Marty, I agree with you and there will be no turn around in our lifetimes. 20 years ago a hunter in Va had it pretty good. Fairly abundant Grouse in your National Forests and Quail if one looked long enough. For whatever reason (and there's a lot of different takes on the subject), those two species have faded away to virtually unhuntable numbers. I took my last Va Grouse probably 5 years ago now. This year I have been out twice and not heard a bird. This is with a pretty decent educated setter who has produced birds for me in the upper Midwest. I've shot exactly two wild Virginia Bobwhites over that dog since she was a puppy and she's now 8. Even those two birds I felt a bit guilty about. Public land birds and well earned and I believe you have to reward the dog for a job well done.
Regarding Woodcock, the reality is the birds are declining for sure. However, most bird hunters around here hunt public land and most Woodcock aren't on public land because there is so little of it. Therefore most Woodcock aren't subject to hunting pressure because they don't encounter that pressure for the most part. Certainly there are exceptions, but the decline in Woodcock populations aren't due to hunting pressure IMO. There is another bigger factor in play. Not sure what that is and I don't believe the biologists know either.
Sadly, if a hunter up in their years wants to hunt wild birds in the South East US the only bird out there is indeed the Woodcock. My 67 year old legs can't climb the mountains around here for the most part and there's not much point anyway. I call it an armed walk and that's not bad. At some point that will be good enough, but I live for walking in on a solid bird dog screwed into the ground, sucking that bird scent in.
IMO, most younger hunters aren't going to go out and walk for 2 or 3 hours with the hopes of shooting a bird or two. They are going to go to a preserve and pluck down a pile of money and break out their black guns with the heaviest loads imaginable and have at it. Just the reality of today's bird hunting world in the SE United States.
I have very little desire to go to shooting preserves, because its not much fun for me and its only slightly more fun for the dog. I recall more then a few years ago a buddy who had two French Brits (both gone now) who had hunted quite a bit on wild birds. He took them to a shooting preserve to hunt planted Quail. First dog went out and locked up on the bird scent and then creeped in and lifted its leg and took a piss right on the planted Quail.
Anyway, interesting topic indeed. FWIW, the last day of Va Woodcock season is right around the corner. I'll get out at least one more time with Sophie, mostly just to take it all in. As the old saying goes, tomorrow is never promised.
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