This hunt occurred when I was 65 years old. Grouse were considered to be at the peak of their eight-to-11 year cycle.
Since then, I have watched grouse populations plummet year after year in the Northeast. The decline has been so rapid and severe that one state has canceled their grouse hunting season. If I were to repeat this hunt now, hunting the same covers, I would be very surprised to flush more than one grouse.
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