Photo by Tim Lesmeister.

When it comes to grouse hunting in Ohio, the news is both good and bad. The bad news is that for decades, Ohio's grouse populations have been on a slow, steady decline. Modern forestry practices and the public's love affair with big trees have transformed Ohio's once-healthy mixed forestlands into endless stands of climax forest, which are not conducive to sustaining grouse populations.

Now for the good news.

Throughout Ohio, local grouse populations are on the rise, which means there is still plenty of good hunting available. The ingredients for a successful grouse hunt include knowing where the birds are and a willingness to work to get to them.

We'll supply the "where to go" information for hunters willing to put in an honest day's work climbing the slopes and making their way through thick, tangled cover.

Here's where to find some good grouse hunting in Ohio this fall:

DISTRICT FOUR
The Ohio Division of Wildlife's District Four is no doubt the cornerstone of Buckeye State grouse hunting. This unglaciated, forested region has always been the place to be for ruffed grouse.

The center of southeastern Ohio's grouse lands is the 63,000-acre Shawnee State Forest, the largest of Ohio's state forests.

"Shawnee is probably the top destination for grouse hunting in the district because of the severe ice storm that occurred in February 2003," said Mike Reynolds, an Ohio Division of wildlife biologist. "It caused quite a bit of disturbance and opened up the forest canopy. This allowed dense shrubs like greenbrier and other small trees to fill in."

As every grouse hunter knows, the best grouse cover is the thickest. Stands of 5- to 15- year-old saplings with low, woody cover are perfect for grouse. By the time the 2007 upland season opens, the areas that were affected by the ice storm will be 4 1/2 years old, which means they'll be prime grouse cover.

Shawnee State Forest is bisected by state Route 125. Reynolds recommends exploring the region south of the highway, where the storm was most severe. He noted that in this region, there are thousands of acres of habitat worth exploring.

Based on recent Grouse Hunter Diary returns, Buckeye State hunters can expect slightly more than one flush per hour of hunting here in Scioto County. This was the best flush rate in the state.

The best way to access the southern portion of the forest is via its network of forestry maintenance roads. Just pick a road and drive until you find good grouse habitat.

But be prepared to work because as Reynolds notes, this is one of the toughest areas in Ohio to hunt. Only the southern reaches of Monroe and Washington counties near the Ohio River match the steep, rugged terrain. The huge numbers of blowdowns, which have created the new grouse habitat, can make walking through this area a challenge.

Reynolds' last tip is to check out the ridges where thickets of greenbrier exist. Many hunters report that this is where they have been flushing the most birds.

For maps or more information, contact the ODOW's District Four office, 360 East State Street, Athens OH 45701; or call (740) 589-9930. Also contact the Shawnee State Forest office, 13291 U.S. Route 52, West Portsmouth, OH 45663-8906; or call (740) 858-6685.

In addition to Shawnee State Forest, Reynolds also recommended Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County and Tar Hollow State Forest in Ross County. Both are actively managed for timber, and continuous cuttings have created areas of new growth. In addition, both state forests also contain grouse-management areas, parcels of land specifically managed to create better grouse habitat.

These management areas are open to hunting and receive some pressure they are still worth a look. Biologists and forest managers report plenty of grouse drumming every spring in these management areas.

The Zaleski State Forest Grouse Management Area is off Baptist Church Road and Atkinson Road via state Route 278. The Grouse Management Area is east of Route 278 in Zaleski.

Tar Hollow hunters can access the grouse management area, which lies in the northwestern corner of the property, via Coey Hollow Road and state forest roads 11 and 12.

At both locations, hunters can expect rugged terrain, but not as steep or daunting as Shawnee State Forest with fewer blowdowns.

According to data collected from the Grouse Hunter Diary survey, Vinton County yielded .7 flushes per hour, or one bird per 1 1/2 hours of hunting. Ross County was slightly lower with .5 flushes per hour, or one flush per two hours of hunting.