For nearly 50 years now, the annual flushing rate for Pennsylvania’s grouse--the measure for which grouse populations are determined--has averaged 1.46 flushes per hour.

The state’s best year for flushing grouse was 1995, when hunters tallied 1.74 birds per hour. The lowest year in recent times was 2001, with a rate of 1.51. The 2006 grouse-flushing rate--the last year for which numbers were available--was the highest rate posted in five years.

At first glance, these numbers may seem dismal, but they are averages. Some grouse hunters have flushed four birds or more per hour--and that’s not bad at all!

Typically, the Northwest and North Central regions harbor the highest populations of grouse, while the South Central and Southeast regions have the lowest. In all these regions, however, pockets of good grouse habitat will hold some birds.

TIOGA STATE FOREST
In North Central Pennsylvania, Tioga State Forest is a great place to hunt grouse. Its 164,975 acres give the birds plenty of room.

Most of the forest features high, wooded slopes where aspen and beech grow in profusion.

A major section worth investigating lies north of Ansonia and the western turn of Pine Creek. In this area of Shippen Township, the forest consists of a number of heavily wooded ridges, with the stream ravines of Asaph Run and Straight Run.

Actually, the best ridges are on the two branches of Asaph and Straight creeks, appropriately called Left and Right Asaph Runs and Left and Right Straight Run.

Upstream of where the branches connect, the cover is generally much higher and more heavily wooded.

Between the Asaph Run branches is Middle Ridge, and in the middle of the Straight Run branches is Broad Ridge. Each ridge forms a broad V that narrows as you near the juncture of the streams. This is helpful to know because if you get turned around while crashing through thick cover on rocky ground, you can work your way downhill and eventually come to the junction of the streams where there are also road connections.