even on the edges of our mill towns in Westmoreland we had Pheasants and Grouse....Edges where there was limited farming. The edges of RR tracks that passed thru wood had Grouse and Pheasants in huntable numbers. Then slowly gone for the most part.
Mentioned the same to more than one Game Warden and was told Pheasants need big corn fields....Didn't believe we ever could find limits in large weed patches bordered by woods. Some also told me....Turkeys can only populate in the big woods....well now they are in downtown Pittsburgh. Daughter lives in suburbia and has them in her yard on a regular basis.
The GC line for years was Grouse were dying out because of lack of habitat...While the dedicated Grouse hunters were telling them they know of perfect covers that hold few or no Birds. And for years it fell on the deaf ears. Then finally they sent some out to actually look at the covers. Guess what? "Yes, there should be Birds here." So finally they decided to look into it. Their current answer is West Nile. Well their methodology of coming to that conclusion is suspect, but they are sticking to it.
Small game Bird hunters here? With the exception of Pa stocked, they are a dying breed. It is rare to cross paths with one other than when hunting stocked. Another dirty secret is most Bird hunters are not all that willing to hunt hard for Grouse....They hit the stocked fields for an hour or so...and if not successful go home to watch the games. Can't miss the Steeler game for hunting.
If you don't have Birds to hunt and want to shoot shotguns...where do you go? Clays? And I see it almost on a weekly basis...Sporting Clays is the game. One course close by this year has scheduled over 100 corporate or charity events. Events that most time have 100 plus shooters. And the manager said if not for Covid, it would have been more. You can hardly call them anymore to just go and shoot. The facility often is booked for 2 events a day. And it is surprising the number of women showing up and finding more than a little fun shooting shotguns. Back to the subject, ehh!!!
Women are bringing other women out to shoot sporting clays, and they don't necessarily need or want the men around telling them..."This is how you should do it honey."
Watched that happen...over and over... to one girl. During a break, I sat down beside her and said...."I bet that gets old." I can't right now remember her reply, but I was laughing out loud it was so good....and from a really attractive girl...colorful. Something like....Oh yea, I'm f......trying to miss, just so I can have you talking into my ear, while I'm trying to hit something." That wasn't exactly it, but it was outstanding...
In addition, many of them eventually start looking at the good stuff. And I know a couple that have got into Bird hunting and Dogs. And some can play....
Perhaps clays may help in bringing us back around?????
Last edited by battue; 08/17/21.
