Foster’s Daily Democrat in NH brought up an interesting point a few days ago concerning fall turkey hunting season. For years it was difficult to find wild turkey in New England let alone hunt them. Wild turkey vanished from our forest like the Mohegans and Pequots, but back in 1970s, many New England states received seed birds from nearby states. Fortunately the fall turkey story has changed—and the spring turkey story, too. We are silly with birds up here and being the staid New Englanders we are, not prone to bragging. The Strut Zone, however, let the “bird” out of the bag, so to speak, a while back with
Hatches Are Off the Hook in New England. But back to the Foster’s point.
The spring turkey season is an added bonus season to a New England hunter’s line-up with the fall turkey season seeming oddly out of place. Once the leaves change color, we have upland birds and then hooves on the brain. In that order. The only time turkey came to mind was Thanksgiving Day, a day that torments a New England hunter—should I hunt birds or hunt deer? If fall turkey season wasn’t enough to throw off our Yankee hunting disposition, there is the practice of using dogs to hunt fall turkey. In some parts of the US, dogs are used to find and flush fall turkey flocks. The practice is legal in NH, ME, VT, NY, and PA. Out of 44 states that have a fall turkey hunting season, 29 states allow the use of a dog. You might want to ask your pointer what he or she thinks about adding another scent to their oeuvre of bird work. Me? I am still going to continue to flip a coin the eve of Thanksgiving to decide if I pull out a rifle or a shotgun.
Back in 2004 the NY Department of Evironmental Conservation (DEC) launched a study called the Cooperator Ruffed Grouse Hunting Log. The program asks grouse hunters to keep a daily log of their grouse hunting activity. In the 2004-2005 season, 274 hunters kept a journal and logged over 8,000 hours afield and over 6,600 grouse flushed, which calculates to about 0.8 flushes per hour (FPH). During the 2005-2006 season, some 284 hunters participated and gathered data from over 2,800 hunting trips, 8,000 hours afield and 8,000 flushes or about 1 FPH.
The western part of the state has the highest number of grouse flushed and harvested. If you're interested in wild NY birds try these regions where the FPH rate was highest:
This year’s Vintage Cup or the 11th Annual Side-by-Side Championships and Exhibition will be held September 27 thru 30 at 
Ruger’s earnings more than tripled in the second quarter with $.22 per share, compared to $.06 per share in the same period last year. Perhaps part of the surge is Ruger’s strategy of bringing new products to market. Take, for instance, the new Hawkeye line of rifles. Ruger is one of those companies that continually tweaks it designs to make them better. The Hawkeye evolved from the Model 77 and Model 77 Mark II. No doubt Leatherstocking would like the latest incantation. The marketing team must have been reading 
Tom at 
Smith & Wesson posted record first-quarter sales with a 39% increased compared to the same period last year. This is a company to watch with its recent acquisition of Thompson/Center Arms, the 150-year-old company shows no signs of shooting blanks in the marketplace. Firearm sales were up 55.2% and handgun sales at retail locations spiked 41%.
The 36th annual 
Since 1906 the Cape’s sea shore has been stocked with pheasant and hunting was been allowed since 1914, making it was one of the oldest hunting programs in the US. But in 2002 a federal suit filed by anti-hunting groups brought the hunting to a stop. The fate of the land and how it would be used for recreational purposes was in limbo.
This past September the National Park Service recommended restoring hunting opportunities on this popular federal hunting area. MA hunters rejoice. The National Park Service’s plan will reinstate pheasant stocking at the Seashore for the next 17 years while increasing the opportunities for hunting native game birds, like northern bobwhite quail and eastern turkey, by creating a more quail-friendly environment. The restoration part of the plan includes restoring and maintaining heathland and grassland habitat and as the amount of quail habitat increases over time, the number of pheasants released, or stocked, would be reduced. It is a compromise between hunters and anti’s. The real question is will the quail populations become self-sustaining. We have seen in New England wild turkey flourish and it is hoped bobwhites will too.
Have a conversation with anyone who hunts grouse and the subject of diminishing habitat comes up. The increase in mature forests has a direct correlation to lower grouse populations. And fewer farms mean that less land is being cleared. Grouse and woodcock, as well as other wildlife, depend on forest habitat that has been clear cut.
And though a clear cut isn't the prettiest landscape it is vital. One way of creating a clear cut that is wildlife friendly is to clear no more than 15 acres and make sure it's shaped irregularly. Include at least one drumming log per acre cut and also leave any soft mast shrub and tree species present, particularly grape vines as well as a hard mast trees like oaks, hickories and beech. So if that's the plan how does it get executed? Well the 
Back in 1988, 
The state of 