I have only had the opportunity to hunt ruffed grouse and woodcock. Up here the grouse are the only bird anyone really hunts. It' s not much of a challenge though, because unless it' s a smart old drummer the birds don' t like to flush. It' s almost like they are a different species than the grouse that inhabit the more southern parts of the state.

I like to try for woodcock while I' m grouse hunting, because they taste great and are a real challenge to shoot. Their small size and erratic flight patterns make them difficult to get.

As far as pheasants go, the state used to release farm-raised birds and let hunters shoot them. Not sure if they still do that, but to me that isn' t real hunting. I' d love to hunt wild pheasant someday though, they seem to be quite a challenge from what I have read.