Small game populations heading into the seasons are expected to be good to excellent for squirrels and rabbits, and fair to good for grouse. Limited pheasant reproduction has also occurred, but most pheasants taken by hunters will come from 200,000 or so released by the Game Commission just prior to and during the season. I don't anticipate an upswing in the statewide population. It'll be similar to last year or little lower. Rabbits and squirrels, seem to be more promising.
Squirrels continue to do well mostly because they're under-harvested.
Rabbits are another story. The mild winter, followed by an early, somewhat dry spring, appears to have allowed good adult survival and successful early nests. In parts of the state receiving adequate moisture through summer, this could be one of those years where this spring's young are producing their own litters by summer's end. It could be a bull year for rabbits. Buy a beagle, take a kid.