I don't live in Western NC but as close as you can get in Eastern TN. I hunted the Cherokee NF (borders Pisgah NF) extensively in the 90's and grouse were plentiful and I would always hear them drumming in the spring turkey woods but since about 2001-2002 they seemed to have vanished. I used to have 2 pointers that I hunted quail and grouse over but once they both died I never replaced them due to not being able to "keep feathers in their mouths", as both quail and grouse populations crashed. Take a trip to the UP of Michigan to hunt the large public land opportunities and you won't be disappointed.
