Access is off I-89. To get into the southern portion, take exit 14 or 15 off I-89. From Exit 14, take Route 10 south to Butternut Pond Road. You can park at the pond's access road and walk into the hunting area. From Exit 15, head toward Shaker Village and Route 4A. Take Route 4A south to Town Farm Road or Bog Road. Traveling north on Route 4A, access to the northern section is north of the Mascoma Lake boat-launching ramp.

MASSACHUSETTS
Fox Den WMA
In western Massachusetts, grouse hunters will enjoy poking through Fox Den Wildlife Management Area in the towns of Middlefield, Worthington and Chester. Most of the state's grouse population resides in the western portion of the state. Many find their way into Fox Den. This area is one of the larger land tracts in the state at 3,770 acres.

Most of the region is forested with beech, maple, birch and white ash. Foresters have clear-cut small sections within the forest to create new grouse habitat. Hunters will also find some scattered white pine and hemlock along stream corridors, in shaded ravines and on poor drainage areas. There is also a Norway spruce plantation in the Middlefield section of the forest. When hunting the area, expect to cross several small, unnamed brooks and the larger Tuttle Brook.

This area includes several sections. The best way to get to Fox Den is from Route 8 in Hinsdale. Take Route 143 east from Hinsdale to West Worthington. Turn onto East River Road southward. Parking areas and logging roads are along this road.

Another good access point is in Middlefield. Continue south on East River Road to Cone Road. Turn right, and then take the next right onto Chipman Road. Pull-offs on Chipman Road provide access to the spruce plantation.

Blandford and Huntington Conservation Easement
Grouse hunters will find this region interesting. It only has 405 acres, but it borders the 2,300-acre Chester-Blandford State Forest. This is a hilly area with elevations ranging from 400 to 1,380 feet.

The forest has a little of everything that attracts grouse. Part of the forest is made up of oak trees, which drop plenty of acorns. Another portion has a mixture of beech, maple and birch. Hemlocks also line the streams. For added attraction, the understory and open areas are dominated by mountain laurel, striped maples, hop hornbeam and witch hazel.

This forest is easy to find. Take Exit 3 off the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90). Travel east on Route 20 for about 20 miles. Pass Chester and the West Branch Westfield River, and watch for the signs for Chester-Blandford State Forest. Pass the forest access road and pull into the easement's roadside parking areas.

CONNECTICUT
Housatonic State Forest
No discussion on Connecticut grouse hunting would be complete without mentioning Housatonic State Forest. At 7,181 acres, it is one of the state's largest forests. Housatonic State Forest is not one large, contiguous tract of land, however. Through purchases and donations, the state Department of Environmental Protection has assembled a forest consisting of many separate land parcels. One of these is known as the Canaan Mountain Tract.

Canaan Mountain and its twin sister, Bradford Mountain, have plateau-like tops. After a steep climb from the access point, the mountains level off to a mixture of hardwood and evergreen forests. Throughout the area, small patches of clearcuts exist for added grouse habitat.

The main access point is off Route 7 in Canaan. From South Canaan at the junction of routes 7 and 63, travel north on Route 7. After three miles, look on the left side of Route 7 for the Robbins Swamp Wildlife Management Area access point. The Housatonic State Forest access is across the street from Robbins Swamp.