A crisp autumn or winter day is the perfect time to spend some glorious hours working the dogs on a grouse hunt. In Ohio, the best hunts will be found in the south and southeastern regions.

Upland bird hunting in these counties presents the kind of hearty challenge that grouse hunters relish. The terrain tends to be hilly and covered with brush and briars.

Grouse are not as abundant in Ohio as they once were, but there are still places where the right kind of habitat exists on public land, and thanks to land management practices already underway, these places are becoming more numerous. Ohio's public wildlife areas offer natural scenery as beautiful as one could wish for, with plenty of opportunities for hunting ruffed grouse. Hunters can still experience the thrill of a bird exploding from cover nearly underfoot and the moment of unparalleled satisfaction when they make the shot and the well-trained dog retrieves the bird. These are the moments grouse hunters anticipate all year, and they are waiting to happen in the pockets of Ohio public land where grouse hide.

According to Mike Reynolds of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the 2009 grouse season will run from Oct. 10 to Jan. 31. There will be no February hunt this year. The bag limit will be reduced to two birds per day per hunter. However, with an average flush rate of 3.7 birds per hour and a reduction in drumming counts as well, reducing the harvest at this time is an appropriate step toward increasing numbers in the future.

One of the reasons for the abundance of grouse in Ohio in bygone years was the perfect habitat afforded by reverting farmland. Grouse prefer the type of cover afforded by early forest regeneration. Land with trees in the small pole stage, along with plenty of undergrowth, is ideal for grouse. As the reverting farmland grew into timber stage, grouse habitat diminished. Current public land management plans that include clear-cutting and reforestation of mining land are creating more of the type of landscape that provides good grouse hunting territory.

Nate Jester, Shawnee State Forest manager, said that forest management practices are aimed at creating excellent grouse habitat.

"We have maps available showing recent clear-cut areas," Jester said. "A lot of good can come from the practice of clearcutting. I've seen grouse, especially in the transition areas along the clearcuts."

Most of the best grouse hunting areas on public land in Ohio are in District Four. This area features rugged terrain with thorny undergrowth and steep hillsides. With grouse scarcer now than in years gone by, hunters are loath to reveal their best hunting grounds. However, many of the state-owned wildlife areas are being actively managed to create more of the type of habitat that is ideal for grouse and other small game.

The biggest obstacle to maintaining good grouse habitat is the public's perception of practices such as clear-cutting. Freshly clear-cut land doesn't look pretty. In fact, it looks as though it has been destroyed by some giant hand or natural disaster. Towering trees that shelter shady pathways are suddenly replaced by stumps and twisted branches on the ground. It appears that the forest has been destroyed, but in reality, the future of the wildlife area is being preserved.

Healthy wildlife areas with a wide variety of species require a wide variety of growth, including grasslands, wetlands, transitional areas with brushy growth and small trees, and areas of mature forest.

Ideally, grouse carrying capacity will be reached by cutting timber stands in 10- to 12-year cycles. An added benefit is the revenue generated by selling the timber.