It should come as no surprise then that West Virginia joined in a multi-state effort to study the grouse's decline. Our DNR threw in labor and funding along with the Ruffed Grouse Society and a host of others. Mead-Westvaco graciously allowed its lands here to be used as part of the study area for this massive research effort.

As perhaps the largest grouse project ever undertaken, the Appalachian Cooperative Grouse Research Project (ACGRP) was born. Final project reports were produced just last year and distributed at a likely get-together location. You guessed right if you chose West Virginia. Also, in response to the DNR Commission's requests for grouse guidance, in-state staff provided their own grouse recommendations just last year. They relied heavily on the ACGRP study in doing so.

The DNR's now-retired Tom Allen did a lot of the in-state fieldwork, along with other biologists like Bill Igo and so many others, a list too lengthy to print. However, there are some common themes that came out of this monumental effort. We hope we can do it some justice here.

Before you shun this information, bear in mind that it was based upon 3,118 grouse captured from 12 sites in eight states over six years! That's thousands of radio-located nesting hens to provide the backbone of the big study.

The forces of nature, particularly cold, wet springs during the early brood-rearing period of late May and early June, have wreaked havoc on grouse populations. Cold, wet, chick-killing spring rains also affect acorns and other masts important to grouse.

Present hunting seasons and limits on grouse pale in comparison to these stated forces of nature. That is, they do not appear to be limiting grouse. In other words, further limiting of hunting is not likely to cause an increase in the population.

The solution and thus recovery in the Appalachian grouse population can thus be as simple as being dealt a few weather aces by Mother Nature. One or two springs that allow for both better mast and chick survival may already have been dealt. The late May and early June weather of 2005 was warm and relatively dry. Halleluiah!

Those key ingredients, plus the fact that things apparently just can't get much worse, are certainly a turnaround from the past few years. The brood counts data and local forecasts should reflect some positive change. Deer hunters are usually a good source for local updates. Most of them have laid down their arms by now.

The DNR's new director and passionate grouse hunter himself, Frank Jezioro, is savvy to the situation and is hoping for the best with the rest of us. He is looking for bright spots wherever he can find them. And he has several sources.

Statewide brood count data is being collected. Flushing rates are monitored by a group of volunteer hunters. Spring gobbler hunter survey participants count grouse drumming and flushing rates. Jezioro advised that the mountain or national forest counties have been looking good.

These mountain counties were some of the only bright spots during the 2004 brood counts. Early results from the spring 2005 gobbler hunters also confirmed some decent drumming rates, according to Jezioro. This means that some of the most famous counties of the state should be boasting decent grouse numbers, too. The national forest favorites like Randolph, Tucker, Pocahontas, Preston, Greenbrier, Pendleton and Monroe are ones to look at for starters.