Just last year, The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) cooperated with Mead-Westvaco on a special late-season (January-February) grouse-hunting lease announcement close to Elkins. With logging the ultimate key to grouse and other early successional species, this is only logical. What's more, it's always nice to hunt an area deemed good enough to be part of a study.

To keep abreast of grouse-hunting possibilities, consider joining the RGS, which is located out of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania; call (412) 262-4044 to reach Mark Banker. Banker is a regional official who has actively promoted grouse habitat on the Monongahela. As a member, you could get official notice of such special leases and other information. They'll even add you to an e-mail list upon request.

For another grouse hunting option down along the southeastern spine of the state, there's the 5,130-acre Greenbrier State Forest (SF). This state forest is in Greenbrier County just south of the White Sulphur Springs exit off Interstate 64.

Again, the past logging activities at Greenbrier SF are just the ticket. And some of it is or may be growing into prime grouse habitat. The Greenbrier SF's hiking trails could be just for you come December. For a trail map and local conditions, call the Caldwell office of the forest at (304) 536-1944.

For some coalfields action in the southwestern segment, where grouse numbers had really plummeted, there's still the advantage of much unposted private land and public lands. Large landholding companies have generally been gracious. However, leasing is growing fast, particularly in the bowhunting-only deer counties such as Logan.

Logan-area bird dog breeder and trainer Jared Justice is longing for good grouse hunting just like the rest of us. As the local pre-1977 old strip- mine benches grow out of their prime into pole timber, Jared has resorted to hunting the perimeters of the post-1977 coal strip mine.

Before 1977, shoot-and-shove surface coal mining along the contour left quite a bit of erosion as well as hundreds of miles of unreclaimed highwalls. These reverted into easily walked contour bench grouse hotspots in their prime years of the 1980s and 1990s. Many of these ridges have been mined again to get the leftover coal.

Prime southwestern coalfield counties include the likes of Fayette, Raleigh, Kanawha, Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Wyoming and McDowell, to name a few. If the local grouse situation is still a bust, look yet to another hunting companion for assistance.

Rabbit hunters are a great source of quail information. Bobwhites can still be found here and there and may be on a bit of a Mountain State recovery. With the season open through early January, there's always a covey or two to be found. Mingo, Lincoln and Wayne counties offer some decent bobwhite quail prospects.

Jared Justice states that his quail opportunities rival those of grouse during the recent down years. Some reclaimed coal strip complexes are boasting a few decent coveys. The DNR's Director Jezioro adds that both Eastern and Northern panhandle farms still carry some quail and ring-necked pheasants to boot.

Access can be difficult, however, and hunters must be reminded that trespassing is not only unethical but also illegal in West Virginia. On the other hand, after deer season, permission to hunt may be as easy as asking. Whether or not the grouse are up or down in your area could be just a matter of legwork and dog work, so to speak. So get out there and give it a try. The grouse or native pheasant season gives you the entire months of January and February to take advantage of wing-shooting opportunities.

As the down years for grouse may be ending, we hope that folks are donning silly grins and muttering under their breath that ruffed grouse are back! We look forward to their return.