Here in Pennsylvania, we have young forest that has become mature, and mature forest that gets clear cut or selective cut. We have clean farming farmland and Amish farms and abandoned farms that are mostly brush and early succession forest.
In other words, we still have plenty of good habitat, although that good habitat changes locations as the fields and forests either mature or are again cut or plowed. Still, we have seen a dramatic decline in Ruffed Grouse, and Ringneck Pheasants have been scarce to non-existant for over 30 years. Our brilliant Penna. Game Commission has never corrected the error they made by allowing the shooting of Pheasant hens. Their biologists refuse to see the connection between formerly very healthy populations, and the rapid decline after allowing the killing of the hens.
Grouse has always been cyclical, but since the introduction of the eastern coyote, the cycle has ratcheted downwards dramatically. I don't think having a Red-tailed Hawk on every other telephone wire is helping small game populations either. Wild Turkeys are also not nearly as plentiful as they were a decade or so ago. Again, I place most of the blame on coyotes... and the Game Commission that brought them here.
