This was just posted the other day. I have spent 70% of my hunting time this season hunting late season grouse. They are attributing the move to west nile virus.

Yes rumor has it the Grouse have filed a grievance. The birds are required to stay out all day but they never see, any hunters.

I don't hunt the way I did in my younger days, but 3 years ago was the last grouse I flushed. There where a few living in my back woods but they seem to have died or left my woods. I always saw them drumming in the spring but not in the last 3 years,west Niles is prevalent in my neck of the woods so there might be something to it. Hunting grouse in late season was definitely one of my favorite things to do. I had a big strip mine area ( near  Slippery Rock)that was over grown with pines and hemlock,grapevine,and areas with snow berries, 30-40 flushes a.day where the norm. That was in the 80's and 90's. Fun while it lasted.

  It is a shame losing Grouse. Grouse populations in my areas have also collapsed. There are a few around but I have not hunted them this year and only hunted a couple times last year. I put two up this year while walking the one area that few years ago I would have flushed 10 . That was the third walk first two walks I flushed none. I will not shoot a game animal when they are struggling. I feel they should be shutting down the Grouse season at least where this collapse is happening.
   Grouse Hunting has always been my favorite hunt of all. 

 It's been bad enough to even find a  in Brady Township this winter.

I agree that grouse should be left alone in areas where the population is in decline or onna down cycle.

Looks like one might have to buy a pheasant permit if one wants to hunt birds (non waterfowl) after deer season.

I go to a pheasant preserve before I'd buy a game lands stamp.

everyone is complaining about a pheasant stamp look at it this way we pay for a muzzleloader /archery/bear and every other stamp out there and the game commission don't stock deer or bear . but they stock pheasant they cost us money to raise meaning people that buy a lic that don't hunt them still pay. just think about  that a min. before you jump. I used to hunt pheasant when I had a dog but not now. I guess I would buy a stamp if I had dogs again.

Very true, but we all pay for things we don't use. The registration fees for pleasure boaters, jet skis, etc. go into the general PFBC fund and is spent on fish related cost that they don't use either.

I'm not sure the complaint is as much about the permit, but more about it costing more than a general license.

The pheasant permit passed the preliminary meeting.

I typically have a core pheasant hunting party of 2-3 people that I take every time they can go. They are still up for going with the permit, mainly because they get to go 4-6 times per season.

I fill in the remaining spots up to the allowable five hunters on a first-cone-first-to-get-a-spot basis. These folks typically hunt other game, but go along for pheasants once per season.

None of these casual pheasant hunters are willing to pony up the $25 for a one hunt season.