I tend to disagree here. I have hunted around the London area alot he last few years and I have shot pheasants, grouse and wood ####, and I have seen lots of turkeys, deer and waterfowl.
Having said that, I live about 20 north west of Kingston and I love it here. Great hunting for just about anything you want, the only thing we don't have that the London area does is pheasant, and most guys aound here that want to chase the ditch parrots go to a game farm.
I think both areas have pleanty to offer, it might be best to check out both areas to make sure you make an informed decision.
Not sure where around London you encountered grouse and pheasants in a huntable number. My family has a fairly large farm (3000 acres) 15 mintues from London and I having been working the land for 20+ years and think I have seen 10 pheasants and maybe 20 grouse over this time frame. I hunt for deer in south-central ontario and see more grouse in a week then I would in a decade around here.
Reference Ontario Out of Doors for more information. They have an article on Pheasants and this is a qoute "In 1997, a reintroduction programme was announced, which eventually partnered the Rural Lambton Stewardship Network (RLSN) and the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and others. Five years later, after public consultations, environmental assessments, and a host of preparations, 46 wild pheasants were released in Lambton County. By 2004, a total of 210 birds had been trapped and transferred successfully from near Leader, Saskatchewan, to release sites in Ontario's Lambton and Elgin Counties.
Initially, these western birds seemed to adapt well. Unfortunately, the most recent surveys indicate no pheasant sightings in Lambton County and only a small pocket of 30 to 40 birds in Elgin County. At best, the latter group is holding its ground; at worst, it's merely two years behind the initial group in a steady decline."
"From a hunter's perspective, however, the pheasant reintroduction has failed. While no one could have reasonably expected a huntable population of birds to emerge from these reintroductions in so short a time, most of us were hoping for a slow increase in numbers and perhaps a small trap-and-transfer effort modelled after the wild turkey programme. Instead, there's been a steady decline since the initial releases."
For comparison I have hunted wild turkey for 10 years and have gotten a bird every year. There have been days when we have seen 20 birds within shooting distance and I have yet to see a pheasant or a grouse...although I was very excited to hear a grouse drumming last spring.
There is a huntable population of woodcock for a month or so during migration...remember that you need a migratory bird license and not a small game license.
