Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Ruffed grouse may be considered upland game birds, but ruffed grouse hunting is not like any other upland adventure. First, finding grouse requires an able body and a great deal of determination because these birds are often found in dense thickets along steep hillsides. Second, even when you find and flush the birds you still have to contend with the natural shield formed by the landscape. Grouse are masters at sneaking out the back way, and most of the time you'll get one brief moment to point, shoot and hope for the best.

Ruffed grouse are inarguably the most challenging of all upland targets. Most hunters easily take pheasants and quail, but every grouse bagged is cause for celebration. That is what makes ruffed grouse hunting unique and worth the effort.

The majority of the ruffed grouse hunting in Ohio takes place in the southern and eastern portions of the state, where forested hills dominate the landscape.

According to Keith Morrow, the Ohio Division of Wildlife's District Four wildlife management supervisor, aging forests are creating a problem for grouse, which thrive in thick "edge" cover and secondary forests with five to 15 years of growth.

In the late 1960s, Ohio's forests comprised 55 percent saplings, 13 percent pole timber and 32 percent mature trees. The sapling and pole growth provided excellent habitat for grouse. During the late 1970s, when the "energy crisis" forced us to look for alternative energy sources, timber cutting combined with relatively young forests and reverting abandoned farms provided ideal conditions for ruffed grouse. Flush rates averaged one or two birds per hour of hunting through the early 1980s.

Today, the forest mix includes 12 percent saplings, 25 percent pole timber and 63 percent climax forest. This shift has limited the grouse populations. The best counties in Ohio now post approximately one flush per 100 hours of hunting.

Morrow says that a significant rebound in Ohio's grouse population would require widespread cutting to alter the existing forest mix.

While grouse aren't exactly flourishing in Ohio's mature forests, there are definitely bright spots and localized populations. Morrow listed Scioto and Jackson counties as two top picks. An ice storm in February of 2003 drastically altered the landscape in favor of grouse.

"The storm caused a drastic habitat change through most of the forests in those counties. The storms set the habitat back to a brushy stage."

Morrow also recommends Monroe, Washington, Lawrence, and Gallia counties. Here's a closer look at each of these counties and the best places to find grouse on public land this season.

SCIOTO COUNTY
Located along the southern border of the state Scioto County is typical of other southeastern Ohio counties. The landscape is hilly, remote and wooded.

Last year, hunters flushed 1.10 birds per 100 hours of hunting. Hunters with dogs can expect better results. Be willing to scout and work your way to remote coverts that others may not be willing to reach.

At the heart of the county is Shawnee State Forest, also called "the Little Smokies of Ohio." First inhabited by the Shawnee Indians, the forest later supported building stone quarrying and forestry.

In 1922, the state purchased the first 5,000 acres of the forest. Today the forest covers over 60,000 acres, making it the largest of 20 state forests in Ohio. An ice storm that knocked down and uprooted hundreds of thousands of trees have turned the forest into a prime target this fall for grouse hunters. The combination of clear-cuts, downed trees and new brushy growth should improve grouse-hunting opportunities over the next few seasons.